Posted on 12/20/2004 12:03:02 AM PST by MikefromOhio
MONTCLAIR - With his wife leading the way, a blindfolded Lance Cpl. David Battle made it up the stairs of one of the area's largest wedding ring stores Friday night. The 19-year-old soldier, who had chosen his own ring over an injured finger while fighting insurgents in Iraq, was now headed for the surprise of a lifetime - a secret his wife, Devann Battle, had struggled to keep from him all week.
Ironically, the ring he fought so hard to save on the battlefield last month was lost in a medical camp in Fallujah, where doctors worked to stabilize the injured Marine.
Steve Robbins, owner of Robbins Bros. the World's Biggest Engagement Ring Store, was so moved by Battle's story that he arranged to provide the wounded soldier with a new wedding band.
"What (Battle's) story represents is hope in a cynical world," said Robbins, who spent most of Friday night helping the pair select a ring. "Here's this young couple that represents love, commitment and sacrifice. This situation is inspiring people all over the world."
A limousine was sent to the hotel of the former Montclair High School football star, and delivered the two to the Montclair ring store.
Montclair firefighters and police were among the scores of onlookers who watched Devann Battle select a ring -- free of charge -- for the man she said her heart belongs to.
David Battle was humble throughout the night.
"I joined the military to give back to my country that gave so much to my mom," he said. "I do what I do to protect the freedom that we all have and cherish, like the rest of the guys in my unit. I did what I did for my wife because I love her ... and really that's what matters most."
(Excerpt) Read more at dailybulletin.com ...
So it was kinda pointless to cut off your finger instead of the ring. Hope someone brings that up to him someday.
from what I am getting, it doesnt sound like his finger was going to stay on his hand so it kept the ring and eventually lost it....
from what I am getting, it doesnt sound like his finger was going to stay on his hand so it kept the ring and eventually lost it....
You must be real twits. It is SOOOOOO romantic!
After it's all said and done, he's alive. That's all that matters.
Here's a finger for you...
He lost his finger, but he kept his good heart.
his wife is happy...isnt that what we all want?
I sent em a thank you note........told em I was proud of em.
http://www.robbinsbros.com/about/feedback.asp
Yes. From the sounds of it she has a good man.
In the first article on him he said something about how the wedding ring was his constant reminder of his wife while he was so far away.
I just had my ring resized and they had to cut it to add more metal. No big deal. Of course I get to see my wife every night, tuck my kids into bed, and wake up next to my wife each morning. God bless our troops for giving me that luxury.
yes it does doesnt it?
Thanks, me too!
Wow, not too far from home! Touching story. I interned for Robbins Bros a few years back and it was an interesting experience. I never got to meet the Robbins bros however but they were generous in providing me with stuff for an internship fair!
yeah it sounds like they are doing this for real, not just for publicity, which was sure to come either way....
Yes, it appears from the original story that the choice was not between "finger" and "no finger" - it was more of "stump" and "less of a stump".
But he's a big 'ol sweet Marine, and he'll says he'll be going back anyway. Marines are just like that, God Bless 'em.
Battle's mother, Sonia Cabrera, came from El Salvador when she was 15 and raised four children, including David, on her own.
"Before, she lived with four kids in a two-bedroom apartment in Montclair," he said of Cabrera. "Today, she is the American dream. She worked hard and has a two-story house. Devann and I owe a lot to our mothers and our country."
Battle's loyalty to his fellow Marines, and the immense love he holds for his wife, have garnered national attention since his return home.
But it was what any soldier would have done, he said, discounting his heroism in the heat of battle.
For David and Devann, the public's overwhelming response is a beautiful twist in what could have been a tragic tale.
"Every day he says he doesn't want anything," Devann said as she and David sifted through wedding bands. "But he really does deserve it and a whole lot more. I love him so much ... I could never repay him for all that he's done for me."
During a fierce firefight in Fallujah on Nov. 13, Battle helped save the lives of fellow Marines when he held off enemy fighters that had opened fire on his unit. It left him with a mangled left hand and serious wounds to his legs that required extensive surgery and will take more than a year to heal.
In the absence of a honeymoon -- Battle reported for duty two days after their June 12 wedding -- the couple was to spend Friday night at the Mission Inn in Riverside. Robbins Bros. donated the room, and Inn management upgraded the pair to the $1,200-a-night Presidential Suite.
Before leaving the store, having settled on an 18-carat gold and platinum ring, David and Devann Battle danced tenderly to "The Wind Beneath My Wings," as bystanders, many wiping tears from their eyes, stood in silent admiration.
"I loved you before I was born, now, and forever," Battle told his wife as he handed her a three-tiered, princess-cut diamond pendant the store provided as a gift.
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