…the first step to feeling like I was still a Marine
Where do we find men with honor? In the US Marine Corps, thats where.
Spanky Gibson was shot by a sniper in May of 2006 while on foot patrol in Ramadi, Iraq. When the firefight was over, his left leg was gone.
But Gunnery Sgt. William Gibson, a decorated Marine, didn’t stop serving his country, even after his leg was amputated above the knee. He didn’t settle for a desk job stateside, either. He’s back in Iraq — his second tour — on active duty with the U.S. Marine Corps.
Amazing. To say the least…
“The first thing that went through my mind was, get my weapon out and function,” he said. “I knew there was something seriously wrong with me — the round luckily enough severed the nerve, so there was no pain.
Something about that training Marines get keeps them focused on the battle and not themselves.
By July of 2006, only two months after his was shot, Gibson was back at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina. The experience was marked by a series of firsts: the first time he got back into his uniform; the first time he walked, with crutches on his new prosthetic leg; the first time he was back training with his fellow Marines. That’s when he knew he had to go back to Iraq.
“That was my first step,” he said, “the first step to feeling like I was still a Marine.”
He remembers all the camaraderie and gratitude coming from the other servicemen and women for the sacrifices he’d made in combat. It was then, he said, when he knew he had to go on.
“I definitely felt the obligation to stay in the Marine Corps and pay back that honor,” Gibson said. “Because it is an honor to wear the uniform, and I realized that very quickly.”
This is one of the most inspiring stories I have read about wounded Marines getting ON with their lives- be that going back to Iraq or not. This Gunny isn’t about to sit around and feel sorry for himself or dwell on his injuries…we need to be proud of men like him.
Semper Fi Gunnery Sgt. Spanky Gibson
Be sure to check out his photos too!
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