HAND AMPUTEE DEPLOYS TO SET EXAMPLE FOR WOUNDED WARRIORS

There are stories I read and think it is too impossible to be true especially when the stories come in emails. This is one of those times. I received an email with a picture of a Marine with one regular hand and one mechanical hand with the story of him still serving. I couldn't believe it so I tracked the story down and found the original story. If you have seen the email with "This Marine fights for you with one hand" it is true. Here's the story and it is even better than what was in the email.

BACK TO WORK: HAND AMPUTEE DEPLOYS TO SET EXAMPLE FOR WOUNDED WARRIORS
PATROL BASE FIRES, HELMAND PROVINCE, AF - (09.08.2011)
STORY BY CPL. BENJAMIN CRILLY

SGT. RICARDO RAMIREZ, A COMBAT REPLACEMENT FOR 1ST BATTALION, 5TH MARINE REGIMENT, WADES THROUGH AN IRRIGATION CANAL TO MOVE INTO A NIGHT OBSERVATION POST IN SANGIN, AFGHANISTAN, AUG. 5. IN FEBRUARY OF 2006, RAMIREZ WAS WOUNDED IN ACTION WHILE SERVING IN IRAQ WITH 3RD BN., 5TH MARINES AND TWO YEARS LATER BECAME THE FIRST HAND-AMPUTEE TO RE-ENLIST IN THE MARINES CORPS. SINCE THEN THE MULTIPLE-TOUR COMBAT VETERAN OF BOTH IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN HAS SERVED AS AN URBAN WARFARE INSTRUCTOR, ATTENDED THE PRE-SNIPER COURSE AT DIVISION SCHOOLS AND STAYED CLOSE TO HIS INFANTRY ROOTS. (PHOTO BY CPL. BENJAMIN CRILLY)

"The word came out that noncommissioned officers were needed as combat replacements," said combat replacement for 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, Sgt. Ricardo Ramirez. "Guys with experience who wanted to help out our brothers in Sangin."

Ramirez, a veteran of Iraq, fit the description, answered the call and volunteered to deploy to Afghanistan. His previous combat experience shows right off the bat, and is one of the first things people notice about the warrior.

He only has one hand.

In February of 2006, Ramirez was wounded in action while serving in Iraq with 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment and two years later became the first hand-amputee to re-enlist in the Marines Corps. Since then he has served as an urban warfare instructor to train other Marines, attended a pre-sniper course to pursue a life goal, and his present service demonstrates a continued refusal to leave his infantry roots. The example has been set for other wounded warriors: fight for it and you’ll get it.

"When I first got to 1st Platoon I happened to be sitting in the (combat operation center) when I heard Marines on post," recalled Ramirez. "It came over the radio 'Hey we just got our combat replacements and damn! One of them is missing a hand’ and then all you hear is 'What? Are you serious?'"

The Commandant of the Marine Corps annulled would-be skeptics, of his ability to return to the battlefield, by granting Ramirez's requests to re-enlist and ordered him to full-duty status.
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