A Wounded Soldier's Wish
Army Spc. Brendan Marrocco will be featured next week in a four-part series on Legion.org.

A Wounded Soldier's Wish

Shortly after U.S. Army Spc. Brendan Marrocco arrived at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, he told his medical team he had a simple, straightforward goal: to walk by the time his combat infantry brigade returned home from Iraq.

An armor-piercing roadside bomb had blown off both of his arms and legs. He was severely burned and had damaged one of his eyes. His mother, a nurse, couldn't picture her son even standing or walking in six months from his arrival at Walter Reed. It was hard enough to believe he was alive.

Yet, when the 2nd Battalion of the 27th Infantry Regiment came home to Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, earlier this month, Marrocco was standing, walking and saluting. The American Legion had a tremendous amount to do with it.

The Legion learned of Marrocco's desire to reunite with his unit and networked with a number of partners to make it possible for the soldier and his family to spend 11 days in Hawaii with his brothers in arms.

Next week, in a special four-part series on www.legion.org, Brendan Marrocco's journey is recounted - from a brutal attack 145 miles north of Baghdad to the emotional reunion with his family and his platoon in Hawaii. Please visit www.legion.org next week.