Fighting to Stay Active
Marines' Hearts, Warrior Spirits Help Overcome Loss of Limbs
Sgt. James Wright
'Sir, I couldn't pass out. I was in charge'
Spoken by then Cpl. James Wright, these simple words epitomized the fighting spirit of the Marine leader.
Wright lost both of his hands during an ambush in Iraq. He refused, however, to let his wounds hinder his life as a Marine.
He was promoted to sergeant and became an instructor at the Martial Arts Center of Excellence at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Va.
From his hospital bed at Bethesda National Naval Medical Center in Maryland, he retold the harrowing experience of how he lost both hands and suffered wounds to a leg in an insurgent ambush in Iraq. At his bedside was Maj. Gen. Thomas S. Jones, Training and Education Command commanding general. The general was visiting wounded veterans at the hospital that day.
Wright was the assistant team leader with B Company, 1st Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force in Al Anbar Province, Iraq, when his patrol came under small arms, mortar and rocket propelled grenade fire in an ambush. He immediately took action, returning fire with his M-249 Squad Automatic Weapon, until an RPG hit his humvee. -
The blast severed both of his hands and severely wounded his left leg. Incredibly, he maintained his composure, instructing his Marines to use a radio to call for help and to apply tourniquets to his wounds. He led his Marines from the kill zone, directing fire on enemy machine gun positions.
Jones listened to the young reconnaissance Marine's story in amazement. He then asked him how he managed to keep from going into shock and passing out. Wright replied, "Sir, I couldn't pass out. I was in charge."
Wright was awarded the Bronze Star Medal with combat distinguishing device for valor.
Now facing a medical board that will likely end his career, he refuses to sit idly by.
"I love the Corps; it's that simple," he said. "I love being a Marine and it's something hard for me to let go."
Wright serves now as a Marine Corps Martial Arts Program instructor until he is medically retired from the Marine Corps. Wright said he was grateful for the chance to return a sense of normalcy to his life.
"As active as I was as a Marine, it wasn't in my nature to(sit around) doing nothing," said Wright. "(Coming) back to work has reintroduced me to my life and my passion to be a Marine. They didn't know what to expect, so it was a big step on their part."
Wright's contributions to the instructor staff aren't limited to teaching classes on values and Ethics, said Master Gunnery Sgt. Shane Franklin, MCMAP staff noncommissioned officer-in-charge.
"He has an obvious limitation with dual hooks, but he can execute all the hand techniques and grappling techniques with modifications," said Franklin. "He gets his fair share of knocks in the mat room, but you would never know he was any different than anyone else here."
Wright said that while his lifelong dream is to make the Marine Corps a career, his inability to return to his reconnaissance unit means he might not stay, even if medically cleared.
"I probably will end up retiring, because I just hate to see my buddies deploying and me not being able to go off with them," said Wright. "Even if I do retire, (being at the MACE) gives me an opportunity to give back a little bit and pass on my knowledge and lessons learned in combat. I have some opportunities in the civilian world to make some good career decisions, and I think even (as a civilian) I will be able to give back to the Marine Corps."
Read on for Staff Sgt. Berle “Jack” Sigman's story.
