Turned the page of the morning paper and saw a full page advert for an HBO show premiering this Sunday. As it is said, check your local listings.

John Jones
Marine Staff Sgt.
Hometown: San Antonio, TX
Age: 30
Date of Injury: 1/3/2005

Now, I get up every morning by the Grace of God and get around like I did before the accident. I can do almost everything that I did before but of course at nights I have to use my wheelchair when I don’t have my legs on. Showering is usually a challenge if I travel but everything is basic….

As for the future, I hope to always help other military men and women forever in any way that I can. I hope to graduate one day with degree in business that somehow incorporates helping others that need me in some way. I hope to be a positive influence for others and to set an example for those that have given up hope. I hope to always be the father and husband that my family needs and to always show them that I am forever grateful that they love me for who I am.

The Spirit is there, just a matter of technology before a Marine like S/Sgt Jones returns to active duty.

I recall a short Leatherneck article in ’62-’63 about Sgt Don Hamblen getting tangled up in a power line at Camp Pendleton. Lost a leg. His retention in the Corps was contingent on a successful Physical Readiness Test (PRT). He made it, did a tour RVN and retired as a 1st Sergeant.

Visit Sgt Jones’ blog here.

Hospital: National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda, MD

Unit: Part of 1st Battalion/ 7th Marines, Charlie Company

Date deployed to Iraq: Third/fourth week of August 2004

Location of Injury: Al Qaim, Iraq

List of Injuries: Double amputee below the knees, shrapnel in parts of thighs and wrists, some memory and hearing loss, post traumatic stress disorder.

From Executive Producer James Gandolfini
Alive Day Memories:  Home From Iraq
Premieres Sunday, September 9 at 10:30PM

In a war that has left more than 25,000 wounded, ALIVE DAY MEMORIES: HOME FROM IRAQ looks at a new generation of veterans. Executive Producer James Gandolfini interviews ten Soldiers and Marines who reveal their feelings on their future, their severe disabilities and their devotion to America. The documentary surveys the physical and emotional cost of war through memories of their “alive day,” the day they narrowly escaped death in Iraq.

Watch the entire ALIVE DAY MEMORIES special on HBO.com beginning Sunday, September 9 at 11:30pm, immediately following the premiere.

Must-Read Reference: Donald Hamblen: One Tough Marine and Purple Heart Recipient.