BRADFORD-MATTHEW

HE  MADE  MARINE  CORP  HISTORY

FIRST  BLIND  DOUBLE-AMPUTEE  TO  REENLIST  IN  USMC

Matthew Bradford grew up in Winchester, Kentucky, and Dinwiddie, Virginia, and at the age of 18 joined the Marine Corps in 2005.  He made up his mind that he was going to deploy as many times as the Marines wanted him to.  However, on the afternoon of January 18, 2007, while on his first tour in Iraq, he was on patrol as a rifleman in Al Anbar province and trying to help clean an area of roadside bombs when one of them exploded right under him.  His life was forever changed.  Bradford lost his eyesight as both eyes were struck by shrapnel, he suffered a fractured right hand and fragmentation wounds to his lower abdominal area.  But what he said he hated the most was losing his legs.  He required amputation below the knee on the right leg and above the knee on the left.  He was rushed to surgery followed by rehabilitation at the Center for the Intrepid at Brooke Army Medical Center, Fort Sam Houston, Texas, where he worked with his physical therapy team in whom he put complete trust for his rehabilitation.  While at the Center one of his therapists remarked, “One of his first tasks was to strengthen his trunk area.  Every day he would show up faithfully at 1 o’clock, despite having a full belly after lunch.  He’s done things most able-bodied people can’t do.”  During a visit by President George W. Bush at the Intrepid Center, Bradford caught the President’s attention while climbing the center’s 35-foot artificial rock wall.  “Good man, isn’t he,” the President is reported to have said. 

Since then Bradford has inspired others by riding his hand cycle in the Marine Corps Marathon, with directions called out to him.  In 2009 he hiked 10-miles of desert terrain in the grueling Bataan Death March in White Sands, New Mexico.  Bradford credits his years of playing football and basketball as a youth, and the never-give-up attitude of the Marine Corps, with preparing him for his recovery.  He also led the Tunnel to Towers race in New York City, received the George Van Cleave Military Leadership Award at the 48^th USO Armed Forces Gala and was featured on a 60-Minutes television broadcast.  He has learned to read Braille and works on a computer with the aid of special software.  In 2009 he was promoted to Corporal in recognition of his leadership.  “The prayers and support of strangers and friendships he’s made also have helped,” his mother said.  “He just doesn’t like the word ‘No.’  He’s lost a lot, but he’s gained a lot,” she also said.  Concerning his injuries Bradford has said, “I thought if I got hurt that bad in Iraq, I’d rather just die.  But I regret having thought that—I’ve been able to do some amazing things since then.”

On April 7, 2010, at Fort Sam Houston, Bradford made Marine Corps history.  He was honorably discharged upon the end of his enlistment and allowed to say a few words, “Sign me up, sir!” before a senior Marine officer.  The officer thereupon administered the oath of enlistment to CPL Bradford, thus making him the first blind double amputee in the history of the Marine Corps to re-enlist.  “I’m paving the road for the rest of them who want to stay in but think they can’t.  I’m ready to get back to work,” he said.  Following his reenlistment CPL Bradford was transferred to the Wounded Warrior Battalion East at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.  Here he continued his remarkable recovery progress, gave inspirational talks and  became an inspiration to others to follow him in their recovery process.  He said it was his desire to help wounded Marines cope with anger, depression and other demons that can fester if there's not someone around to provide strong peer mentoring. 

Since his injury CPL Bradford has married, has fathered a daughter and in mid-2013, at a ceremony in Nicholasville, Jessamine County, Kentucky, received the keys to a new home which was built by the Helping a Hero organization.  He is also enrolled in a Junior College with plans to continue his education at the University of Kentucky.  Bradford has said, “This house is a new beginning for our family.  The gift is so much greater than we ever could have imagined.”  After all he's been through, the only real regret CPL Bradford says he has was not being able to return to combat duty in Iraq with his friends.

Submitted by CDR Roy A. Mosteller, USNR (Ret)