olevetonahill
3/10/2007, 01:00 PM
A lil long but worth the read
Some good news... if only all the brass could keep their focus about "taking
care of the troops"
This speaks for itself..in that it is such big news when it happens
_____
- Marines -
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- An injured Marine received an
unexpected upgrade in his flight home from Iraq here Feb. 8.
Marine Lance Cpl. Steven Eastburn from the Marine Corps Air Station Kaneohe,
Hawaii, was on his way home to be with his family during his recovery. One
of his stops along the way was at the David Grant USAF Medical Center's
Aeromedical Staging Facility.
Unbeknownst to him, at the same time he was awaiting his flight, Gen. Peter
Pace, Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff, was landing at Travis for a quick
"gas
and go" en route to Hawaii.
When General Pace learned a fellow Marine was on his way home after being
injured in Iraq, he didn't hesitate.
"When I greeted General Pace and Mrs. Pace on the flight line one of the
things I mentioned was that we currently had a Marine that was wounded in
Iraq waiting transportation in our aeromedical staging facility," said Col.
Steve
Arquiette, 60th Air Mobility Wing Commander. "The next words out of his
mouth were 'let's go' and we were off."
Arriving at the DGMC, the general went straight for the Marine's room and
knocked on the door.
"Hey Marine! Are you up for a visitor?" he shouted. When the Marine
responded with a hearty, "Yes, Sir," he didn't have a clue who he was
responding to.
"Corporal Eastburn was in shock to say the least," said Col. Arquiette.
"General Pace found out the corporal was going to Hawaii as well and said,
'You're coming with me, we'll go home together.'"
The general's flight was delayed for a short period of time as medical
personnel gathered Corporal Eastburn's belongings, checked him out of the
hospital and prepared him for the flight home, but the general didn't mind
one bit.
"Delaying the flight to take a wounded warrior home was the right thing to
do," the general said. "If I can get him home five or six hours earlier to
see his family, I'm going to do it."
The general's generous offer was not lost on the staff at the DGMC.
"While it was amazing experience for me to meet the Chairman of the Joint
Chiefs of Staff, I think it was more of a highlight for the patient," said
Staff Sgt. Darwin Diaz, 60th Aerospace Medicine Squadron Aeromedical
operations technician. "Not everyone gets offered a ride home by the
Chairman of the
Joint Chiefs of Staff."
"I was very impressed by his attitude toward the wounded Marine," said
Senior Master Sgt. Scott Williams, 60th AMDS. "He was more concerned about
the injured Marine than he was about all the prestige his position gives
him."
General Pace departed the base with Corporal Eastburn commending Team
Travis' assistance.
"This was a much more productive stop than I ever would have expected," he
said. "In a very short amount of time, you all went above and beyond to
support my request."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Wounded Marine Goes Home in Style
HICKAM AIR FORCE BASE, Hawaii, Feb. 9, 2007 - A Marine wounded in Iraq
traveled the final leg of his journey back to his unit in style yesterday.
Marine Lance Cpl. Steven Eastburn, a member of 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marines,
at Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii, enjoys a ride home courtesy of Marine Gen. Peter
Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Pace met Eastburn at Travis Air
Force Base, Calif., where the young Marine had been recovering from wounds
suffered in Iraq. When Eastburn told the chairman he was going to continue
his recovery in Hawaii, Pace offered him a ride because that's where the
general was headed next. Photo by Staff Sgt. D. Myles Cullen USAF
(Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution
<http://www.defenselink.mil/dodcmsshare/newsstoryPhoto/2007-02/hires_070208-
F-0193C-001a.jpg> image available.
Lance Cpl. Steven Eastburn, a member of 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marines, at
Kaneohe Bay, arrived back in Hawaii on an executive jet, after being offered
a ride from Travis Air Force Base, Calif., by Marine Gen. Peter Pace,
chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Eastburn was undergoing treatment at Travis for wounds he suffered in
Haqlaniyah, Iraq, on Jan. 31.
Pace visited servicemembers at David Grant Medical Center at Travis while
his C-40B aircraft was being refueled. Eastburn was at the hospital, and
Pace asked the 20-year-old Marine if he would like a ride back to Hawaii.
"Of course I said, 'Sure,'" the Marine said.
"This is a big government plane," the chairman said. "We can always make
room for one more."
Eastburn was wounded while pulling guard as his squad was setting up an
observation post. A sniper shot him through the right arm just above the
elbow. "There was a second shot, but he missed," the lance corporal said.
"My squad leader came out to get me."
His squad gave him immediate attention then got him to a medevac point. He
was flown to Balad Air Base, Iraq; and then Landstuhl, Germany; before going
on to Andrews Air Force Base, Md.; and finally to Travis.
At Andrews, Eastburn received a new treatment called a peripheral nerve
block. The treatment uses a machine to place a small bit of local anesthetic
into the affected area. "It gives the wound a chance to heal without the
side effects of morphine or other drugs," said Air Force Dr. (Lt. Col.) Bill
Whelan, a flight surgeon traveling with the chairman. "Many people get
nauseous due to the side effects of morphine. But with this, Steven is able
to eat and gain strength. He's doing well."
Eastburn will be assigned to Tripler Army Medical Center in Hawaii, closer
to his unit's home base.
As the jet pulled up to the distinguished visitor area at Hickam, a number
of people were there to meet and greet the chairman and his wife, Lynne.
Eastburn's parents were also there. The chairman came up the aisle of the
plane and told the young lance corporal to "lead everybody off the plane."
"Thanks for the ride, Sir," the lance corporal told Pace. "I won't forget
it."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chairman of the <http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1794247/posts>
Joint Chiefs of Staff gives wounded warrior a lift home
Air
<http://www.freerepublic.com/%5ehttp:/www.amc.af.mil/news/story_print.asp?st
oryID=123040556> Force Print News | 2/9/2007 | Capt. Vanessa Hillman and
Staff Sgt. Candy Knight
Posted on 03/02/2007 2:36:45 PM PST by radar101
<http://www.freerepublic.com/~radar101/>
Gen. Peter Pace, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, visits Marine Lance
Cpl. Steven Eastburn from the Marine Corps Air Station Kaneohe, Hawaii.
General Pace was on a stopover at Travis prior to leaving for Hawaii when he
learned Corporal Eastburn, injured while supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom,
was being attended to by medical personnel at David Grant USAF Medical
Center's Aeromedical Staging Facility. General Pace offered Corporal
Eastburn a lift to Tripler Army Medical Center aboard his aircraft since he
was going in the same direction
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- An injured Marine received an unexpected
upgrade in his flight home from Iraq here Feb. 8.
Marine Lance Cpl. Steven Eastburn from the Marine Corps Air Station Kaneohe,
Hawaii, was on his way home to be with his family during his recovery. One
of his stops along the way was at the David Grant USAF Medical Center's
Aeromedical Staging Facility.
Unbeknownst to him, at the same time he was awaiting his flight, Gen. Peter
Pace, Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff, was landing at Travis for a quick
"gas and go" en route to Hawaii.
When General Pace learned a fellow Marine was on his way home after being
injured in Iraq, he didn't hesitate.
"When I greeted General Pace and Mrs. Pace on the flight line one of the
things I mentioned was that we currently had a Marine that was wounded in
Iraq waiting transportation in our aeromedical staging facility," said Col.
Steve Arquiette, 60th Air Mobility Wing Commander. "The next words out of
his mouth were 'let's go' and we were off."
Arriving at the DGMC, the general went straight for the Marine's room and
knocked on the door.
"Hey Marine! Are you up for a visitor?" he shouted. When the Marine
responded with a hearty, "Yes, Sir," he didn't have a clue who he was
responding to.
"Corporal Eastburn was in shock to say the least," said Col. Arquiette.
"General Pace found out the corporal was going to Hawaii as well and said,
'You're coming with me, we'll go home together.'"
The general's flight was delayed for a short period of time as medical
personnel gathered Corporal Eastburn's belongings, checked him out of the
hospital and prepared him for the flight home, but the general didn't mind
one bit.
"Delaying the flight to take a wounded warrior home was the right thing to
do," the general said. "If I can get him home five or six hours earlier to
see his family, I'm going to do it."
The general's generous offer was not lost on the staff at the DGMC.
"While it was amazing experience for me to meet the Chairman of the Joint
Chiefs of Staff, I think it was more of a highlight for the patient," said
Staff Sgt. Darwin Diaz, 60th Aerospace Medicine Squadron Aeromedical
operations technician. "Not everyone gets offered a ride home by the
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff."
"I was very impressed by his attitude toward the wounded Marine," said
Senior Master Sgt. Scott Williams, 60th AMDS. "He was more concerned about
the injured Marine than he was about all the prestige his position gives
him."
General Pace departed the base with Corporal Eastburn commending Team
Travis' assistance.
"This was a much more productive stop than I ever would have expected," he
said. "In a very short amount of time, you all went above and beyond to
support my request."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Friday, February 09, 2007
Marines Taking Care of Their Own
All The Way to the Top!
HICKAM AIR FORCE BASE, Hawaii, Feb. 9, 2007 - A Marine wounded in Iraq
traveled the final leg of his journey back to his unit in style yesterday.
Lance Cpl. Steven Eastburn, a member of 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marines, at
Kaneohe Bay, arrived back in Hawaii on an executive jet, after being offered
a ride from Travis Air Force Base, Calif., by Marine Gen. Peter Pace,
chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Eastburn was undergoing treatment at Travis for wounds he suffered in
Haqlaniyah, Iraq, on Jan. 31.
Pace visited servicemembers at David Grant Medical Center at Travis while
his C-40B aircraft was being refueled. Eastburn was at the hospital, and
Pace asked the 20-year-old Marine if he would like a ride back to Hawaii.
"Of course I said, 'Sure,'" the Marine said.
"This is a big government plane," the chairman said. "We can always make
room for one more."
Eastburn was wounded while pulling guard as his squad was setting up an
observation post. A sniper shot him through the right arm just above the
elbow. "There was a second shot, but he missed," the lance corporal said.
"My squad leader came out to get me."
His squad gave him immediate attention then got him to a medevac point. He
was flown to Balad Air Base, Iraq; and then Landstuhl, Germany; before going
on to Andrews Air Force Base, Md.; and finally to Travis.
At Andrews, Eastburn received a new treatment called a peripheral nerve
block. The treatment uses a machine to place a small bit of local anesthetic
into the affected area. "It gives the wound a chance to heal without the
side effects of morphine or other drugs," said Air Force Dr. (Lt. Col.) Bill
Whelan, a flight surgeon traveling with the chairman. "Many people get
nauseous due to the side effects of morphine. But with this, Steven is able
to eat and gain strength. He's doing well."
Eastburn will be assigned to Tripler Army Medical Center in Hawaii, closer
to his unit's home base.
As the jet pulled up to the distinguished visitor area at Hickam, a number
of people were there to meet and greet the chairman and his wife, Lynne.
Eastburn's parents were also there. The chairman came up the aisle of the
plane and told the young lance corporal to "lead everybody off the plane."
Thanks for the ride, Sir," the lance corporal told Pace. "I won't forget
it."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Fm Honolulu Paper
Isle Marine gets unexpected lift
By William Cole <mailto:[email protected]>
Advertiser Military Writer
Lance Cpl. Steven Eastburn, of the 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marines out of
Kane'ohe Bay, returned to Hawai'i courtesy of Marine Gen. Peter Pace.
USAF
A sniper's bullet shattered Lance Cpl. Steven Eastburn's arm in Iraq, but a
fellow Marine - the nation's highest-ranking uniformed officer - made sure
the 20-year-old returned to Hawai'i in style and comfort.
Gen. Peter Pace, the four-star chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff,
visited Eastburn and other service members on Feb. 8 at Travis Air Force
Base in California.
When Pace, who was heading for Hawai'i, learned that Eastburn was going to
be returning to Kane'ohe Bay, he offered him a lift on his C-40B executive
jet.
"He found out I was stationed in Hawai'i and he said, 'Well, that's where
I'm heading. If you want a ride, you can come with me,' and I was like, 'Yes
sir,' " Eastburn said.
The Lakeland, Fla., man made the 5 1/2-hour flight with Pace, the general's
wife, Lynne, a security team and other officials. Pace went on to visit
Australia and Indonesia.
It was a far cry from how Eastburn expected to get back to Hawai'i for
treatment at Tripler Army Medical Center, and not a usual offer made by such
a high-ranking officer.
"It was kinda weird," Eastburn admits. "He had security and everything. Here
I was expecting a ride on a C-130 or whatever, and then a general comes in
and tells me, 'You want to catch a ride with me?' "
Eastburn had been in Haq-laniyah in western Iraq since September. About
1,000 Marines with the 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marines from Kane'ohe Bay are in a
region called the Triad that includes Haqlaniyah, Haditha and Barwana along
the Euphrates River.
"It was pretty hostile," Eastburn said.
Hawai'i Marines regularly come under fire. Twenty-two men with the 2nd
Battalion have been killed on the seven-month deployment since fall.
Eastburn was on a foot patrol on Jan. 31 and part of a security team keeping
watch while another team checked out a house. A shot rang out. He was shot
through the bone just above the elbow.
"When I fell to the ground, I was looking at it, and the first half to the
elbow was facing one way, and the elbow up was like crooked to the side
another way, and I was like, 'Oh my gosh,' " Eastburn said.
A second shot landed behind him somewhere. Snipers and roadside bombs have
been increasing in lethality.
"From how good they've been shooting people, me getting shot in the arm,
that was pretty lucky," the Marine said.
Eastburn had been with the 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marines since April 2006 and
was on his first combat deployment. He's not sure what type of arm use he'll
regain. A plate and screws hold his bone together.
At Travis and Tripler, Eastburn received a new treatment called a peripheral
nerve block, which sends anesthetic to the nerve, numbing his arm and
keeping down the pain.
"That thing helps quite a bit," Eastburn said by phone from Tripler.
On the plane ride from Travis, Pace asked Eastburn what had happened to him
in Iraq.
"General Pace, he was a nice guy," Eastburn said. "I liked him. Him and his
wife were both very kind to me. They talked to me, and asked how it was
going, how I was being treated."
At the distinguished visitor area at Hickam Air Force Base, Pace had
Eastburn lead the contingent off the plane. The Marine's parents were there
to greet him.
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Some good news... if only all the brass could keep their focus about "taking
care of the troops"
This speaks for itself..in that it is such big news when it happens
_____
- Marines -
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- An injured Marine received an
unexpected upgrade in his flight home from Iraq here Feb. 8.
Marine Lance Cpl. Steven Eastburn from the Marine Corps Air Station Kaneohe,
Hawaii, was on his way home to be with his family during his recovery. One
of his stops along the way was at the David Grant USAF Medical Center's
Aeromedical Staging Facility.
Unbeknownst to him, at the same time he was awaiting his flight, Gen. Peter
Pace, Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff, was landing at Travis for a quick
"gas
and go" en route to Hawaii.
When General Pace learned a fellow Marine was on his way home after being
injured in Iraq, he didn't hesitate.
"When I greeted General Pace and Mrs. Pace on the flight line one of the
things I mentioned was that we currently had a Marine that was wounded in
Iraq waiting transportation in our aeromedical staging facility," said Col.
Steve
Arquiette, 60th Air Mobility Wing Commander. "The next words out of his
mouth were 'let's go' and we were off."
Arriving at the DGMC, the general went straight for the Marine's room and
knocked on the door.
"Hey Marine! Are you up for a visitor?" he shouted. When the Marine
responded with a hearty, "Yes, Sir," he didn't have a clue who he was
responding to.
"Corporal Eastburn was in shock to say the least," said Col. Arquiette.
"General Pace found out the corporal was going to Hawaii as well and said,
'You're coming with me, we'll go home together.'"
The general's flight was delayed for a short period of time as medical
personnel gathered Corporal Eastburn's belongings, checked him out of the
hospital and prepared him for the flight home, but the general didn't mind
one bit.
"Delaying the flight to take a wounded warrior home was the right thing to
do," the general said. "If I can get him home five or six hours earlier to
see his family, I'm going to do it."
The general's generous offer was not lost on the staff at the DGMC.
"While it was amazing experience for me to meet the Chairman of the Joint
Chiefs of Staff, I think it was more of a highlight for the patient," said
Staff Sgt. Darwin Diaz, 60th Aerospace Medicine Squadron Aeromedical
operations technician. "Not everyone gets offered a ride home by the
Chairman of the
Joint Chiefs of Staff."
"I was very impressed by his attitude toward the wounded Marine," said
Senior Master Sgt. Scott Williams, 60th AMDS. "He was more concerned about
the injured Marine than he was about all the prestige his position gives
him."
General Pace departed the base with Corporal Eastburn commending Team
Travis' assistance.
"This was a much more productive stop than I ever would have expected," he
said. "In a very short amount of time, you all went above and beyond to
support my request."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Wounded Marine Goes Home in Style
HICKAM AIR FORCE BASE, Hawaii, Feb. 9, 2007 - A Marine wounded in Iraq
traveled the final leg of his journey back to his unit in style yesterday.
Marine Lance Cpl. Steven Eastburn, a member of 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marines,
at Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii, enjoys a ride home courtesy of Marine Gen. Peter
Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Pace met Eastburn at Travis Air
Force Base, Calif., where the young Marine had been recovering from wounds
suffered in Iraq. When Eastburn told the chairman he was going to continue
his recovery in Hawaii, Pace offered him a ride because that's where the
general was headed next. Photo by Staff Sgt. D. Myles Cullen USAF
(Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution
<http://www.defenselink.mil/dodcmsshare/newsstoryPhoto/2007-02/hires_070208-
F-0193C-001a.jpg> image available.
Lance Cpl. Steven Eastburn, a member of 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marines, at
Kaneohe Bay, arrived back in Hawaii on an executive jet, after being offered
a ride from Travis Air Force Base, Calif., by Marine Gen. Peter Pace,
chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Eastburn was undergoing treatment at Travis for wounds he suffered in
Haqlaniyah, Iraq, on Jan. 31.
Pace visited servicemembers at David Grant Medical Center at Travis while
his C-40B aircraft was being refueled. Eastburn was at the hospital, and
Pace asked the 20-year-old Marine if he would like a ride back to Hawaii.
"Of course I said, 'Sure,'" the Marine said.
"This is a big government plane," the chairman said. "We can always make
room for one more."
Eastburn was wounded while pulling guard as his squad was setting up an
observation post. A sniper shot him through the right arm just above the
elbow. "There was a second shot, but he missed," the lance corporal said.
"My squad leader came out to get me."
His squad gave him immediate attention then got him to a medevac point. He
was flown to Balad Air Base, Iraq; and then Landstuhl, Germany; before going
on to Andrews Air Force Base, Md.; and finally to Travis.
At Andrews, Eastburn received a new treatment called a peripheral nerve
block. The treatment uses a machine to place a small bit of local anesthetic
into the affected area. "It gives the wound a chance to heal without the
side effects of morphine or other drugs," said Air Force Dr. (Lt. Col.) Bill
Whelan, a flight surgeon traveling with the chairman. "Many people get
nauseous due to the side effects of morphine. But with this, Steven is able
to eat and gain strength. He's doing well."
Eastburn will be assigned to Tripler Army Medical Center in Hawaii, closer
to his unit's home base.
As the jet pulled up to the distinguished visitor area at Hickam, a number
of people were there to meet and greet the chairman and his wife, Lynne.
Eastburn's parents were also there. The chairman came up the aisle of the
plane and told the young lance corporal to "lead everybody off the plane."
"Thanks for the ride, Sir," the lance corporal told Pace. "I won't forget
it."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chairman of the <http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1794247/posts>
Joint Chiefs of Staff gives wounded warrior a lift home
Air
<http://www.freerepublic.com/%5ehttp:/www.amc.af.mil/news/story_print.asp?st
oryID=123040556> Force Print News | 2/9/2007 | Capt. Vanessa Hillman and
Staff Sgt. Candy Knight
Posted on 03/02/2007 2:36:45 PM PST by radar101
<http://www.freerepublic.com/~radar101/>
Gen. Peter Pace, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, visits Marine Lance
Cpl. Steven Eastburn from the Marine Corps Air Station Kaneohe, Hawaii.
General Pace was on a stopover at Travis prior to leaving for Hawaii when he
learned Corporal Eastburn, injured while supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom,
was being attended to by medical personnel at David Grant USAF Medical
Center's Aeromedical Staging Facility. General Pace offered Corporal
Eastburn a lift to Tripler Army Medical Center aboard his aircraft since he
was going in the same direction
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- An injured Marine received an unexpected
upgrade in his flight home from Iraq here Feb. 8.
Marine Lance Cpl. Steven Eastburn from the Marine Corps Air Station Kaneohe,
Hawaii, was on his way home to be with his family during his recovery. One
of his stops along the way was at the David Grant USAF Medical Center's
Aeromedical Staging Facility.
Unbeknownst to him, at the same time he was awaiting his flight, Gen. Peter
Pace, Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff, was landing at Travis for a quick
"gas and go" en route to Hawaii.
When General Pace learned a fellow Marine was on his way home after being
injured in Iraq, he didn't hesitate.
"When I greeted General Pace and Mrs. Pace on the flight line one of the
things I mentioned was that we currently had a Marine that was wounded in
Iraq waiting transportation in our aeromedical staging facility," said Col.
Steve Arquiette, 60th Air Mobility Wing Commander. "The next words out of
his mouth were 'let's go' and we were off."
Arriving at the DGMC, the general went straight for the Marine's room and
knocked on the door.
"Hey Marine! Are you up for a visitor?" he shouted. When the Marine
responded with a hearty, "Yes, Sir," he didn't have a clue who he was
responding to.
"Corporal Eastburn was in shock to say the least," said Col. Arquiette.
"General Pace found out the corporal was going to Hawaii as well and said,
'You're coming with me, we'll go home together.'"
The general's flight was delayed for a short period of time as medical
personnel gathered Corporal Eastburn's belongings, checked him out of the
hospital and prepared him for the flight home, but the general didn't mind
one bit.
"Delaying the flight to take a wounded warrior home was the right thing to
do," the general said. "If I can get him home five or six hours earlier to
see his family, I'm going to do it."
The general's generous offer was not lost on the staff at the DGMC.
"While it was amazing experience for me to meet the Chairman of the Joint
Chiefs of Staff, I think it was more of a highlight for the patient," said
Staff Sgt. Darwin Diaz, 60th Aerospace Medicine Squadron Aeromedical
operations technician. "Not everyone gets offered a ride home by the
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff."
"I was very impressed by his attitude toward the wounded Marine," said
Senior Master Sgt. Scott Williams, 60th AMDS. "He was more concerned about
the injured Marine than he was about all the prestige his position gives
him."
General Pace departed the base with Corporal Eastburn commending Team
Travis' assistance.
"This was a much more productive stop than I ever would have expected," he
said. "In a very short amount of time, you all went above and beyond to
support my request."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Friday, February 09, 2007
Marines Taking Care of Their Own
All The Way to the Top!
HICKAM AIR FORCE BASE, Hawaii, Feb. 9, 2007 - A Marine wounded in Iraq
traveled the final leg of his journey back to his unit in style yesterday.
Lance Cpl. Steven Eastburn, a member of 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marines, at
Kaneohe Bay, arrived back in Hawaii on an executive jet, after being offered
a ride from Travis Air Force Base, Calif., by Marine Gen. Peter Pace,
chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Eastburn was undergoing treatment at Travis for wounds he suffered in
Haqlaniyah, Iraq, on Jan. 31.
Pace visited servicemembers at David Grant Medical Center at Travis while
his C-40B aircraft was being refueled. Eastburn was at the hospital, and
Pace asked the 20-year-old Marine if he would like a ride back to Hawaii.
"Of course I said, 'Sure,'" the Marine said.
"This is a big government plane," the chairman said. "We can always make
room for one more."
Eastburn was wounded while pulling guard as his squad was setting up an
observation post. A sniper shot him through the right arm just above the
elbow. "There was a second shot, but he missed," the lance corporal said.
"My squad leader came out to get me."
His squad gave him immediate attention then got him to a medevac point. He
was flown to Balad Air Base, Iraq; and then Landstuhl, Germany; before going
on to Andrews Air Force Base, Md.; and finally to Travis.
At Andrews, Eastburn received a new treatment called a peripheral nerve
block. The treatment uses a machine to place a small bit of local anesthetic
into the affected area. "It gives the wound a chance to heal without the
side effects of morphine or other drugs," said Air Force Dr. (Lt. Col.) Bill
Whelan, a flight surgeon traveling with the chairman. "Many people get
nauseous due to the side effects of morphine. But with this, Steven is able
to eat and gain strength. He's doing well."
Eastburn will be assigned to Tripler Army Medical Center in Hawaii, closer
to his unit's home base.
As the jet pulled up to the distinguished visitor area at Hickam, a number
of people were there to meet and greet the chairman and his wife, Lynne.
Eastburn's parents were also there. The chairman came up the aisle of the
plane and told the young lance corporal to "lead everybody off the plane."
Thanks for the ride, Sir," the lance corporal told Pace. "I won't forget
it."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Fm Honolulu Paper
Isle Marine gets unexpected lift
By William Cole <mailto:[email protected]>
Advertiser Military Writer
Lance Cpl. Steven Eastburn, of the 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marines out of
Kane'ohe Bay, returned to Hawai'i courtesy of Marine Gen. Peter Pace.
USAF
A sniper's bullet shattered Lance Cpl. Steven Eastburn's arm in Iraq, but a
fellow Marine - the nation's highest-ranking uniformed officer - made sure
the 20-year-old returned to Hawai'i in style and comfort.
Gen. Peter Pace, the four-star chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff,
visited Eastburn and other service members on Feb. 8 at Travis Air Force
Base in California.
When Pace, who was heading for Hawai'i, learned that Eastburn was going to
be returning to Kane'ohe Bay, he offered him a lift on his C-40B executive
jet.
"He found out I was stationed in Hawai'i and he said, 'Well, that's where
I'm heading. If you want a ride, you can come with me,' and I was like, 'Yes
sir,' " Eastburn said.
The Lakeland, Fla., man made the 5 1/2-hour flight with Pace, the general's
wife, Lynne, a security team and other officials. Pace went on to visit
Australia and Indonesia.
It was a far cry from how Eastburn expected to get back to Hawai'i for
treatment at Tripler Army Medical Center, and not a usual offer made by such
a high-ranking officer.
"It was kinda weird," Eastburn admits. "He had security and everything. Here
I was expecting a ride on a C-130 or whatever, and then a general comes in
and tells me, 'You want to catch a ride with me?' "
Eastburn had been in Haq-laniyah in western Iraq since September. About
1,000 Marines with the 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marines from Kane'ohe Bay are in a
region called the Triad that includes Haqlaniyah, Haditha and Barwana along
the Euphrates River.
"It was pretty hostile," Eastburn said.
Hawai'i Marines regularly come under fire. Twenty-two men with the 2nd
Battalion have been killed on the seven-month deployment since fall.
Eastburn was on a foot patrol on Jan. 31 and part of a security team keeping
watch while another team checked out a house. A shot rang out. He was shot
through the bone just above the elbow.
"When I fell to the ground, I was looking at it, and the first half to the
elbow was facing one way, and the elbow up was like crooked to the side
another way, and I was like, 'Oh my gosh,' " Eastburn said.
A second shot landed behind him somewhere. Snipers and roadside bombs have
been increasing in lethality.
"From how good they've been shooting people, me getting shot in the arm,
that was pretty lucky," the Marine said.
Eastburn had been with the 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marines since April 2006 and
was on his first combat deployment. He's not sure what type of arm use he'll
regain. A plate and screws hold his bone together.
At Travis and Tripler, Eastburn received a new treatment called a peripheral
nerve block, which sends anesthetic to the nerve, numbing his arm and
keeping down the pain.
"That thing helps quite a bit," Eastburn said by phone from Tripler.
On the plane ride from Travis, Pace asked Eastburn what had happened to him
in Iraq.
"General Pace, he was a nice guy," Eastburn said. "I liked him. Him and his
wife were both very kind to me. They talked to me, and asked how it was
going, how I was being treated."
At the distinguished visitor area at Hickam Air Force Base, Pace had
Eastburn lead the contingent off the plane. The Marine's parents were there
to greet him.
ANOTHER DAY TO SERVE THE CORPS. Classification:
UNCLASSIFIED
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Messages
"Keep on, Keepin' on"
Dan Cedusky, Champaign IL "Colonel Dan"
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