Fearless Medics Transport Wounded Marine Despite Live RPG Sticking Out Of His Leg

In January 2012, Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Winder Perez was stationed in Afghanistan. In a fight, he was hit with a rocket-propelled grenade in the leg.

However, the RPG did not detonate but stuck in his leg. The military has rules against transporting ordinances that have not exploded, but the medical evacuation team picked him up and took him to a Navy medical officer.

Saving a Marine

The first person from the crew to pick up Perez was Specialist Mark Edens. On the flight over, they were told they were picking up a girl who was injured.

Upon arrival, they found Perez. He had a rather large wound, plus a 2-foot long rocket coming out of his leg—the Army pilot Capt. Kevin Doo had the crew vote on whether or not they wanted to go against the rules, accept the danger, and help the lance corporal.

All of the crew voted yes. Doo said to Army journalists, “There was no doubt to anyone that we were going to take this Marine and get him the medical attention needed to save his life. When dealing with this — not knowing that any moment could be your last — 18 inches from the patient’s legs was about 360 gallons of aviation fuel.”

“After Lance Cpl. Perez was loaded on the Black Hawk, it was a total of 11.2 minutes of flight time where every minute felt like an hour. During that time, we were on the radio coordinating with our escorts, the Explosive Ordnance Disposal team, and medical personnel who were going to treat Perez.”

Capt. Kevin Doo

In Surgery

The head of the surgical company, Navy Lt. Cmdr. James Gennari, met the helicopter and Perez at the Forward Operating Base Edinburgh along with Army EOD Staff Sgt. Ben Summerfield.

Summerfield removed the RPG from Perez's leg, and Gennari stabilized him. Gennari said Perez truly was severely injured and would have likely died from his injuries if the MEDEVAC did not pick him up so quickly.

The Army MEDEVAC crew took Perez to Camp Bastion so he could recover.

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8 comments on “Fearless Medics Transport Wounded Marine Despite Live RPG Sticking Out Of His Leg”

  1. THIS is what they mean when they say NOBODY LEFT BEHIND! Are you listening Biden or does it need to be tattooed on your forehead? I do not believe that there was any question about transporting this Marine to a Medical Facility.

    1. Biden just doesn't understand this mindset. He's obviously not a military man, just a useless politician.

    2. Unfortunately, the bureaucratic politicians put policy before the soldiers. Now to many of the generals are politicians wearing a uniform.
      Every president since Nixon have this attitude.

  2. God Bless all the service men and women right down to the medic who stop at nothing to save lives!

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