The topic of veteran credit preferences for civil service jobs
was raised recently by a fellow blogger.
My comment on his blog was not what follows, but it was in the back of
my mind when I responded to his posting.
On June 9, 2010, while on patrol in Afghanistan, an armored
vehicle in which Marine Corporal Luke McDermott was traveling was hit by a
roadside bomb.
Corporal McDermott
survived, but his right leg was amputated below his knee. His left leg was also
seriously injured, with many broken bones, especially in his foot. This incident occurred while McDermott was voluntarily
serving his second tour of duty in Afghanistan.
While Luke was being treated at Bethesda Naval Hospital in
Maryland, doctors determined that the injuries in his left leg were so severe
that it also required amputation.
Corporal McDermott was transferred to Brooke Army Medical Center in San
Antonio, Texas.
The operation was
successful and rehabilitation was begun immediately.
Luke maintained a good attitude in rehab and had
recovered so much that he started to become physically active in a variety of
activities. One of his first
accomplishments was to bag a real trophy.
On October 29, 2010, Marine
Corporal Luke McDermott bagged an eleven point buck while hunting in Texas. Not bad for a guy with no legs below the
knee!
Luke also participated in other sports with other injured
soldiers which included ice hockey and bicycling. The bicycling took him to Europe in which a portion of the route included the
beaches of Normandy. A fitting tribute
to all our military men and women that ever served.
One poignant moment was caught on camera. On May 30, 2011, Marine Corporal Luke
McDermott marched in the Memorial Day parade in his hometown of Greenville, New
York. It was almost one year after he
was wounded.
Luke McDermott has since retired from the Marine Corps
and has entered college.
Do you think our veterans deserve preferences for civil
service jobs? No further discussion necessary.
It's just something to think about.
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