Wounded Marine details his struggles in Iraq

By Mandy Walton

Thursday, Nov. 13, 2008 | 12:38 p.m.

A true American hero visited Henderson Wednesday night. While I have met one or two celebrities in my life, none of those experiences compare to meeting Marine gunnery Sgt. Nick Popaditch. "Gunny Pop" spoke about his last tour of duty in Iraq and signed copies of his book, "Once a Marine," at the Stephanie location of Barnes & Noble.

On April 9, 2003, Popaditch was photographed in what came to be one of the most famous images from the Iraq war. As tanks in Baghdad took down the statue of Saddam Hussein, Popaditch was captured enjoying a "victory cigar." He then became known as "The Cigar Marine." Then, two days short of one year later, Popaditch's life changed forever and would again be caught on film.

During his discussion at the bookstore, Popaditch spoke of a harrowing ordeal that took place April 7, 2004, when his group came under fire and he was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade. The impact went to the right side of his helmet, knocked his eye from its socket, seriously injured his other eye, and left him blind and deaf during the attack. A news crew in the area captured some video just after the attack. And just while I was sitting there taking in the gravity of the situation he was explaining, Popaditch went on to praise the others in his company who continued to fight their attackers and then cover him with their body armor to try to save him. They are heroes to him, he said.

He then spoke of the Iraqi people and how humble they were; he could walk from his tank onto the street and shake hands with the townspeople. Of those Iraqi people, Popaditch said he "was privileged to see them fighting for their own freedom."

At the Veterans Day Ceremony last Saturday, put on by the City of Henderson, Councilman Jack Clark said in his speech that a hero's "courage is far beyond what most of us could ever imagine." I could not grasp the courage that must be within Nick Popaditch, and so all I could do was revere and admire this great man, and the struggles he has gone through since that fateful day four years ago. When he asked if there were any questions, the small group sat silent, stunned.

I am disappointed that so many missed out on the opportunity to meet this great man tonight. Pick up a copy of the book and go with him as he takes you on his journey of recovery, humility, and never failing duty and honor for country.