Homes for our Troops Groundbreaking for Cpl Justin Gaertner USMC in Lutz

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Homes for our Troops Groundbreaking for Cpl Justin Gaertner USMC in Lutz

Wednesday, Apr 03, 2013 | On Target Page: Land O'Lakes, Greater Pasco County, Lutz, New Tampa, Wesley Chapel, Zephyrhills, Dade City, Trinity & West Pasco, Support the Troops

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Homes for Our Troops held a groundbreaking ceremony for Marine Corporal Justin Gaertner on the site of what will be his new home at 521 Cullaro Ln, in Lutz. Marine Corporal Justin Gaertner was on his third deployment when he lost both of his legs above the knees, and suffered severe damage to his left arm in an IED blast in Marjah, Afghanistan on November 26, 2010. While on a routine route clearance mission, Cpl. Gaertner, a Combat Engineer, was in the third vehicle of a convoy when the vehicle ahead hit an IED. While evacuating an injured Marine from the vehicle, and conducting secondary sweeps of the area, Cpl. Gaertner found the pressure plate that had triggered the explosion. Continuing his sweep of the area, Cpl. Gaertner watched helplessly as his best friend was blown up directly in front of him when another IED was triggered. Being the only person on-site with a mine detector, Cpl. Gaertner began sweeping an area for a Landing Zone for the MEDEVAC helicopter that would airlift the seriously injured Marines to safety; within minutes, a third bomb, a buried IED, soon took both of his legs as well. With both legs traumatically amputated, his left arm shattered, and an 8â€ piece of glass lodged in his abdomen, Cpl. Gaertner did not realize he had been hit until he tried to get up to provide security and search for any injured. If you would like to help click the link below!

Support our Troops - Justin Gaertner