RSS Feed
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Purple Heart recipient says he wants to return to war
Konopka, a native of Charleston, NC, is engaged to be married to Amanda Savage of Jackson on Nov. 11. He has reenlisted in the U.S. Military and will return to active duty around the middle of December. The former Leroy High School student (1995-1999) first went to Iraq in January of 2005 as a member of the 3rd Battalion, 8th Marines, 38th Weapons Company. He has joined the U.S. Army as a member of the 82nd Airborne and will be stationed at Ft. Bragg, N.C., where he expects to receive orders to return to the war in Iraq. Soldiers receive the Purple Heart for being wounded in battle. Konopka was injured June 29, 2005 by an IED (insurgent explosive device) while his unit was conducting patrols outside of Falujah, Iraq. The device, in the form of a roadside bomb, exploded with pieces of it hitting him in the face. As a result he received a laceration and burns to his face and trauma to his left eardrum. "It happened so quick I was disoriented for a few minutes," said Konopka. "I was taken to Falujah where I underwent treatment." He returned to full active duty the next day and was recommended to receive the Purple Heart. As a U.S. Marine, Konopka's unit was responsible for checking its patrol area for IEDs, in the form of roadside bombs, locating stockpiled weapons and taking insurgents into custody. He said the best part of his duty there involved the humanitarian work they did. "We helped children by giving them toys and food," he said. "Most of the people there are kind, they are just scared." He said the war itself is difficult because the enemy is so hard to identify. "You can't tell them apart from regular citizens because they dress like everyone else to blend in. One of them can be right beside you and you won't know it. We were ambushed often and shot a lot while we were on patrol." Konopka was recognized in Chatom, Oct. 26, during a special reception for Gov. Bob Riley and U.S. Sen. John McCain. Although the governor and senator were unable to attend the event due to inclement weather conditions, which prevented them from landing at the Chatom airport, McCain later spoke with Konopka by telephone. "He thanked me for my service and said he looked forward to meeting me in the future," said Konopka. "He was very kind and we had a nice conversation." The soldier was awarded the Purple Heart, along with 60 others in his unit, on Sept. 24, 2005, by Lt. Col. S.M. Neary and Sgt. Maj. R. James. During the ceremony, 12 members of the unit who lost their lives in the war were remembered. "I lost two good friends there, PFC Stephen Baldwin and Sgt. Mark Adams," he said. "It's hard because you get up every day and see your fellow soldiers, not knowing if they will all be there by the time the day is over."
But, that does not deter Konopka from wanting to return to the battlefield. "I want to go back to help fight for what I know is right," he said. "It's in my heart."
|
for larger version       |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
)
