President Trump released his list of guests for the State of the Union, and one name is creating quite a stir – retired Marine Cpl. Matthew Bradford.
Bradford is a Purple Heart recipient, having joined the Marine Corps in 2006, then having his life forever altered in 2007 when he stepped on an IED while serving in Iraq.
He lost his eyesight and both of his legs that day. It’s a tragedy that would have derailed many men. But not Bradford.
He re-enlisted with the Marines in 2010.
“I want to be a Marine,” he said. “I don’t want to get out yet.”
.@USMC Cpl Ret Matthew Bradford, 1st blind double amputee to re-enlist, will join @FLOTUS in her box for the State of the Union pic.twitter.com/k6f0HKLC12
— Saagar Enjeti (@esaagar) January 29, 2018
“In 2007, Cpl (Ret.) Matthew Bradford stepped on an IED in Iraq, causing shrapnel to immediately enter both of his eyes and blind him,” a White House statement reads. “He also lost both of his legs. After multiple surgeries and therapy, Matthew reenlisted in the Marine Corps – the first blind double amputee to do so.”
Simply incredible.
Very proud that my National Security Fellow, Corporal (Ret.) Matthew Bradford, @bionikmatt5, will attend the #SOTU as a special guest of @realDonaldTrump & @FLOTUS. He has inspired Kentucky and will inspire the entire nation! #NolegsNovisionNoproblem https://t.co/70dy2OnCqN
— Rep. Andy Barr (@RepAndyBarr) January 29, 2018
Bradford was inspired to join the military after witnessing the terror attacks of 9/11. He enlisted immediately after graduating from high school.
“From that moment on, I just realized that I wanted to serve and defend my country,” he said. “They brought these terrorist acts to the United States where my family and friends live and threatened all of our lives.”
Bradford will be joining other guests in First Lady Melania Trump’s box alongside other remarkable guests.
President Trump made news yesterday when it was announced that Evelyn Rodriguez, the mother of a 16-year-old girl savagely beaten to death by MS-13 gang members, would be attending his State of the Union address.
Another guest will be Staff Sgt. Justin Peck, an Army staff sergeant who helped save a fellow soldier’s life during a mission in Syria.
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