Wounded Marine wants to go back

Reported by: Alex Drude Email: alexdrude@kmtr.com Last Update: 4/23 4:17 am

Eugene (KMTR)-

"I was running through a poppy field and got tagged.  Happens."

That's how Dustin Blackwell explains what happened to him on March 29th in Afghanistan.  The 19-year old Marine was shot by an enemy soldier, taken off the front lines and to the hospital, and less than a month later, is back in Eugene, resting.  He's already received his Purple Heart for being wounded in combat as well as several other commendations and medals.

But if he had his way, he'd be back in Afghanistan with his fellow Marines.  Almost as soon as he returned to the United States, he asked the highest-ranking General in the Marines if he could go back to his unit.

"I asked him if he'd send me back.  He said no, I had to heal, had to wait.  But I guess that's the thing with Marines.  As soon as we get hurt we want to go right back."

He says it's weird to go from being up and active in Afghanistan 24/7 to being forced to sit on his couch and do nothing.  It's also weird for him to be thanked by people for serving his country- and getting shot at while doing so. 

"I'm only 19.  It's a weird feeling of people older than you (saying) thank you for (being in the military).  It doesn't feel like I've really done anything special.  I was doing my job, that's what I signed up for, and it's just a hazard."

Blackwell says he wants to go back because he wants to help his fellow Marines do their job.  "I'd rather take another bullet than have one of my buddies take one."

But he won't be able to rejoin his unit in Afghanistan for the remainder of their tour, which is about another six months.  But he would be eligible for their next tour in about a year and a half- if troops are still being deployed to Afghanistan at that time.

This my friends is a true Marine.. OOHRAH and Semper Fi