Venerable veteran

By Gracie Hart
Review Staff Writer
Published: November 13, 2008

Benjamin Brodt, an E6 Marine Staff Sergeant and former graduate of Orange County High School, was in his fourth month of a seven-month deployment in Helmand Province, Afghanistan when his convoy, Combat Train, was blown up.  Out of the four Marines in the convoy, Brodt and two others were severely wounded and pulled out of the wreckage by their fellow unit members.
“Our convoy was taking supports and supplies to the rest of the battalion where they were [stationed] and we were doing that every other day,“ he said.  “On June 14, after we had finished our convoy, my vehicle was blown up. Three of us were flown out of there.“ 
He suffered shrapnel metal burns to the leg and forearm, a laceration to the left knee, a contusion to the left femur and a broken patella. He goes in for surgery next week. If all goes well, he should make a full recovery.
For his service, Brodt, along with his three fellow convoy members, has received a Purple Heart.
The Purple Heart, awarded in the name of the president, is given to those who have been wounded or killed while serving with the United States military.  The award, originally designated to members of the Continental Army under General George Washington, is the oldest symbol and award still being given to military members.  As of Aug. 1, National Geographic estimates that 2,743 Purple Hearts have been awarded to military men and women serving in Afghanistan.
Brodt received his Purple Heart from his 1st battalion 6th Marines battalion commander in a ceremony once the rest of his unit, the 24th MEU (Marine Expeditionary Unit), made it back home.  The same people who had pulled him out of the wreckage were there to witness the event.
“The ceremony was nothing crazy,“ he said.  “There was a formation behind us of people in the convoy who had gotten us out of the truck, bandaged our wounds, gave us morphine and medication and called the medivac, so that meant a lot.“
Even now, weeks since he received his citation, Brodt is somewhat at a loss for words.
“It feels pretty good, it’s a painful award but it feels good,“ he said about the honor.  “It comes directly from the president. It’s a pretty high recognition.“
Brodt, who grew up in a Marine family, is not only proud of his Purple Heart but he is also proud to be a Marine. 
“We look at ourselves as defenders of our country,“ he said.  “It makes you understand a lot more about your country-the flag, the national anthem-you know what’s been lost for that flag.  I wouldn’t trade being a marine for the world. Once a Marine, always a Marine.“
Since joining the marines, Brodt has been shipped to places all over the world including Iraq and Afghanistan, which are a far cry from the rural areas of Orange County and North Carolina, where he is currently stationed.
“It is completely different going from rural areas to Afghanistan,“ he said.  “It’s hot, the average temperature is 110-120 degrees, windy and sand storms come in and you can’t see.“
According to Brodt, the sand storm is similar to taking a handful of sand and using a hot blow dryer to blow it into your face, except much hotter.  He credits his training with allowing him to adjust to the climate.
“The adjustment comes from the year round training we do,“ he said.  “We go to the Mojave desert in California to familiarize ourselves with the type of environment that we’ll encounter.  You also have to mentally prepare yourself for the change.“
Brodt said it was his mental strength that also got him through the time after his accident, when he was recovering in various hospitals overseas.
“My family got me through,“ he said.  “I had pictures of my wife and baby in the truck before it was blown up.  When they pulled me out, they pulled the pictures out also.“
Those pictures remained beside Brodt’s bed during his stays in the foreign hospitals.
“I came close to losing them,“ he said.  “They were the motivation for me to get better and get back home.“
Now, back at home and recovering, Brodt is focused on his family.
“My wife and baby girl are most important.  The Marines come second to that,“ said Brodt.  “She was two weeks old when I left and four months old when I came back.
“It was very possible that I would not be here for her after that day, so that’s where my attention goes now,“ he said.
Brodt acknowledges that it is possible that he could go back to Afghanistan or Iraq in the future but is focusing on his physical therapy and recovery time for now.
“I’m getting transferred out of my current unit.  I’m moving on,“ he said.  “The chances are high that I’ll go back but for now, I’m focusing on time for my family.“ 
Brodt, like many service members and Americans, knows that the fate of “the war on terror” rests in the hands of the next commander-in-chief.
“It all depends on what the next president will do,“ he said.  “It’s very possible that I will be sent back if this is an ongoing thing over there.“
He hopes that people will support the men and women serving their country overseas regardless of their feelings about the war and what may happen in the future.
“The most important thing is that there are our men and women over there doing what they are told to do,“ he said.  “We’re over there helping men, women and children (who aren’t involved with the Taliban or terrorists) to be a more free country and helping them to achieve a better way of life.  Even if you don’t agree with the war or the government, we need to support our people: sons, daughters, brother, sisters, over there who help us to remain free.“
For now, Brodt is at home with his family and that’s what matters most.