The Black Hawk took him to the medical tents and he was put to sleep. During that time, Schick asked God to please not let his Marines see him die. It was 42 minutes until a Black Hawk helicopter arrived. His lungs were collapsed he had multiple fractures in his left leg and arm, ligament and bone loss, and burns and holes in his left hand and arm. His Marines started yelling his name and immediately got to him. He never lost consciousness or went into shock, so he remembers everything. The front tire hit the improvised explosive device and Jacob blew 30 feet through the top of the vehicle. “I was trying to do everything I could do to make sure they were okay and to make me not be a liar to nine Marines’ families.”Ībout three minutes later, they hit a triple-stacked tank mine. “I had a gut feeling, and I knew we were about to get hit,” said Schick. He put the bomb blanket down and had all his Marines put on there goggles, button up their neck protectors, groin protectors and made sure their flak jackets were buttoned up before heading out.
#Jake schick scars driver#
He told the driver to scoot over and that he was going to drive. Schick sensed that he needed to get a bomb blanket, so he got it and went over to the lead vehicle. Schick went to where his Marines were sleeping and not quietly, but like a Marine yelled and told them to get up and get ready because they had a mission. His Marines had been sleeping for a half hour and Schick himself hadn’t gotten any sleep, when they got the reaction call. The night previously they had captured two hostages and had a stand off that lasted well into the night. “I think it goes without saying that is what makes us the best in the world.”Įarly in the morning Schick’s unit had gotten a reaction call. “No matter what circumstance may arise, they are willing to die for me and I am willing to die for them,” Schick added. So I learned that I could depend on the Marine to my left and right no matter what. “The fact is, when we’re at our highest high we’re together, and when we’re at our lowest low it’s together,” said Schick. He fully grasped the idea through brotherhood, sacrifice and suffering during his deployment in Iraq. Schick later reported to 1st battalion, 23rd Marines, and deployed to Iraq in 2004.īefore deployment, Schick thought he knew what teamwork and the “one team, one fight” concept was all about, but he learned quickly he didn’t. Schick said he thoroughly enjoyed it and is still in touch with Marines from recruit training and SOI.
“I knew day one when I stepped on the yellow footprints that I was destined to be here at this moment in time,” said Schick.Īfter boot camp, he went to the School of Infantry (West) Camp Pendleton, California, where he was trained as a rifleman. He went to boot camp a month after the 9/11 attacks. Jacob signed up to enlist at the beginning of his senior year of high school in 2000 as a reservist. His plan was to become a mustang, which is a Marine officer who was once enlisted. He decided early on that he needed to raise the bar. Schick’s grandfather and uncle both left the Marine Corps as corporals. “I knew at a very young age that I was going to be a Marine,” said Schick. Jacob’s uncle was a 2nd generation Marine, following in the footsteps of Jacob’s grandfather. His grandmother told him all the stories about his grandfather and it was a heavy influence on him. His grandfather was a Marine in World War II. Around the age of eight, he knew that he wanted to be a Marine. He lived there until he was 12 and then moved to Texas. Schick grew up in Bossier City, Louisiana. Jacob Schick (ret.) told his story about his life and the help he received to that prevented him from committing suicide. To help awareness and prevention of suicide, Cpl. “Life is about those 7-Eleven moments and you may never know the outcome but that’s not why you do it,” said David Vobora, founder of Adaptive Training Foundation.Įvery day, 22 veterans commit suicide. You’re worth it, and you’re worth that money.” Jacob pulled up his pant leg and revealed his prosthetic leg and said, “I want you to know what I did for this country is for you. Jacob looked him right in the eye and said, “I want you to know you’re worth it.”Īs the homeless man walked toward the convenience store, he turned back and with an astonished look on his face said, “What did you say?” The man suddenly turned and looked up at Jacob, holding the bill tightly. When the man reached for it, Jacob maintained a tight grasp. Jacob reached into his pocket, pulled out a five-dollar bill and gave it to the homeless man.
As Jacob and David were walking into a 7-Eleven, a homeless man approached them begging for money.
0 kommentar(er)
