A hero walked among us. MY HERO!! Please read. (crosspost)

[goldcanyonaz]

A Marine who survived being burned over more than 95 percent of his body in Iraq and established a charity to help burned children has died, the military has announced.
art.german.ap.jpg

Marine Sgt. Merlin German, seen in May 2007, died last month of complications after surgery.

Sgt. Merlin German was 22.

He was severely wounded February 21, 2005, en route to Camp Ramadi when his Humvee hit a roadside bomb.

He was not expected to survive, but he was transported to Germany and then to Brooke Army Medical Center in Texas, which has the U.S. military's top burns unit.

He spent nine months in intensive care and underwent more than 100 operations.

German moved out of the hospital into his own home after 17 months of treatment.

He founded Merlin's Miracles, a charity that aims "to assist burned children and their families to take vacations, trips, outings or anything the families needed to make life a little easier," according to its Web site.

German died April 11 at Brooke Army Medical Center of complications after surgery.
Don't Miss
http://merlinsmiracles.com/index.html

"He beat all odds and then on top of that continued to serve as an inspiration and motivator for others," said Dr. Evan Renz, a critical-care surgeon who treated German.

"It is very difficult to describe the sense of loss. He endeared himself to all he came in contact with. It's really impossible to describe, except to say: Imagine the loss of dear family or friend." http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/05/02/obit.miracle.marine/index.html

[Danger Mouse]

1. such a loss to us all...

more reason we need to be out of iraq yesterday.
:cry:

[goldcanyonaz]

17. But a gain to children burn victims everywhere. He is a hero.

[Danger Mouse]

19. definitely a hero.

[rodeodance]

29. you are right.

[jasmine621]

2. I saw that story on the news and cried too. nt

[KAZ]

3. I'm running out of tears. k&r

[Bigleaf]

4. I read this earlier. Tragic. A great guy with a bright future. A donation to his charity is in order

[goldcanyonaz]

8. A wonderful charity too. Children with burns.

Merlin had a vision to help burned children and their families. He wanted the foundation to be named Merlin's Miracles. He did not die in vain.

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

5. The best and brightest among us are being taken away.

Thank you for posting. :cry: :kick:

[cliffordu]

6. Sleep well, brother.

[jillan]

7. Omg - I didn't know he passed away.

:cry: :cry: :cry:

I remember hearing his story recently.

I'm heartbroken :cry:

[goldcanyonaz]

10. I am as well. He is a hero.

[scheming daemons]

9. This is Bush's legacy...... forever.....

[graycem]

11. It's especially heartbreaking

when you hear John McCain more or less admit, like we didn't already know, that we're there for oil. I honestly do not know how they sleep at night.

[goldcanyonaz]

12. Sleep? They are too busy counting money to sleep.

[Bigleaf]

14. Yeah, Fucking blood-money! Fucking assholes! Fuck 'em all.

[graycem]

18. I know, still

I guess I mean, how do you become that kind of human, where you can know these things are because of your actions, and you feel nothing. How flawed does your brain have to be to so grossly override your conscience.

[goldcanyonaz]

21. I have family members who have come into money and money is all that matters to them now.

It is sickening.

[graycem]

25. I guess those of us

who aren't like "that" will never be able to wrap our brains around it. Ah, humans.

[goldcanyonaz]

26. Oh, they are not humans. Damien Omen comes to mind when thinking of them.

[graycem]

33. hehe..

I think most of them have human relationship problems, they just don't "connect." Maybe they suffered abuse as children or something. Just a real pity that so many people have paid so dearly for a person like Bush's or Condi's flawed psyche.

[Cant trust em]

13. 22 years old.

So sad.

[Skwmom]

15. He was so young. War should be a last resort.

[DeepModem Mom]

16. Thank you. K&R

[goldcanyonaz]

31. HI MOM! What an honerable young man. To have lived so short, but to have given so much.

[Mezzo]

20. No words. There are no words.

[Bonobo]

22. Not arguing, just seeking clarification.

Is he a hero because he:

a) Served in the military

b) Was wounded in the military

c) Lived in horrible pain

d) Tried to survive despite the horrible pain

[goldcanyonaz]

28. He is a hero because he did something with his short life. A childrens charity for burn victims.

[Bonobo]

37. That IS good. Thank you.

[goldcanyonaz]

40. He will be a hero in my life.

[vixengrl]

23. That he could make beauty (his charity) come from something

so horrific is such a great sign of his character-that he took that tragedy and turned his compassion and empathy towards others, is really astounding and humbling. He was so young, suffered so much, but did so much, too. There went a human being, in the fullest sense of the term "human". I salute his memory.

[goldcanyonaz]

30. YES, and this is WHY he is a HERO. He left us with more than he came to us with.

[psychopomp]

24. RIP Merlin German

:kick:

[SwampG8r]

27. god bless his family

they have my prayers for healing after this terrible loss

[Catherina]

32. It's so maddeningly senseless. K&R n/t

[Spirochete]

34. God, that's so fucking sad,

(wipes eyes while k&r'ing post)

[TahitiNut]

35. RIP, brother.

:patriot:


:cry: :banghead: :cry:

[donheld]

36. This is so sad

He will live on in many hearts.

[goldcanyonaz]

38. He will forever live on in mine.

[AZBlue]

39. How heartbreaking.

Rest in peace, Sgt. German. You will be sorely missed and you are an inspiration to us all.

[Triana]

41. Only 22-years old. *sigh*

:cry:

[Tribetime]

42. My prayers are with him and his family

[goldcanyonaz]

44. thank you.

[bhikkhu]

43. K&R...and multiply that sorrow by 1 million

For all of the needless loss of our soldiers and of civilians caught in the middle. And then multiply by another few million for the crushing sorrow and loss to immediate relations - mothers and fathers, sisters, brothers, husbands and wives, sons and daughters....

[goldcanyonaz]

45. Marine Sgt. Merlin German!!! G-d love you for being better than most..

[cbayer]

46. .

:hug:

[goldcanyonaz]

47. How can this NOT have a couple hundred recs??? COME ON!!!

[NoBushSpokenHere]

48. A true hero, may his work continue and lets work hard

to bring a Democrat to the White House to end this sad, sad, war. I will be among the donors to his charity.

[goldcanyonaz]

49. G-D love you. Thank you from the bottom of my heart! He was my cousin.

He was a great, great man.

[jillan]

51. Are you serious?

:hug:

How lucky you are to have had someone so wonderful as part of your family.

[goldcanyonaz]

53. Yes, but that was not important. to the op. He was an angel on earth too. G-D love him.

[TK421]

56. Damn...I'm sorry to hear that n/t

[Mother Of Four]

50. K and R--

I wish I could do it by 1000


Sgt German, there are alot of people I know where you are going- if you believed in it. I'm sad for us that you're gone, but glad that you lived and gave.

You were a true soldier, in that you fought for our children to have a better life. Maybe if more would fight like you did, instead of going to war, this world would actually make it.

Bless your golden heart, Merlin German.

[goldcanyonaz]

52. He fought for our children after he went to war. He was a proud MARINE. He is a HERO>

[Mother Of Four]

54. He was beautiful-

and I for one am deeply humbled by his courage.

And I think you are exactly right with your wording, there is no "was" to him being a Hero...he will ALWAYS be a Hero.

My husband was 22 years Army, I read your post to him. He was speechless, and I don't know how to put this across...but he smiled and misted up a little at the same time.

This is the second time he's been touched this campaign, the first was when Biden addressed the Firefighters in a speech. That will let you know how much it takes.



(Edited- The reason I mentioned the campaign is because we can't allow these men and women to continue being placed in harms way, in a war we never should have had. This serves to remind us all what's at stake)

[goldcanyonaz]

57. G-D bless you and your husband.

[TK421]

55. Thank you for posting this....this is a terrible loss, indeed

he seemed like a real human being who truly cared and gave a damn about something....it's kind of depressing, actually

[goldcanyonaz]

58. He was the greatest of men, one who wanted to be a Marine. He died doing what he loved and that was

protecting us.

[goldcanyonaz]

63. KICK!! G-D Bless you Marine Sgt. Merlin German

[MADem]

59. Such an inspiring ... and heartbreaking story.

Twenty two years old...Jesus. I hate this fucking war.

Thanks for posting this. It's important to see "the cost."

K/R.

[goldcanyonaz]

60. Kick!

[goldcanyonaz]

64. .

:loveya:

[Bluebear]

61. We let this young man down. :(

[FrenchieCat]

62. Yes, I read about this. It is very sad.

[sammythecat]

65. George W. Bush is entirely responsible for this

I should qualify that because there are many others who also share the blame. There are so many. Just today I responded to a post about something Thomas Friedman said. I hadn't thought about him in a while, but that self-serving weasel is also responsible for what happened to this young man.

Merlin German suffered and died at 22, and the people responsible will continue to live contented and comfortable lives. It's sickening.

[Emit]

66. How do you reconcile your support of Hillary Clinton with this, goldcanyonaz?

I seriously considered voting for her, but could not -- I just could not, and the bottom line was her IWA vote and her connections to the DLC, who are very hawkish, IMO. I am curious how you can be so concerned about this and yet support her, especially given her stance on Iran and her recent 'obliterate' comment.

As to your OP, my heart goes out to this man's family and loved ones. Words can not express the anguish I feel about the war, the fallen soldiers, the wounded -- as a Vocational Rehab Counselor, I know what it is like to work with persons with severe head injuries, PTSD, missing limbs, etc. -- and the concern I have for the futures of the men and women fighting this needless, senseless, illegal war. It needs to stop.