Brady Gustafson

摘要

Lance corporal brady (goose) gustafson and his 20 fellow Marines sensed trouble on July 21 as they crept into the Afghan village of Shewan and saw civilians drifting away. Moments later, a barrage of rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs) and machine-gun fire enveloped Gustafson's mine-resistant ambush-protected vehicle (MRAP) and its three trailing humvees. An RPG exploded inside his vehicle, the resulting blast searing his face as it rushed through the open turret where he was manning the machine gun. He started shooting at gun flashes from an estimated 100 Taliban, some only 20 yards away. Gustafson, 21, stood up for a better firing position but was instantly racked with pain. "I looked down, and a lot of my right leg wasn't there," he says. "I could see muscle and bone, and I was bleeding pretty hard." The RPG had taken out six inches of leg bones and flesh. Gustafson's booted right foot dangled uselessly, attached only by his leg's calf muscles.