La Vergne Marine receives honor of lifetime at gala

La Vergne Marine receives honor of lifetime at gala
Young man lost arm during combat while in Iraq

By MAURA SATCHELL
msatchell@dnj.com

At 20, a young La Vergne Marine has experienced more than most folks do in two lifetimes since setting foot in Iraq more than a year ago with the 3rd Battalion 24th Marine Division Reserves.

Before joining the Marines division based in Nashville, Ryan Autery said he'd only flown twice in his life. Since going to Iraq, he's been on more flights than he cares to count. He's not crazy about air travel, he said, yet he flew to Washington, D.C., to be honored with other disabled veterans.

Autery lost part of his left arm in August 2004 in a combat situation that took the life of another Tennessee Marine reservist.

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**mentioned in this article**
Ryan Autery