Troops pick up the pieces after injuries

Troops pick up the pieces after injuries

By: Meghan Cooke, Staff Writer
Issue date: 3/31/08 Section: State & National

Media Credit: Meghan Cooke
Cpt. Ray Baronie, a marine, lost a leg after a rocket struck his vehicle in Iraq in 2005. He now helps wounded soldiers as they recover.

CAMP LEJEUNE - While helping to move an Iraqi battalion across Ramadi in 2005, Marine Ray Baronie's vehicle suffered a rocket attack.Both his legs were crushed, and when he woke up in the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., he discovered he was facing amputation.Nearly three years and 46 operations later, Capt. Baronie serves as the executive officer of Wounded Warrior Battalion East at Camp Lejeune, where wounded Marines can share their experiences, build camaraderie and heal.