One of the stories on the \u201cFaces of Strength\u201d video was that of SFC Jongema, wounded in Iraq a little over six years ago when a suicide car bomber carrying 500 pounds of explosives drove directly into the Humvee that he was in. Two soldiers were killed and nine, including Jongema, were injured. According to the story on the aforementioned video, the blast threw Jongema 50 yards, impaling him on a wire fence hanging over the freeway, where he hung, unconscious, and received intense enemy gunfire. He was believed to be dead\u2026but did survive. He was resuscitated by medics four times before they could begin to work on his injuries. He gradually began to heal, but had also lost much of his memory, including that of his mother, his wife, and his child, which he had to recover.<\/p>\n
While he was laid up with\u00a0injuries, SFC Jongema learned that his young son had cancer. With that news, he was determined to fully recover so he could help his child. He not only recovered, but also made the choice to remain in the Army instead of taking medical retirement. He now serves as a manager at Human Resources Command, helping young soldiers, and speaks for the Army\u2019s Wounded Warrior Program \u2013 something which didn\u2019t exist six years ago when he was recovering.<\/p>\n
After watching this inspiring video, which moved me nearly to tears, I chatted with the friendly master sergeant there who was manning the booth. A good twenty minutes into our impromptu conversation, up sauntered a young, handsome, and smiling Sergeant First Class. I blinked for just a moment, and then I realized\u2026\u2026.it was SFC Jarrett Jongema! He had just come over from the little table in the corner of the exhibit hall \u2013 the brightest spot of all in the whole dazzling display of the military industrial complex \u2013 which was the Wounded Warrior Transition program table.<\/p>\n
Of course, I got SFC Jongema\u2019s autograph and a picture of us together.\u00a0 In the background, you can see the poster of him that was on the wall behind us.<\/p>\n
I told SFC Jongema there\u2019s a blog I read that ought to run a\u00a0post on his story.\u00a0 Hmm\u2026maybe I\u2019ll even write it myself.\u00a0 He just smiled and softly said, \u201cToo easy…\u201d
\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.azuse.cloud\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/11\/jongemadebbie-226x300.jpg\" "\\"jongema&debbie\\"")
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