Serving as a marine is one of the most courageous military positions in the United States. Marines are brave by nature and their loyalty and courage is unbounded. Marine sergeant Christopher Lawrence is a dedicated marine who served his country loyally. However, when tragedy struck, he faced a serious setback. Still, he managed to overcome the setback in the bravest way…
20. Foster Home Life
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Christopher Lawrence grew up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and he didn’t always have a stable upbringing. Throughout his childhood he bounced around from foster home after foster home. After dealing with such instability, all Christopher wanted was a family and stability that he missed out on as a kid.
19. Enlisting
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At the age of 17, back in 2005, Christopher enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps. He quickly left Wisconsin and headed over to Camp Pendleton in Southern California to begin his training. The training was incredibly grueling but Christopher pushed himself regardless because he knew that he wanted to become a Marine.
18. Becoming A Marine
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After 13 weeks of intense training, Christopher was finally a U.S. Marine. He wore his uniform with pride and he knew this was what he had worked so hard for. Then war broke out and Christopher was deployed to Iraq. He was involved in intense daily mission, but his favorite parts of the day was when he could interact with the Iraqi civilians around him.
17. Insurgency
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In August 2007, Christopher was involved in a highly aggressive insurgency. It was at this point while on patrol that Christopher and his troop came across a floating bridge. Christopher had no idea that by stepping on that bridge his life would soon change forever…
16. Stepping Onto The Bridge
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As Christopher approached the bridge, he stepped with one foot forward. Nothing happened as he stepped on the bridge so he continued to move onto it. However, as he took another step a bomb immediately detonated and Christopher was thrown into the air.
15. Airlifted
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Christopher’s troop immediately ran over to help him. He was airlifted back to the United States where he was immediately taken to a field hospital in Maryland. He was awarded a purple heart for his service in Iraq, however, he was in the hospital for a longtime trying to recover from the tragedy.
14. Shattered
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While at the hospital Christopher had to undergo a ton of different surgeries. The doctors were able to repair his arm that was injured during the bomb explosion, however, his leg was completely shattered. Still, Christopher was determined to eventually rejoin the marines and he had his mind set on that.
13. Six Months
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For the next six months Christopher stayed in the hospital as his body continued to heal. He refused to give up on the hope that he would one day rejoin his fellow marines. However, soon enough doctors had to tell him some pretty horrible news…
12. Horrible News
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The doctors had to deliver some pretty horrible news to Christopher. His leg was never going to fully heal, however, they could perform a surgery that would fuse his shattered bones together in his right foot. Still, he would need to use a walker for the rest of his life. However, there was another option: amputation.
11. Hard Decision
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Both of these decisions absolutely devastated Christopher. He didn’t want to have to amputate his leg or have to use a walker for the rest of his life. Eventually, he made the hard decision to get his leg amputated. He would have to learn to walk with a prosthetic, but he felt that it would be the best decision for his future.
10. Retired
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Christopher hoped that if he learned to walk on his prosthetic that he would be able to join the Marines once again. However, things didn’t go the way he had planned and after five years in the marines, Christopher had no choice but to retire. Still, he refused to give up on his career that easily…
9. Counselor
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For the next few years, Christopher worked a counselor for other veterans that were struggling to assimilate back into ordinary life. He also took college courses and while he enjoyed counseling, he knew he still wanted to do something else. So he decided that he would try to join the police force!
8. Building Up Strength
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In order to build up strength, Christopher began to engage in some boxing. He also began training by running each day. He knew that being able to run was a huge part of being accepted by the police force.
7. Running
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Christopher began to run each day and eventually he could run over eight miles with his prosthetic. This is a huge requirement for the police force and he knew he was ready to try out. However, the police force didn’t make it easy for Christopher throughout the process.
6. Denied
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From the start, Christopher was immediately denied from four different police departments. However, he refused to take ‘no’ for an answer and continued to apply until one police department finally gave him the opportunity for an interview. However, they also ended up rejecting him.
5. Police Academy
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Christopher knew that he couldn’t sit around and mope so he enrolled in the Southwestern Police Academy. The academy was located in Chula Vista, California, not far from Camp Pendleton where he trained to become a marine. He was happy to be so close to the place where it all began for him.
4. Training Hard
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Christopher continued to work and train hard all throughout his time at the academy. He knew that this was what he wanted to do and he refused to let anything get in the way. Eventually, one of the police chiefs noticed just how hard he was working.
3. Police Chief
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Christopher’s instructor, police chief Roxana Kennedy, immediately saw what a hard worker he was. She knew that he was dedicated and she could see how passionate he was about his training. In fact, word soon started to buzz around about Christoper and soon enough his dream came true…
2. Getting Hired
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Finally, 10 years after his accident, Christopher finally finished the police academy. Then he got the phone call that he was waiting for…the Chula Vista Police Department wanted to hire. He was so happy that he immediately accepted.
1. Sense of Purpose
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After all of these years, Christopher felt a sense of purpose. Once again, he was able to wear a uniform with pride and further serve his country and his community. No matter how hard life got, Christopher continued to push harder and ended up happier than ever.