*may he forever now R.I.P. Hand Salute to a fine Marine !




By Dan Lamothe - Staff writer
Posted : Thursday May 1, 2008 20:48:19 EDT

Sgt. Merlin German had been struggling with burn wounds covering more than 97 percent of his body for nearly two years when he made a decision: painful or not, he was going to don his dress blues and whisk his mother away for a dance during a hospital ball.

Over the next few weeks, he practiced his dancing at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas, with Norma Guerra, the hospital’s deputy chief of public affairs, Guerra said. And when the 2006 Brooke’s Holiday Ball arrived, he surprised his mother on the dance floor, taking her in his arms.

“There wasn’t a dry eye in the house,” Guerra said. “He had made up his mind, and he was going to do it.”

That’s one of many memories that friends and family have of German, 22, who died April 11 at the hospital, Defense Department officials said Thursday. He was assigned to 5th Battalion, 11th Marines and attached to 2nd Battalion, 11th Marines in Iraq at the time of the explosion that left him severely wounded.

His death halted an endless cycle of surgeries, skin grafts and doctor’s appointments that began Feb. 21, 2005, the day a gas-fed improvised explosive devise detonated near German’s Humvee outside Camp Ramadi, according to a Web site started in Merlin’s memory.

Family members described German on the Web site, www.merlinsmiracles.com, as a proud American who loved children.

“He touched the lives of everyone he met,” the family said. “He taught us strength, courage and unity.”

Guerra said even in the midst of all his surgeries, he went out of his way to brighten the days of others, encouraging fellow patients in the burn unit with lesser wounds to dress well and carry themselves with pride.

“He looked at it as he had received a second chance, and he wanted to make a difference,” Guerra said.

Before he died, German told family members he “had a vision to help burned children and their families,” the family said on his Web said. “He wanted the foundation to be named Merlin’s Miracles.”

I heard that on the radio when I woke up this morning. At least he is not in any pain any longer. Burns over 97% of his body and 150 operations, I think he had enough

Rest in peace

My Daughter Ethelvn Has worked on the burn ward at BAMC She has told me that it is a heart breaking but rewarding exsperience, That inspires most nurses to further their education so that they can provide better treatment to all patients, but more especially the burn patients. She is now working on a masters to become a nurse prationer, She fills in on holidays for The Bamc nurses so that they can take a brake . I think sgt Miracles foundaition along with the childrens cancer research fund will be my primary charities for donations.