Marine sacrifices finger to save wedding ring
Sunday, December 12, 2004 Posted: 9:57 AM EST (1457 GMT)
VICTORVILLE, California (AP) -- When Marine Lance Cpl. David Battle learned he'd either have to sacrifice his ring finger or the wedding band he wore, he told doctors at a field hospital in Iraq to cut off the finger.
The 19-year-old suffered a mangled left hand and serious wounds to his legs in a November 13 fire fight in Falluja. Battle, who is recovering at his parents' home in this desert city 130 kilometers (80 miles) northeast of Los Angeles, came under attack as he and fellow Marines entered a building. Eleven other Marines were wounded.
Doctors were preparing to cut off Battle's ring to save as much of his finger as they could.
"But that would mean destroying my wedding ring," he said. "My wife is the strongest woman I know. She's basically running two people's lives since I've been gone. I don't think I could ever repay her or show her how grateful ... how much I love my wife, my soul mate."
With his approval, doctors severed his finger, but somehow in the chaos that followed, they lost his ring.
Although Battle was disappointed, his wife, Devon, said she was honored.
"I can't believe he did that," she said. "At first I was mad when he told me, but then I realized how lucky I am to have him in my life."
The couple, who met in the eighth grade, were married in June, just two weeks before Battle left for Iraq. He hopes to eventually return to the Marines, and to replace his wedding ring, but that will have to wait until he recovers.
Thats a nice story but..........the wedding ring could have been repaired.[&:] I had to have my wedding band cut off many years ago when I got blood poisoning. In March of this year I had what was officially called "incomplete amputation" of my right ring finger. In the emergency room I told the doctor I would rather have him cut what was left off. He sewed it back on and a couple of weeks later a very good hand specialist saved most of it!
Nice story, but the kid was 19 and probably not in the best frame of mind IMO.
Well, I've lost my ring down the shower drain before, and somehow I made out OK. Still, though, I have to respect his dedication to his marriage. You think about how he was married just before shipping out, and how much that means to him in. He's dedicated without a doubt, and I think he makes a good example of a marine.
I would rather my husband save his finger than his ring.
A ring can be replaced, but a finger can't. And a ring is just the symbol of the marriage, it's not the actual marriage.
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A ring can be replaced, but a finger can't. And a ring is just the symbol of the marriage, it's not the actual marriage.
Well said chipmunk, I agree whole heartedly, the lose of a wedding band or the cutting off of and repair of one does not equate to any lessening of the strength of a marriage. I have lost 2 marriage bands in 28 years of marriage, and that had no effect on the marriage. My father wore 2 bands out, he saved them, but the ring was but a symbol, not the marriage. Please do not get me wrong, I am in no way critisizing what this young man did, but after you reach my age and the number of years I have been married, I know it is but a symbol and not the marriage. Now taking the ring off and slippping it in your pocket is a whole different ball of wax!
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Having nearly lost a digit once I commend the young fellow for his bravery ,
it's his comon sense I question . If the finger would have been lost anyway then ok , but not because of the symbolism of the ring . Finger or a ring ? I'll keep the finger .
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Kevin Haendiges
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Marine chooses ring over finger
[8D]
