Maimed Marines Visit Boston Bombings Victims To Lift Their Spirits

Two marines who lost their legs while in combat visited victims of the Boston bombings this week to boost their spirits.

“This is the start, a new beginning for both of you, and you know, there’s so many opportunities that’s going to come your way and so much support,” Gabe Martinez, a marine corporal, told two women seriously injured by the blasts in Boston.

This is the start, a new beginning for both of you, and you know, there’s so many opportunities that’s going to come your way and so much support.

— Marine Gabe Martinez, to Boston victims

Martinez, who lost both his legs in an explosion while he was deployed in Afghanistan three years ago, wanted to let the victim know that just because she lost part of her legs – that didn’t mean their life was over.

“Right now, I’m telling you with all my heart — you are going to be more independent than you ever were,” Martinez said.

The emotional meeting, which was captured on YouTube, seemed to bring a smile to the face of Celeste Corcoran, who lost the lower part of both her legs – below the knee – as she was watching her sister run the Boston Marathon. Her daughter, Sydney, 17, also suffered severe injuries from the blasts, which killed three people and injured about 280 others.

At the beginning of the video, which was made for a fundraising page for mother and daughter, Corcoran dabbed her eyes and sobbed.

“I can’t do anything right now,” she said.

But by the end, she was joking with Martinez and fellow marine Cameron West, who lost a leg in battle. She said teasingly that she used to refrain from running because it bothered her shins too much – but she has nothing stopping her now.

“Hey, I don’t have shins anymore – I could do this,” she joked.

The two marines encouraged her to look at the positive side of her injury – even though it seemed like nothing good could come of it.

“You look good. You look real good,” West said, then pointed at her legs. “This doesn’t matter. This is just a change in scenery. It really is.”

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