From time to time we spotlight one of our Operation PAL participants and today it's all about HM2 Anthony*.

Anthony is in the Navy and the "HM" in "HM2" means 'hospital man.' His Naval rank is "Petty Officer 2nd Class." The Navy and Marine Corps work closely together; a Marine's primary function is to focus on being 'first to fight,' while the Navy supplies the Corps with medical personnel and chaplains.

With this war, you've no doubt become familiar with the term 'embedded.' It is mostly used to refer to reporters who go out with the troops. These Navy personnel are embedded first responders and the relationships are tight. They take care of our Marines and are subject to the same dangers during deployments. The term Corpsman is used instead of Medic and Marines consider each to be ‘one of our own.’ In addition, Marines often use an affectionate nickname for Navy Corpsmen addressing them as simply, ‘Doc.’

‘Doc’ Anthony is married to Ivonne and has a little son, AJ. AJ was born in the fall of 2007, just months after his daddy was deployed to Iraq and severely wounded when an explosion ripped the supports from under a bridge he and his Marines were guarding. Anthony's most severe injuries are to the brain and spine. He is considered paralyzed and minimally conscious.

Ivonne is undaunted by the diagnosis and works with the doctors to help him progress. She says, "I know he's in there," and from the response testing he's been through and the therapies he's receiving, all bets say she's right! He follows her voice and blinks to answer questions. Anthony never takes his eyes off of AJ, being the caring father Ivonne knows he is.

Ivonne is his primary caregiver and lets us know how he's doing on a regular basis. Many times she is "grabbing some coffee" to get to the hospital before therapy begins, "lovin' on my man" and telling him she loves him "times infinity" to relax him after a particularly rough day, "dashing back to the hotel to jump in the shower" before a formal military appreciation dinner, or sometimes just "wicked tired." She is his advocate at the national level, chosen to represent spouses of injured service personnel and is well-spoken for veterans' benefit legislature.

The week before Christmas, some members of Anthony’s squad made a surprise visit to see him and Ivonne and it was a wonderful reunion. All were injured in the same explosion and are now in different cities and phases of their recoveries. They coordinated the trip so they could all be together. Ivonne said Anthony responded well to hearing the voices of "his Marines." He stayed alert as she heard many stories of their time together.

This past weekend, "Homes For Our Troops".org started building the home they will live in when Anthony is released from the hospital, hopefully some time this year. It will be a custom home to suit his special care needs and in the location of their choice where family and old friends abound. Ivonne is looking forward to having a normal home life and being able to take care of her man so they can thrive. She can't wait to let AJ play with Daddy and not have to grow up thinking home is a hospital.

She reads all the cards and letters you have sent over the years and says no one could ever know how much of a difference they make. Most days are busy, and often long and hard, but the encouragement you send goes a long way. The cards bring a smile upon arrival or are kept for days that need some sunshine. Either way, you play a huge role in these recoveries.

*Note: We have two Doc Anthonys, HM2 and HM3. This is HM2 Anthony.

Click here for HM2 Anthony's OperationPAL page.