Newlyweds work to save marriage after war leaves him paralyzed

[saigon68]

Posted on Sun, Jan. 16, 2005

http://www.timesleader.com/mld/timesleader/10660779.htm



Newlyweds work to save marriage after war leaves him paralyzed

JENNIFER C. YATES

Associated Press


SALTSBURG, Pa. - The attraction between the tall, lean Army sergeant and the petite blonde was instant. After a night of slow dancing at a bar, Joe - on a 10-day leave - just had to see Peggy the next day. He offered her $150 if she'd call in sick to her waitressing job and go out with him instead. Flattered, the single mother of three agreed to see him after her shift ended.


For two months, Joe Jenkins would be fine. But then he would find himself on one of the most dangerous battlefields of the war: In a rooftop firefight in Fallujah, a bullet would pierce his spine, leaving him without the use of his legs, paralyzed, "I don't want to be in here for the rest of my life," Joe says, talking about his wheelchair. "I want to be able to take a walk with my wife and hold her hand."

[rsmith6621]

1. Whatever happened to

Richer or Poorer....

Good times and Bad.....

Sickness and in Health.......

[yinkaafrica]

5. That custom died about 50 years ago

As hard as they have it, it must be 10 times worse
when they come back horribly burned or a quadriplegic...
or as bush's favorite: a horribly burned, blind quadiplegic.
Bush does not care at all about human life.
Hitler probably felt compassion for more people than Bush does.

[ClarkUSA]

17. How many men would stand by a paralyzed woman?

[Ironpost]

2. Sorry Joe. the pResident let you down.

and trust me it will be an uphill battle the rest of your life. Thanks to that sorry piece of shit.

[Cocoa]

3. I disagree with Peggy

"It's not fair and who do you blame? You can't blame anybody," says Peggy, who is 40.

[yinkaafrica]

4. I agree with you. It's Bush to blame.

Peggy probably has no idea how the world around her works.
She works her job, goes home to her kids and broken husband.

[leftchick]

6. dear peggy... you need to Wake The Fuck Up Honey!

your imperial leader is to blame! Cripes....:puke:

[NYC]

8. Yes, Peggy seems a bit naive.

Sad story, but there are so many like it.

[readmylips]

7. Single mother of 3 and now a paralyzed husband...

and maybe half insane from the war, I bet this marriage will crumble. Little lady will move on once the romance is over and she comes to her senses that her children come first.

My step son is back from Iraq and ready to go back in another month. His 4th journey to Iraq on a carrier. He hates being home. His marriage was in trouble before and it's getting worse. When he got home from duty, he found his wife had wasted their little savings to gamble at one of those Native American casinos. They have four little kids. The first thing he had to do was to clean house and wash bedsheets she didn't wash for six months. She's a pig and never cleans house. But she's a big bush supporter and a christian.

[arikara]

12. That's too bad, especially for the kids...

Sounds like he should stay and she should go.

[johncoby2]

9. Yes, but he fought for freedom

Not our freedom, but never the less, he did fight for Iraqis' freedom.

Geez, I hate this president.

[leftchick]

10. Nobody's freedom sad to say..

He fought for the War Profiteers plain and simple.

[readmylips]

11. Yeah, soon Peggy will be fighting for her Freedom...

what a bunch of yahoo ignorants.

[Tweed]

13. Now for some reason after reading the headline, I thought: Reality TV Show

I thought the news item was for a reality TV show. Does that say something sad about our culture or what?

[gratuitous]

14. Absolutely, appallingly sad

I'll decline to come down on either of the principals involved here. She's trying to make a new life for herself and her children; he was willing to take on the difficulties involved in being a stepfather. Both of them were doing what they could to improve their lives.

Now though, instead of Mr. Jenkins' tragedy being a singular affair, Peggy and her children will adjust to life with a stepfather in a wheelchair.

(Please note that I am not knocking Jenkins for being in a wheelchair, or saying that he can't lead a full life -- it's just going to be a great deal different from what the five of them, Joe, Peggy and the kids, signed on for.)

[expatriot]

15. Bush's amendment to protect marriage will help this couple out...

the true nemesis to their marraige is the anxiety of knowing gays are getting married.

[barb162]

16. sad, unnecessary, unfair, painful

[DemBones DemBones]

18. I hate wars. Every damned one of them.

This story is one of many that has happened far too often to far too many people.