'Darkhorse' Battalion And The Afghan War

Photo: Lance Cpl. Josue Barron lost his left leg and left eye in Sangin, Afghanistan, while serving with the 3/5 Marines from Camp Pendleton, Calif. He now has a glass eye that is emblazoned with the 3/5 insignia. David Gilkey/NPR

For Wounded Marines, The Long, Hard Road Of Rehab -- NPR

A year ago, nearly 1,000 U.S. Marine officers and enlisted men of the 3rd Battalion, 5th Regiment deployed to restive Helmand province in southern Afghanistan. By the time their tour ended in April 2011, the Marines of the 3/5 — known as "Darkhorse" — suffered the highest casualty rate of any Marine unit during the past 10 years of war. This week, NPR tells the story of this unit's seven long months at war — both in Afghanistan and back home.

Sixth of seven parts

Jake Romo loved running.

"Running was my favorite thing to do. I can almost say that I loved running more than my wife and kids," he said. "I would run with weights. If I was just running with shorts and a T-shirt, I could run all day. I would run and run and run and not stop."

But these days, he can't run. Wounded in Afghanistan, Romo's legs are now just stumps, wrapped in khaki fabric.

Romo, a lance corporal, is one of dozens of Marines from the 3rd Battalion, 5th Regiment — known as "Darkhorse" — who have come to the Balboa naval hospital in San Diego, Calif., for rehabilitation work after the serious injuries they suffered in southern Afghanistan. A total of 34 Marines lost limbs.

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My Comment: An excellent series from NPR. For more stories on the Marines of the 3rd Battalion, 5th Regiment .... go here.