Welcome Home LCpl Ben Lunak!

On Friday, June 2 LCpl Ben Lunak will be awarded the Purple Heart in Grand Forks, North Dakota. He returned home two weeks ago for the first time since last October.

The 22-year-old Marine was injured by an IED in Iraq in late February and has been recuperating at Walter Reed since then.

The Friends of Ben Committee have asked Soldiers' Angels to help support the Purple Heart event, which will include honored guests such as Senators Kent Conrad and Byron Dorgan, Rep. Earl Pomeroy, and Gov. John Hoeven.

"The Miracle Kid"

"It feels good to be back," Lunak said. "This is amazing."

He suffered injuries to his abdomen and right leg, which was amputated below the knee, in the explosion.

He defied the experts' predictions, however, recovering fast enough to earn the nickname "The Miracle Kid" from impressed doctors at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington.

"His positive attitude had a lot to do with his quick recovery," said Lunak's mother Cindy.
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When asked if he thought he would be able to return home this soon after the injuries, Lunak showed off his positive outlook: "I had to be back. My goal was to be back by the middle of next week," he said.

It seems he will meet his other goal of walking his sister Erica down the aisle at her July 8 wedding.

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