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Club honors Garrett Jones with its highest award Cpl. Garrett Jones returns home for the holidays and receives the Chehalem Valley Sportsman Club’s George Washington Patriot Award Laurent Bonczijk December 24, 2007 Cpl. Garrett Jones is back in town for the holidays and the Chehalem Valley Sportsman Club saw this as an occasion to honor his service. On Thursday night, the club presented him with its George Washington Patriot Award, created to honor those service members who have demonstrated supreme patriotic sacrifice while defending the constitution. Along with having his name engraved on a plaque and receiving a certificate from the hands of club president Jonathan Umfleet, Jones was made a lifetime member of the club and received a one-year NRA membership. Retired Command Sgt. Maj. Vern Wigley, also a club member, led the brief ceremony in the public safety building with the flag salute, some short comments about the role of the armed forces and a history of the Purple Heart. Jones was wounded while on a foot patrol in Iraq July 23. A homemade mine exploded underneath him, resulting in his left leg having to be amputated above the knee. Since his last home leave, Jones has been fitted with a prosthetic leg. The fitting has been a lengthy process, requiring 50 or 60 different adjustments, he said. For the past three weeks, Jones has been walking on his artificial leg for "several hours at a time before I get sore," he said. As part of his physical therapy, he was recently snowboarding in Colorado. It doesn't help him with improving his walking abilities, he said, but "it's good to be able to do a sport I used to do." He's also been rebuilding his strength and endurance by swimming a mile "at least" three times a week and generally "working out" a lot. He is looking forward to a somewhat quieter time than his last leave, with almost no obligations other than spending time with his family.

Club honors Garrett Jones with its highest award

Cpl. Garrett Jones returns home for the holidays and receives the Chehalem Valley Sportsman Club’s George Washington Patriot Award

Laurent Bonczijk

December 24, 2007

Cpl. Garrett Jones is back in town for the holidays and the Chehalem Valley Sportsman Club saw this as an occasion to honor his service.

On Thursday night, the club presented him with its George Washington Patriot Award, created to honor those service members who have demonstrated supreme patriotic sacrifice while defending the constitution. Along with having his name engraved on a plaque and receiving a certificate from the hands of club president Jonathan Umfleet, Jones was made a lifetime member of the club and received a one-year NRA membership.

Retired Command Sgt. Maj. Vern Wigley, also a club member, led the brief ceremony in the public safety building with the flag salute, some short comments about the role of the armed forces and a history of the Purple Heart.

Jones was wounded while on a foot patrol in Iraq July 23. A homemade mine exploded underneath him, resulting in his left leg having to be amputated above the knee. Since his last home leave, Jones has been fitted with a prosthetic leg. The fitting has been a lengthy process, requiring 50 or 60 different adjustments, he said.

For the past three weeks, Jones has been walking on his artificial leg for "several hours at a time before I get sore," he said. As part of his physical therapy, he was recently snowboarding in Colorado. It doesn't help him with improving his walking abilities, he said, but "it's good to be able to do a sport I used to do."

He's also been rebuilding his strength and endurance by swimming a mile "at least" three times a week and generally "working out" a lot. He is looking forward to a somewhat quieter time than his last leave, with almost no obligations other than spending time with his family.