Joe Worley

Former Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Joe "Doc" Worley served in Iraq as a US Navy Corpsman. He was an infantry platoon medic in Second Battalion, First Marines in Fallujah in 2004.

On September 17, 2004, while on patrol an IED exploded into a Humvee killing a Marine and an Iraqi Interpreter. Not even 10 days prior, his former platoon had seven Marines killed in action when a vehicle borne IED drove into their patrol. The attrition from the blast was so severe that the platoon, known as Pale Rider Three, would be disbanded and the surviving Marines sent to other platoons in Fox Company.

As he was running to the aid of the two comrades mortally wounded by an IED, Joe was hit by a secondary IED that blew off his left leg, and suffered multiple wounds to his right leg, leaving it severely damaged. Miraculously, he survived, and was able to tie his own tourniquet and shout instructions to aid in the treatment the other wounded Marines.

Joe recieved a Bronze Star for valor and a Purple Heart from his actionst that day. After 18 months of rehabilitation at Bethesda and Walter Reed, he now lives in Georgia with his family, and works for America's VetDogs, a non-profit that trains Service and Guide dogs for military and first responders. He also writes, sings, and narrates audiobooks, and tries to stay active in the gym so he can eat donuts and pizza in his spare time.