Bio: United States Marine Corps - Retired
20051223-20100731; E-4 Corporal; Military Occupational Specialty-0621/Field Radio Operator; and 5th ANGLICO (Air-Naval-Gunfire-LIaison-COmpany).

Enlisted on December 12, 2002 and went to Boot camp- Parris Island, South Carolina. I was stationed at Okinawa, Japan and injured there.

I had an aneurysm that affected the left-frontal portion of my brain, followed by a ten-day coma. I'm having word-finding problems, right sided weakness (right hand doesn't open), and seizure disorders (medication that makes me drowsy). I had to go through therapies for all that, and still am. This all happened on August 28, 2006.

The Veterans Affairs hospital in Washington, D.C. provides services to anyone who came back wounded from the military.

I am now at an Adaptive Clubhouse for head-injured survivors on Fridays. On Mondays through Thursdays, I go to Washington Veterans Affairs to get therapies listed above.

It's a different world to go from civilian life to military life. In the civilian life, they make money and move around. In the military life, we're trained to protect our country from terrorist attacks, and to fight for our rights and freedom.

Impact art has made: Art helps me in communicating with other people to get my thoughts across. I have trouble with finding words, and this is a way I get across my feelings and journey.

New Beginnings: My art piece is saying "I no longer have use of my rifle, the "pen." I am now a civilian but still have a mindset of a Marine."

Piece created with: various paint, brushes, canvas, and creativity.