Ten Royal Marines begin their bid for glory at this summer’s Wounded Warrior Games in the USA tomorrow.
For the next week, the commandos are lining up alongside 200 other wounded, injured or sick military personnel from around the world for the Wounded Warrior Trials.
The marine trials are being held at the US Marine Corps Base at Camp Lejune in North Carolina, where teams from the UK, Australia, France, Columbia, Germany, Georgia are being hosted.
All RM hopefuls want to fly the flag for Blighty in several disciplines – chiefly track and field, swimming, archery and shooting.
And three commandos are hoping to represent the UK as ‘ultimate warriors’: 30km bike ride, swim, shot putt, archery, shooting and the 100m spring.
The trials begin tomorrow and the British team are hoping for some moral encouragement from friends, family and fans back home through the various RN/RM social media channels.
They’ve already been royally treated by their hosts. Former USMC officer Larry D Hall, Secretary of North Carolina’s Department of Military and Veterans formally welcomed the Royal Marines… who were given a motorcyclist escort as they drove around the state by the Patriot Honor Guard.
And perhaps the most surreal moment of all… there’s now a turtle called Blondie Hasler at the Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehab Centre in Surf City, North Carolina.
As well as being the leader of the legendary ‘Cockleshell Heroes’ raid (a nickname he hated), Major Blondie Hasler was an inspirational figure and champion for disabled sailors (the RN rehabilitation centre in Devonport bears his name).
His namesake turtle will be released back into the wild on June 6 2018 – the 74th anniversary of D-Day.
