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E-mail StoryPresident Bush awards Purple Heart to Tehachapi Marine
| Thursday, Jul 3 2008 1:55 PM
Last Updated: Thursday, Jul 3 2008 5:57 PM
A Tehachapi man and U.S. Marine sergeant injured by a land mine while in Afghanistan received a Purple Heart medal from President Bush Thursday morning at the National Naval Medical Center in Maryland.
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President George W. Bush awards a Purple Heart medal and citation to U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Justin Clenard of Tehachapi, Thursday, at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md. Clenard's family is seen background, his stepmother, Karen; his mother, Lori Sander; father, Christopher Clenard; brother, Kevin Clenard and his grandmother, Doris Andreson. (White House photo by Eric Draper)
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Sgt. Justin Clenard lost his legs from the knees down. Clenard stepped on a buried landmine on June 23 while going door to door in a deserted village, looking for Taliban, his step mother Kerrin Clenard said. The Purple Heart is awarded to those who have been wounded or killed while serving in the U.S. military.
“It really meant a lot to him,” said Kerrin, who was with Justin at the medical center.
Clenard was on his third tour of duty in the region. He graduated from Tehachapi High School in 2004. Kerrin said Justin is in good spirits and recovering well.
President Bush broke ground Thursday morning in Bethesda on a $970 million Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, set to open in 2011. While there, he visited 20 injured soldiers, including Clenard at 11 a.m., Kerrin said.
Bush gave Justin a pep talk, saying doctors could do a lot for his legs with prosthetics. They posed for a picture, Bush gave him a presidential coin, and he kissed Justin on the head, Kerrin said.
“This was really a huge booster for him to have the president visit him,” Kerrin said.
She added: “(Justin) will be running by next year.”
Clenard’s family was in attendance including his mother Lori Sander; father Christopher Clenard; brother Kevin Clenard and Justin’s grandmother, Doris Anderson.
Kerrin said Justin has been getting dozens of calls of support from friends, family and colleagues in the military.
“Thanks to everyone who’s been supporting Justin.”