WASHINGTON – Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs Larry Echo Hawk visited Marine Corporal Phillip Baldwin of Ft. Hall, Idaho, today at the Bethesda Naval Hospital.
Echo Hawk, himself a former Marine and past resident of Ft. Hall, visited with the wounded serviceman, a member of the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes, who lost both legs in an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) incident on June 18, 2011. The incident occurred while Corporal Baldwin was on foot patrol near the Helmand Province in Afghanistan.
“It’s remarkable the resilience this young man has, to go through the ordeal he did and to be in such great spirits during our visit is a tribute to him and his family,” said Echo Hawk. “I wish Corporal Baldwin the best of luck in his recovery and for the future.”
Corporal Baldwin is in the First Battalion, Fifth Marines, out of San Diego, Calif. He will be returning there on July 20 to continue his rehabilitation. Bethesda Naval Hospital is located in Maryland just north of the nation’s capital.
