ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Ask anyone who's served, and they'll tell you how much they value their formal uniforms. For a Tampa man who suffered a near-fatal injury in Iraq, not having his dress blues made his battle at home that much harder until a chance meeting with a fellow Marine.
The backstory:
So, for 51-year-old Jose Pequeno, it was to be just another warm summer morning in St. Petersburg, supporting a 5K charity run to prevent military suicide. But, he'd soon learn why he was really there.
Pequeno survived one of the most horrific war injuries on record, so his is a story of great sacrifice. His mother, Nellie's, is one of great devotion.
Pequeno was a military police officer on patrol with the Army National Guard in Ramadi, Iraq in February 2006. An insurgent tossed a grena