by Andy Lester
11/16/2011 3:05:00 PM
Our special guest this week is an American hero. Major Ed Pulido had completed three separate tours of duty in Iraq. In August, 2004, Pulido was serving a one-year stint with the U. S. Army Reserve’s 75th Division to train new members of the Iraqi army. He was driving through “IED Alley,” an area of Iraq known for the numerous improvised explosive devices planted by insurgents, when his SUV hit one that exploded under him.
Major Pulido never lost consciousness throughout this ordeal. He suffered a broken leg, arm, knee, and pelvis, had pieces of shrapnel lodged in his abdomen and arm, and still carries at least one piece that surgeons could not remove. It took nearly an hour of waiting on the extremely hot pavement and holding off enemy insurgents before a helicopter came to evacuate Pulido and his passengers. Ultimately, doctors had to amputate his leg.
The Pulido family has a history of military service. Major Pulido’s father gained U. S. citizenship through his military service and was wounded in Panama during Operation Just Cause; and his younger brother was wounded in Desert Storm.
Major Pulido is a native of Aibonito, Puerto Rico. After 18 years of service, he was medically retired from the military on May 16, 2005. With his wife, Karen, Ed Pulido has two daughters, Kaitlin and Kinsley.
Please welcome a true American hero, Ed Pulido, to the Rotary Club of Edmond.
Andy