Fifteen Thanksgivings Later: A Double Amputee’s Story of Gratitude

Morning Wire – November 26, 2025
Hosted by John Bickley with Georgia Howe
Guest: Gabe Martinez, Retired Marine and Veteran Advocate

Overview

This special Thanksgiving episode of Morning Wire features retired Marine and Purple Heart recipient Gabe Martinez, who lost both legs in Afghanistan 15 years ago. Martinez shares his harrowing story of survival, recovery, and adaptation, emphasizing the profound role of veterans’ organizations, adaptive sports, family, and gratitude in his healing journey. The episode explores how traumatic injuries alter life perspectives, spotlighting the enduring importance of community and technological advances for veterans. Above all, Martinez’s hard-earned sense of gratitude—reinvigorated every Thanksgiving—frames the conversation in hope and resilience.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Gabe’s Path to Service

(05:16 – 06:24)

• Inspired by 9/11 while in seventh grade, Martinez was initially interested in college but felt compelled toward “something more.”
• He explored multiple branches before enlisting in the Marines in 2006 while still in high school.

Deployments and the Life-Changing Incident

(06:28 – 13:19)

• First deployed in 2008 on a Marine Expeditionary Unit through the Middle East.
• Second deployment—Afghanistan, Helmand Province, in 2010—proved to be pivotal.
• Thanksgiving Day 2010: While clearing IEDs as part of a Marine convoy, Martinez stepped on a 25-pound IED.
  • Vivid recollection: blood obscuring his vision, realization of severe injuries, confusion, and immediate medical evacuation.
  • A chain of secondary explosions injured his best friend, Justin Gertner, who also lost both legs.
  • Martinez’s initial call to his wife from a military hospital stands out as “not the norm” for wounded soldiers.

Notable Quote

“I remember everything was red. Like, all my vision was red. … I realized it was blood going down from my skull into my eyes.” – Gabe Martinez (12:10)

Grasping the Reality of Catastrophic Injury

(13:55 – 14:53)

• The immediacy of the situation precluded full understanding. Concerns shifted from survival, to uncertain future, to fears of permanent dependence and immobility.
• “In my mind, I thought I was going to be stuck in a wheelchair, dependent on everybody else for the rest of my life.” (14:41)

Recovery and the Power of Perspective

(15:34 – 16:44)

• Martinez values his intact memory of the traumatic incident for keeping gratitude and perspective at the forefront of his life:
  • “It gives me good perspective. Here I am 15 years later… I always have that. That perspective and clarity from 15 years ago when I was within inches of losing my life…” (15:54)

Early Recovery and Finding Gratitude

(16:44 – 18:00)

• Initial uncertainty; fear of being “half the man” he was.
• Meeting Semper Fi & America’s Fund immediately upon waking in the U.S. gave him hope and introduced him to new possibilities.
  • “My mentality then is similar to how it is now. And it’s just—it’s gratitude. Despite ups and downs, it’s extreme gratitude now.” (17:55)

Adaptive Sports: Restoring Confidence and Limits

(18:17 – 19:26)

• Adaptive sports, introduced via Semper Fi & America’s Fund, were pivotal in Martinez’s recovery.
  • He became a “yes man”, seizing every opportunity from rock climbing to skiing—even those activities he never tried pre-injury.
  • Reinforces the value of adaptability and overcoming.

Notable Quote

“There really weren’t any limits to what I could or couldn’t do… there was an alternative and really there was no limits anymore.” – Gabe Martinez (18:56)

Community, Camaraderie, and Hidden Challenges for Vets

(19:41 – 22:05)

• Losing the daily camaraderie of fellow service members post-hospitalization is a bigger challenge than outsiders realize.
  • “I inevitably found myself not quite as connected as we were… I was surrounded by a lot of people in the same situation. And then I retire and I find myself, you know, a thousand miles away.” (21:01)
• The effects, including isolation and insecurity, can manifest even years later.

The Semper Fi & America’s Fund: Practical, Emotional Support

(22:14 – 23:28)

• Each member is assigned a case manager who offers personal check-ins, guiding access to resources—physical, mental, financial.
  • “The fund is more than a fund. They’re family.” (22:33)
• Programs like R&R weekends and adaptive sports reunions provide resets and reconnect veterans to their community.

Technological Advancements in Prosthetics

(23:36 – 24:29)

• Major technological progress in the last 15 years, including microprocessor knees, app-connected prosthetics, and advanced upper-limb devices with neural interface.
  • “I have an app on my cell phone for my leg.” (24:18)

Thanksgiving, “Alive Day,” and Renewed Gratefulness

(24:49 – 26:01)

• Martinez’s “alive day”—the anniversary of his injury—coincides with Thanksgiving, strengthening the holiday’s meaning.
• Offers a “reset perspective,” a reminder to be thankful, even for imperfect circumstances.
  • “Even though every day is not perfect… it gives me so much to be thankful for. And then being on Thanksgiving just kind of amplifies that…” (26:01)

Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• “I remember everything was red. Like all my vision was red. … I realized it was blood going down from my skull into my eyes.” – Gabe Martinez (12:10)
• “In my mind, I thought I was going to be stuck in a wheelchair, dependent on everybody else for the rest of my life.” – Gabe Martinez (14:41)
• “I always have that perspective and clarity from 15 years ago when I was within inches of losing my life and not experiencing the ups and the downs that I am 15 years later.” – Gabe Martinez (15:54)
• “There really weren’t any limits to what I could or couldn’t do… there was an alternative and really there was no limits anymore.” – Gabe Martinez (18:56)
• “The fund is more than a fund. They’re family.” – Gabe Martinez (22:33)
• “I have an app on my cell phone for my leg.” – Gabe Martinez (24:18)
• “Even though every day is not perfect… it gives me so much to be thankful for. And then being on Thanksgiving just kind of amplifies that…” – Gabe Martinez (26:01)

Memorable Moments & Timestamps

• Martinez’s graphic and detailed retelling of the IED explosion and subsequent realizations (06:59 – 13:19)
• The unexpected early phone call to his wife from the hospital in Afghanistan (13:10)
• Description of feeling “half the man” and the crucial support from Semper Fi & America’s Fund (16:44 – 18:00)
• Admission that loneliness and loss of camaraderie can become a problem even a decade after return (21:01)
• Anecdote about receiving advanced prosthetics that are controlled via smartphone (24:18)
• Reflections on the complex emotions Thanksgiving now brings (24:49 – 26:01)

Segment Timestamps

• 05:05 – 06:24: Martinez’s motivation to enlist; early service years
• 06:28 – 13:19: Detailed account of Thanksgiving Day IED incident and immediate aftermath
• 13:55 – 14:53: Processing the injury; early thoughts about the future
• 15:34 – 16:44: Value of remembering trauma; grounding perspective
• 16:44 – 18:00: Mindset shift; introduction to Semper Fi & America’s Fund
• 18:17 – 19:26: Adaptive sports as a linchpin in recovery
• 19:41 – 22:05: Challenges facing wounded veterans post-service
• 22:14 – 23:28: Detailed description of Semper Fi & America’s Fund support
• 23:36 – 24:29: Advances in prosthetic technology
• 24:49 – 26:01: Thanksgiving’s renewed meaning; gratitude and family

Tone and Language

Martinez speaks with candor, grit, and warmth. His story is delivered with vivid, often graphic honesty, but always with a focus on the positive, the possible, and the value of support, both familial and communal. The conversation is hopeful, laced with humor and humility, but unflinching in the face of pain and trauma.

Conclusion

Gabe Martinez’s story transcends the tragedy of injury, offering instead a lesson in gratitude, adaptability, and the fundamental need for connection. As Thanksgiving converges with his own “alive day,” the episode serves as both a tribute to wounded warriors and a meditation on the enduring power of community and thankfulness in the wake of unimaginable loss.