Muslim U.S. Marine recovering in German hospital
A Muslim U.S. Marine of Chinese descent has been wounded while on a combat mission in Iraq, RFA's Mandarin service reports.
Daniel Humphreys, whose family has spoken out against the linkage of Islam with suicide bombing and other acts of terrorism, was wounded by remote-control bombs while driving from Babylon to Baghdad, Humphreys' mother, Ma Chongqing said.
"On hearing the news, my heart sank. As Daniel sat right behind the driver, they were both severely wounded, and Daniel lost a lot of blood," she added.
The tires and engine of the vehicle in which he was traveling were destroyed while the four American soldiers on the vehicle were badly wounded, Ma said.
But Ma, whose grandfather was a key general in the Muslim-led "Ma Family Army" which defended northwest China against the Japanese invasion during World War II, was philosophical about the news.
"Of course, it pained me to learn that Daniel had been wounded. But one's life or death is predestined. My son aspired to be a soldier even when he was a child, and he regards it as an honor to be a Marine," she said.
"We could have lost our son, but now we have a new opportunity to love and care for him," Ma added. Humphreys is the first American soldier of Chinese descent to be wounded in Iraq.
"My great-grandfather and grandfather were soldiers and distinguished themselves in action," she said. "When his commander wrote us and said our son is an American hero, my husband and I both felt greatly honored."
Humphreys, whose father was also a soldier, has been airlifted to Frankfurt, Germany for treatment. He will be moved back to Los Angeles, where his family lives, later.
