The Brief
- Jose Pequeno was a military police officer on patrol with the Army National Guard in Ramadi, Iraq when he suffered a near-fatal injury.
- More than 30 surgeries and nearly two decades later Pequeno is not only living but saving lives.
- He got the surprise of a lifetime in St. Pete while supporting a 5K charity run to prevent military suicide.
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. …