Chadrick Allen
$1,748 of $5,000 raised
Sgt Chadrick Allen, USMC
Chadrick was in high school on September 11, 2001, when the planes hit the Twin Towers in New York City. Texas is his home, this country is his home, and he felt called to protect it, and his family. A career in the military wasn’t about money or college, it was about fighting terrorism.
After graduating in 2003, he signed up for the Marines right after high school and waited patiently until they could take him. Getting the call, he found himself in Iraq the following year. Working as a postal clerk, he often found himself in convoys, whether by air or ground, delivering the mail to the thousands of troops mobilized in the region. On one such convoy, his vehicle ran over a ground-embedded IED, the explosion causing injury to his spine including herniated discs, and causing chronic pain.
Through intense physical therapy, he was able to continue serving. He continued in the military until 2014 when he was medically discharged. He continues to use therapy, acupuncture, and yoga to manage pain and PTSD.
Using a cane most days for stability and just to assist in standing, he is limited on what he can do and lift. However, he continues to look for opportunities to get out and improve himself. He found the Dive Pirates and continues to hear good things about the benefits and mobility of diving.
He plans to train with International Scuba In Carrollton, TX.