Cpl. Daniel Peterson
On July 24, 2010, Marine Sniper Corporal Daniel Peterson was returning from a classified mission in the Southern Helmand Providence of Afghanistan when the team encountered a bomb. The explosion threw Cpl. Peterson more than ten feet in the air and created a 6-foot by 6-foot crater into the Earth. Cpl. Peterson sustained amputation of both of his legs, a fractured pelvis, and many other broken bones and shrapnel because of the explosion.
Cpl. Peterson placed tourniquets on his own legs and never lost consciousness while waiting for the Corpsmen to get to him. Cpl. Peterson was treated by the Corpsman while being prepared to be evacuated.
Initially Cpl. Peterson was transported via 20-minute helicopter ride to Camp Dwyer. He was later airlifted to Landstuhl, Germany. Once he was stable, Cpl. Peterson was moved stateside to begin what would become multiple treatments at several hospitals. These hospitals included: Bethesda Naval Medical Center, Palo Alto Rehab Hospital, Balboa Naval Hospital, and Brooke Army Medical Center.
In 2012, Cpl. Peterson was the recipient of a home from Homes for Our Troops. Cpl. Peterson was asked what he would like to say to the volunteers who helped make this happen. He responded with, “You never know what freedom is until it is taken from you…that’s why patriots like us stay in the fight. Thank you for helping to give me back some of the everyday freedoms we have fought to preserve…regaining my independence helps me continue to stay in the fight.”
Cpl. Peterson enjoys video games, restoring and working on Jeeps, off-roading/rock crawling in Jeeps, swimming, and welding. In 2018, Daniel started a seven-month welding specialist program at the Houston campus of the Tulsa Welding School. However, his true passion is long range shooting.
Cpl. Peterson met his wife Kourtney when they worked together at a Gun Shop. The two were married in 2016. The Petersons welcomed a beautiful miracle baby girl, Freyja, born June 2021.