Former US Navy SEAL Jason Redman, whose face was partially vaporized by machine-gun fire in Iraq, has detailed his harrowing recovery after comrades initially thought he was dead. Speaking on the LadBible Stories podcast, Redman described being struck during a mission to capture a high-value Al-Qaeda operative in Fallujah.
“I caught a round in the face. It hit me right in front of my ear, travelled through my face, took off my nose, blew out my right cheekbone, broke all the bones above my eye, vaporised my orbital floor, broke the head of my jaw, shattered my jaw to my chin and knocked me out,” he said. The firefight lasted over 40 minutes, and his team had no time to check on him. When he regained consciousness, he called out to his team lead, who responded, “Red, you're still alive?”
Extensive Surgeries and Blood Transfusions
After emergency treatment in Baghdad, Redman was transferred to the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. Over 37 surgeries, he received massive blood transfusions, 1,200 stitches, 200 staples, 15 skin grafts, and an emergency tracheotomy. Despite the severity, he survived, but the sight of his own face horrified him. “I felt like a monster. I hadn't looked at myself in a mirror. It would be, I don't know, probably at least 10 days later that I finally saw myself for the first time,” he recalled.
Visitors' pity hardened his resolve. “They were talking to themselves off to the side while the nurse was working on me. I could hear them saying, ‘What a, what a shame. This is so sad,’” he said. Redman wrote a sign for his hospital room door: “Attention to all who enter here. If you are coming into this room with sorrow or to feel sorry for my wounds, go elsewhere. The wounds I received I got in a job I love, doing it for people I love, supporting the freedom of a country I deeply love. I am incredibly tough and will make a full recovery. What is full? That is the absolute utmost physically my body has the ability to recover. Then I will push that about 20 percent further through sheer mental tenacity. This room you are about to enter is a room of fun, optimism, and intense rapid regrowth. If you are not prepared for that, go elsewhere.”
Return to Service and Retirement
Despite almost losing an arm after a bullet passed through his elbow, Redman aimed to return as an operational SEAL. However, after four years and nearly 40 surgeries, a surgeon at Duke University advised against it, citing quality of life. Redman retired in 2013 after 21 years of service. He founded the non-profit Wounded Wear, which provides specialized clothing for injured veterans, authored two books, and tours the US delivering messages of hope and resilience.
