‘Once a Marine, always a Marine’: USMC colonel bolsters SCI patient

A Marine, paralyzed in a fishing accident nearly a year ago, is about to embark on the next phase of his new life, buoyed by his Marine brethren and the Spinal Cord Injury Unit at the Milwaukee VA Medical Center.

Cpl. Skyler Correia, 22, of Reedsburg, Wis., received a surprise visitor Wednesday in SCI — Col. Morina D. Foster, Wounded Warrior Regiment Commanding Officer. Though Foster was on leave in Chicago preparing for her daughter’s upcoming wedding, she made the trip to Milwaukee specifically to meet Correia.

 “Anytime I’m out, I try to make sure I get to see our recovering service members,” she said. “I’m visiting one of our own and making sure he’s OK.”

The Wounded Warrior Regiment provides support for injured Marines and their families in order to facilitate their return to duty or transition to civilian life.

Correia is due to be medically discharged from the Marines soon, and his nearly yearlong stay in the Milwaukee VA SCI is also drawing to a close. He’ll be returning to his parents’ home while a fully accessible home of his own is readied.

“He’s got all these milestones, and he’s doing really well,” Foster said.

Correia, who enlisted in 2021, said the visit reinforced his commitment to the Marines.

“It’s a great wake-up call to see that Marines, no matter how far apart they are, they really come together for each other,” he said.

“You’re never discharged from the Marines. Once a Marine, always a Marine,” Foster added. 

Correia admitted his year since the accident has been hard, filled with setbacks as well as triumphs.

But Dr. Ken Lee, director of the Milwaukee VA SCI, said Correia’s spirit and attitude have made a difference.

“He came in with the Marine mentality of never giving up,” Lee said. Now, Correia can raise his arms over his head and continues to work on being able to use a manual wheelchair.

“It’s been a very difficult year, running into a lot of medical issues, but nothing I can’t overcome,” Correia said. “I just keep getting back up every time I get knocked down. You’ve got to figure out how to live with this without being negative. Otherwise, it will eat you up.”

He said his care at the Milwaukee VA SCI has been “amazing. They have gotten me everything I needed. I couldn’t see myself going anywhere else for this kind of care.”

The Reedsburg community has rallied to support Correia since his accident: There have been fundraisers and charity events to aid his recovery, and a GoFundMe account has been set up for him. That support helped the family purchase a van for Correia and remodel his parents’ home to accommodate his wheelchair.

He also has the support of the Marine Corps, which Foster iterated during her visit.

“We try to provide our recovering service members with all the resources they need while they’re in the hospital and after they transition,” she said. “We rally around our Veterans.”

Foster chatted with Correia about the upcoming National Veterans Wheelchair Games July 17-22 in Minneapolis, where Correia hopes to compete in air rifle and rugby.

Though he hasn’t taken to the rugby court yet, Correia said he’s excited to try the rough-and-tumble wheelchair sport. His goal is to one day compete in the Paralympic Games.

“I’ve been in a sports chair and met the rugby guys,” Correia said. “It’s rough. Those guys hit hard. But I’m very excited for that.” 

For air rifle, a special trigger has been designed for him that will allow him to fire the rifle with a puff of air through a tube he holds in his mouth. It’s a piece of adaptive technology, manufactured through Milwaukee VA 3-D printing, that is a hallmark of the SCI.

As their visit drew to a close, Foster presented Correia with a Wounded Warrior Regiment pin, while Lee also gave him a challenge coin. 

Foster said she was inspired by Correia’s positive attitude and winning smile.

“When I walked up, the first thing I saw was that smile, and that made my day,” she said, noting that she typically braces for the worst when encountering injured Marines. “I can’t wait to get back and tell the team how positive and upbeat (Correia is).”