Over the last seven years, Kirstie Ennis went from early Milton High School and Pensacola State College graduate, to helicopter gunner in the Marines, to wounded veteran, to friend of Prince Harry, to snowboarder, to Madison Square Garden speaker. Her international story garnered awareness for the plight of wounded veterans both in the U. S. and abroad. It all started in Santa RosaCounty. When Ennis was kind enough to share her story with the Press Gazette, she said of her home, “The love and support coming from my hometown means more than most people will ever realize.”
The daughter of two Marines, Ennis began, “I did move around a lot, as to be expected being a military brat, but we always came back to Milton. I graduated from MHS a year early and with my AA from PJC, thanks to dual enrollment. I graduated May, 2008. I don’t have much memory due to injuries, but I enjoyed being at MHS. I have a short attention span so I always liked to be doing a lot and learning, specifically. School came quite easy to me, so I worked hard to continue on.”
Ennis was anxious to join the Marines just after graduating school, but her parents were split on approving. “Initially after walking out of my PJC class and going to the recruiter, my mother was supportive, while my father wanted me to finish college first.”
Ennis said she told her parents she would take a desk job for the first few years so they would sign the necessary papers for a 17-year-old to join the military. She said, “There was never a plan for me to do a desk job. That’s not me or my personality. I just lied so they would sign.”
After training at NAS Pensacola, Ennis said she started in the Marines as an airframes mechanic, then helicopter gunner. “I did two deployments to Afghanistan, and had I not gotten wounded, then I wanted to go to the drill field and make Marines on Marine Corps Recruit Depot on Parris Island, SC.”
Those plans took a dramatic turn three years ago. “On June 23, 2012, on my second deployment to Afghanistan, while performing combat operations (resupplies) as a CH-53 door gunner to FOB Nawzad, my helicopter went down. It started out like many missions I had done in the past, but resulted in my life being changed forever—mentally, physically, and emotionally. On my recovery home, a British volunteer helped me with my initial repairs to my face, then on to Germany where I stayed several days, DC, then San Diego.”
In January 2013, while in San Diego, Ennis said she received an invitation to an Emerald Coast Young Marine (ECYM) luncheon held at the Crestivew Elks Lodge. The Crestview News Bulletin reported on it at the time. Ennis attended having a spaghetti lunch with family at the lodge, recognition from retired Master Gunnery Sgt. Roberto "Bob" Rivera and then ECYM Commanding Officer Lynn Dominique, and had the opportunity to pin Young Marine Private Cluff as he promoted to Private First Class. Matthew Brown reported while Ennis was recuperating, she received multiple letters of encouragement from the ECYM.
At the luncheon, Ennis said, “To put faces to the names of the young marines that have been writing me throughout my recovery is a great feeling. I hope I can empower them as half as much as they have done for me.”
While in recovery over the next two years, Ennis learned about Walking with the Wounded, a U.K. event to “help raise awareness for the mutual debilitating symptoms and injuries” soldiers sustain in war, as Ennis put it. Her doctors said her injuries were bad enough they recommended amputating her leg, but she was determined to go on the walk and delayed surgery, opting for the brace she had heretofore used.
From August 22 to November 1 this year, four British and two American veterans took on the Walking with the Wounded challenge, 1,000 miles throughout the U.K., “spending a week in Scotland and crossing over the English-Scottish border a few times.” Ennis said she and the other walkers, (four British and two American), “Stepped off from the Glennfiddich distillery in Scotland on August 22. (We) climbed the highest points in Scotland (also highest in U.K., Ben Nevis), Wales (Snowdon), and England (Scafell Pike). Through week 5 we trekked into Wales, and spent a wet week there. Then worked our way down through the U.K., zigzagging to be able to make it into the hometowns of the British walkers.” She said she has no plans to do the walk again after her surgery, “but I do have plans to continue my mission, and do have another ‘adventure’ so to speak for next year.”
Meeting the walkers and taking part himself was Prince Harry. Ennis said, “The Prince and I have a friendship based off of similar goals and a passion for helping our military families. Meeting him in 2013 was a great experience, but him joining me on the walk and being a part of our mission supersedes everything else.”
Snowboarding is likely not at the top of the list of likely activities a wounded veteran facing major surgery would undertake, but this was Ennis’ choice. “I started snowboarding because after my injuries, I could not do the things I loved. I needed the confidence that I could do things with my new sense of normalcy and limitations, that I couldn’t do before my injuries. Honestly, learning to snowboard came quite naturally. Well, it might be setting the bar high, but I would like to see myself on a podium in 2018 S Korea. I think my parents are proud. They support me in any, and everything that I want to do, even when they don’t understand it. But that’s what good parents do, love and support their children no matter what.”
Ennis’ latest major event was the ninth annual televised Stand Up For Heroes red carpet event November 10, featuring such big names as Bruce Springsteen and John Stewart.
“I was nervous speaking, and John Stewart and Bruce Springsteen calmed me down by saying, “John Stewart is your opening act, and Bruce is there to mop up after you.” I am definitely big fans of them now, and admire their willingness to help. I do not get star struck, or impressed by celebrities. I am impressed with people who selflessly put others before themselves, people who set goals and strive for them, those who are honorable and courageous—I am impressed with real heroes, like our military and first responders.”
The City of Milton is supporting Ennis as she prepares for her November 29 surgery. Posted on the city’s website is a message asking the public to write letters and cards for her of encouragement. The following locations have agreed to participate as drop off points: Cat County 98.7 FM and AM1620 News Radio Studios on 7251 Plantation Rd., the Guy Thompson Community Center, the Santa Rosa County Chamber of Commerce, The Santa Rosa County Commissioner’s Offices, and Mattress Firm in Pensacola.
Of the support, Ennis said, “There are days when it is easy to want to give up on yourself, and on your recovery. But knowing that there are people out there who believe in me, makes it so much easier to keep pressing on.
UPDATE: The Santa Rosa County Commission elected to be a drop off point for mail to Ennis. Take a look at what students and others in the Santa Rosa and Escambia area collected to send her.
For more on Ennis' story including more pictures and up to date information on her surgery, check out Milton High grad and wounded veteran looks to next challenges.
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: The walk of a hero