Sen. Hoitenga welcomes wounded Army veteran, Gaylord native to Capitol for Memorial Day event

Sen. Hoitenga welcomes wounded Army veteran, Gaylord native to Capitol for Memorial Day event

LANSING, Mich. — Sen. Michele Hoitenga on Thursday welcomed U.S. Army Major Jonathan Turnbull and his wife Samantha to the state Capitol as her special guests for the Senate’s 29th Annual Memorial Day Service to honor Michigan’s fallen service members.

“The United States remains the home of the free because of brave men and women like Major Turnbull, who serve selflessly in our armed forces,” said Hoitenga, R-Manton. “It was an absolute honor to be joined by Jonathan and Samantha as the Senate paid tribute to America’s heroes who made the ultimate sacrifice.”

Turnbull graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 2010 and was commissioned as an officer in the U.S. Army. He served in Afghanistan, Jordan, and Lebanon before embarking on a mission to Manbij, Syria. On Jan. 16, 2019, a suicide bomber attacked his team, killing four members and critically injuring Turnbull. His book “Zero Percent Chance” details his experience in the military and highlights his challenges as well as how he overcame them.

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