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Three Marines with Combat Logistics Battalion 5, stand in front of a humvee similar to those used daily in the area of operations. Cpl. Louis A. Plume, Lance Cpl. Nicolas McDonald, and Cpl. Rowdy Z. Burney were awarded Purple Hearts for injuries they sustained in combat operations in the Al Anbar Province. With over 2,000 U.S. service members having died in Operation Iraqi Freedom, there is a certain appreciation for life in the mind-set of those who have walked away from IED encounters with minor injuries. ?You don?t think about the fact that you?re going home a Purple Heart recipient. You think, ?that was a close call, I might not be so lucky next time,?? said Burney.