Veterans eye free vision correction
Six U.S. veterans, including a Milpitas resident and a Willow Glen coach, received free Lasik surgery Oct. 17 as part of the annual Gift of Sight program provided by Furlong Vision Correction in San Jose.
Milpitas resident Ethan Provost entered the Army in 2001 at age 22, serving in the 101st Airborne. He was deployed to Iraq for one year and South Korea for two years. Provost operated and drove heavy equipment trucks and supplied military supplies in Tikrit, Iraq. His entire deployment was spent in convoys and vehicle maintenance.
Provost, whose vision was 20/400 in both eyes before his surgery, works as a building engineer repairing roofs and is taking classes in heating and air conditioning engineering on the GI bill. Constantly cleaning his contacts from dirt and dust was a deterrent to his job production. After Dr. Mona Sane, a surgeon at Furlong Vision Correction, performed his LASIK procedure, his vision improved to 20/15.
Leonard Vigil, a San Jose native, served in the Marine Corps from 2001 to 2005. He was deployed to Ramadi, Iraq, where his battalion endured a 40 percent casualty rate. On July 1, 2004, Vigil was hit by a roadside bomb and suffered traumatic brain and vision injuries. Although wounded, he still assisted his fellow injured Marines and provided safety for them until they were medically evacuated. He was awarded the Purple Heart for his actions, along with the Marine and Navy Accommodation medal with a distinguished V for Valor.
Vigil is pursuing a master’s degree at Pacific Oaks College in San Jose under San Jose native and U.S. Marine Corps veteran Leonard Vigil consults with Dr. Michael Furlong after his Lasik vision correction surgery Oct. 17. the GI Bill. He also has been a volunteer wrestling coach at Gunderson, Silver Creek and Willow Glen high schools. Before Furlong performed his Lasik procedure, Vigil had 20/200 vision in his right eye and 20/100 in his left eye. He is now 20/15 in both eyes.
Furlong Vision Correction worked with Kelly Estes, founder of the Cost of Courage Foundation to identify military veterans who would benefit from this program. The San Josebased foundation supports the educational and personal needs of local military veterans to ensure a successful transition back into civilian life.