Corporal Matthew Bradford Speaks Words of Hope to the Fast Change Team

Fast Change Lube and Oil held its quarterly manager meeting on Wednesday, January 16, 2019.

Guest speaker Corporal Matthew Bradford, a Winchester, Kentucky native, was a freshman in

high school when the horrific September 11 attacks occurred. Bradford says he felt like it was his

sole purpose and duty to serve this country.

In 2004 while he was still a senior in high school, Matthew joined the Marines’ delayed entry

program. After high school, he served and deployed with the 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marines, Echo

Company, 2nd Platoon 2nd squad. Matthew was deployed to Haditha, Iraq in the Al Anbar

Province from September 2006 until January 18, 2007, when he was severely injured on a foot

patrol.

“I remember walking down the street. The road was called Park Place, it ran parallel to the

Euphrates River to my left and the compound wall was to my right. There was a white bag lying

up against a tree. I point out something suspicious, I turn around, and there was a ditch along the

wall that ended in a pipe. I looked down and saw the wires. I was standing right on top of it.”

Matthew explained. He continued, “Instantly the IED sent shrapnel into both my eyes and took

my left leg. The blast put me in a coma for three weeks.”

After Matthew woke up, he was completely blind in both eyes and both of his legs were gone.

But his story didn’t end there. Today Matthew competes in marathons, goes on hikes, surfs, and

he even got a bachelor’s degree from the University of Kentucky in 2017.

“I’m truly blessed with the way I’ve lived my life since my injury, actually my whole life, it’s

always been one step after the next from high school straight to the marine core, retiring, going

to school, working with veterans, I never had time to sit and think about what the next step is,

and honestly that is one of my deepest fears is getting to the point in my life where I don’t know

what the next step is because it’s important for me to stay busy.”

Corporal Bradford has 3 key points that he lives by:

1. Adapt and Overcome

2. Lead by Example

3. Never Quit

People are always watching and observing and as Matthew says, it’s his desire to motivate,

inspire and encourage people to live beyond their comfort zone.

“It’s not about me, it’s about the person watching or observing, it’s about the person that’s

struggling with my condition. If I can give them some kind of advice or motivation and

encouragement to help him realize, that outside of those hospital doors, you can do this stuff”,

explains Matthew.

Fast Change Lube and Oil’s core values consist of Professionalism, Respect, Integrity,

Dependability, and Excellence, also known as PRIDE.

Matthew says pride is important in any task or job we might face.

“You’ve got to love what you do and be passionate about what you do. If you have that mindset

to wake up each and every day proud and excited to go to work and understand that what you do

at work is making a difference in someone else’s life is very important and very beneficial”.

Matthew Bradford resides in Lexington, Kentucky with his wife and their three children.

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