13 people were killed and 29 wounded when Major Nidal Malik Hasan opened fire at Ft. Hood last week. One of the wounded is from South Georgia.
Martin was getting ready to deploy to Iraq and waiting at the processing center at Ft. Hood to get security and medical clearance. He recalls the center was filled with 40 or 50 chairs that were all filled up, when the shooting occurred that day.
"He pulled out and fired at us like we were sitting ducks," said Staff Sgt. Paul Martin, U.S. Army.
He said it was unreal, felt like a movie. The sergeant thought for a second it was some sort of army scenario.
"I thought I had got hit by a paintball because it was red and I looked on the floor and all our blood was on the floor and everyone was laying on top of each other and blood was everywhere," said Martin.
He then was shot in the lower back, but luckily the bullet missed his vital organs. He told a fellow soldier who was crying they had to get out of the building no matter what.
"I timed him while he was reloading because he knew how to that weapon and how he was reloading it quick," said Martin.
He timed it between shots, enough to where he could get through two sets of double doors. He knew those doors were thick enough to block a bullet. When he made it through, someone helped him dress his wounds. Since then, he's been at the Darnell Medical Center on base.
"All the soldiers that got killed and the ones that are wounded they're in my prayers," said Martin.
The Adel community has the sergeant in its thoughts and prayers.
Sgt. Martin is expected to make a full recovery.
©2009 WALB News. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Feedback
All content © Copyright 2000 - 2013 Worldnow and WALB, a Raycom Media Station. 
