Popaditch For Congress 2010

We The People Candidate
Nick Popaditch is a retired U.S. Marine campaigning for Congress in the 51st district running against incumbent Bob Filner (D). Understanding and believing in duty to country and his community, Nick is redeploying once again to serve and protect the liberties that make this nation truly exceptional.

Nick is concurrently completing his Teaching Credential at SDSU and campaigning for Congress on important issues facing the people of 51st District and the Nation. Nick resides in Chula Vista, California with his wife April and sons, Richard and Nicholas Jr.

Community Service and Leadership
Nick Popaditch travels throughout this great Nation and his community sharing his story of encouragement by teaching leadership and core values, motivating people from different walks of life including Corporate America, veterans, church and youth groups, and citizens who believe in a better America .

Since military retirement, Nick has been an advocate for Veterans and actively involved with several military organizations taking a leadership role in support of our wounded service members and their families. Speaking on behalf of our veterans he draws from his own personal experiences with the Veterans Administration process stemming from his battlefield wounds to rehabilitation in a VA hospital. Nick Popaditch supports our military and is ever vigilant for our troops.

Nick serves on the Purple Heart Advisory Board for Freedom is Not Free and on the Board of directors for The Vet Foundation. Nick is a Veteran Representative on the VA’s Patient-Centered Care Steering Committee. He speaks on behalf of The Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund, The Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation of the Desert Cities, and Independence Fund.

U.S. Marine Corps – Experienced and Proven Performance
Nick Popaditch was born on July 2, 1967 in East Chicago, Indiana and graduated from high school in 1985. He enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1986 and reported for recruit training at MCRD, San Diego, CA.

Nick served with the 1st Tank Battalion, 1st Marine Division, and was promoted to the rank of Sergeant, and served as a tank commander during Operation Desert Shield/Storm in 1991. After six years of active duty service Nick was honorably discharged in 1992.

In September of 1995 Nick reenlisted back into the Marine Corps after working in the construction industry in San Diego and later as a correctional officer with the Indiana Department of Corrections.

Popaditch reported to 1st Tank Battalion, 1st Marine Division at 29 Palms, California, where he once again served as a tank commander.

Based upon his proven performance in the Fleet Marine Force, Nick was assigned as a Drill Instructor at MCRD, San Diego from 1998 until his return to the 1st Marine Division in 2002.

Nicholas A. Popaditch, Gunnery Sgt., USMC, was a witness to history in both Desert Shield/Storm and Operation Iraqi Freedom, commanding an M1-A1 Abrams Battle Tank from the deserts of southern Iraq to the streets of Baghdad. This former Marine Tank Commander is also known as
“The Cigar Marine” from the AP photo (April 2003) on major front page newspapers in the U.S. of the historic event that truly symbolized the liberation of Baghdad as the 1st Tank Battalion Marines pulled down a statue of Saddam Hussein.

Nick was medically retired from the Marines in 2005 at the rank of Gunnery Sergeant from wounds sustained in combat in the battle of Fallujah.

“Gunny Pop” was awarded the Silver Star for gallantry for his actions on April 6 and 7, 2004, while commanding a tank in Fallujah, Iraq and was also awarded the Purple Heart.

He is the author of Once A Marine an Iraq War Tank Commander’s Inspirational Memoir of Combat, Courage, and Recovery. The book holds an honored spot on the United States Marine Corps Professional Reading program, also known as the Commandant’s reading list. Marine Corps University recommends
Once A Marine for every rank from Private to General.

A Candidate Who Will Fight For the People
Once again, Nick Popaditch is ready to redeploy, ready to serve, and ready to protect the liberties that make this nation truly exceptional. Only this time, the battle will be carried to the halls of Congress where our Freedom, so bravely won, and repeatedly secured by our troops for over two centuries, must be preserved, maintained, and protected, for the sake of our children and the generations to come.

> MORE ABOUT NICK POPADITCH FROM WIKIPEDIA.ORG