A Korean War-era veteran from Massachusetts recently fell and hit his head at the gym after his vision was obstructed by his face mask, which he wore to comply with his town’s coronavirus measures.
The 84-year-old veteran, Eugene “Ed” Norton of Reading, MA, served in Korea following the signing of the armistice agreement and climbed to the rank of sergeant in the U.S. Marine Corps, according to Fox News Digital. He served until 1966 before coming home and working as vice president of an insurance company.
Earlier this month, on February 3, Norton was working out at his local gym while wearing a mask to comply with Reading’s local mask mandate in indoor spaces. He had just finished up on an exercise bike when he fell while moving to another machine, which resulted in bruising and bleeding.
“I couldn’t see my feet, and I tripped over a scale in my path and then hit my head on a [nearby] workout machine,” he recalled.
Working out near Norton were a doctor and a nurse, who quickly sprang into action after Norton fell. The gym’s managers provided the nurse with an ice pack and a bandage to stop the bleeding, and Norton says he was helped up by two trainers.
The injuries were so serious, the doctor wanted him to go for a CAT scan, but Norton chose not to, according to Fox News Digital.
He still has bruising to the areas of his head that were hit and said his face is still tender.
The incident occurred less than a month after the town implemented a January 6 mask mandate for all individuals two and older when in indoor spaces. On February 10 – a week after Norton’s fall – Reading, located North of Boston, rescinded the mandate, the local Patch reports.
“Health officials still recommend that people wear N95, KN95 or surgical masks while in indoor public places,” the outlet said.
One of Norton’s gym buddies spoke to Fox News Digital about both Norton’s fall and mask mandates.
“This is awful,” said the friend. “It’s not how our veterans’ golden years are supposed to go — masked for no good reason. Ed is one of our American heroes and he should be treated like one everywhere he goes.”
Norton, who has a Master’s Degree in nursing, offered his own opinion of the masks, calling them “useless.”
“The type of mask most of us are wearing is not protection at all,” he noted. “And these little kids wearing them all the time? It’s not right, and it’s not borne out by science.”
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