Petaluma Marine takes first steps on new legs

<p>Marine Cpl. Steven Kiernan of Petaluma took his first steps Thursday at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington and kept walking for 45 minutes.</p><p>"It felt different, but it felt good," said the Marine by phone later that evening.</p><p>With him on the first day of walking on his prosthetic legs were his mom, Kim Petersen, and Gen. Rich Hearney, who, like Kiernan, is an alumnus of Petaluma High School. Hearney, who is retired but still consults for the military, is the former assistant commandant for the Marine Corps.</p><p>The general had visited Kiernan in May on the day he received his Purple Heart. During Thursday's visit, Hearney took pictures as Kiernan walked along a ramp with dual handrails under the watchful eyes of physical therapists.</p><p>"Steven is quite a young man, and I'm confident he'll be running in no time," Hearney said.</p><p>Deployed to Iraq on April 11, Kiernan, 20, was critically wounded May 4 while serving in Fallujah. He lost his left foot and his right leg to midthigh when an improvised explosive device went off.</p>