Amputees Begin Returning to Battlefield

I sit here, barely able to blog, overcome by awe.

Cpl. Jemel Daniels was a gunner on patrol with his unit in Iskandere, Iraq, when his Humvee hit a makeshift bomb on the side of the road.

“I shot out of the turret 30 feet into the air and fell into a ditch on the side of the road. My friends dragged me across the road. Just two of us actually got out and three passed away,” the corporal said.

Daniels works out hard without appearing to give much thought now to his injuries — an amputated left leg, a battered arm and a shattered right foot now stabilized by painful steel pins running through it. None of his wounds have deterred his future plans.

“I’m staying active duty,” he said.

Go read the rest. Seriously. Between tales of perserverence such as this and sacrifice such as that of Sergeant First Class Paul Smith, I can only shake my head at the valor of our troops, both on and off the battlefield.

Does the service bring out the best in a person, or is it that our best are drawn to the service? Perhaps a mixture of both, as honorable people see their fortitude strengthened by camaraderie and shared burden. Either way, we are truly blessed as a society to have such heroes among us.