  Wounded Warrior Bryan Wagner
April 2011 - "I really don't remember much about the explosion," says Specialist Bryan Wagner. "I was on fire, and the blast destroyed our extinguisher. So the guys doused me with fruit punch." Bryan, who loves to find comedy in tragedy, added with a laugh: "I'm going to have to send a thank you letter to Juicy Juice." 
But the injury was no laughing matter. Bryan endured 27 surgeries. The most significant procedure occurred at Walter Reed Army Medical Center (WRAMC) on New Year's Eve 2007. Bryan opted to have his right leg amputated below the knee. Bryan rehabbed at WRAMC for two years. "It got me to where I am today. I stayed there until I knew I could do anything." "Anything" includes finishing the Bataan Memorial Death March, a 26-mile challenge through the high desert terrain of White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico, in honor of service members who defended the Philippine Islands during World War II. Video is no longer available. |