The face of courage

Courage is a common trait among soldiers on the battlefield. For whatever reasons they, without question, take the steps that could lead to daunting disability or death. For those who survive, the cost can be great. At Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington. D.C., that same courage and the cost of sacrifice can be seen on the faces of the young men and women who have been battered in Iraq and Afghanistan, and who now are piecing their lives back together.

On a beautiful October day at Walter Reed, courage was abundant among the amputees visited by Commander Sursely and his wife, Jeannie. They witnessed the resolve and determination of those who had lost arms and legs to enemy actions. Commander Sursely offered encouragement and pope in the future, and came away impressed with the soldiers' spirit to succeed.

"There was much to see in their eyes," Sursely said. "While the lain and suffering they endured was apparent, you could also Sec the courage, strength, and spirit they lead. I felt such great pride in them."

Sursely, a triple-amputee of the Vietnam War, knows what lies ahead for the young men and women who have lost limbs. There's the shattering disappointment at losing mobility, the pain of recovery, the struggle to regain life through rehabilitation, and the indignity of being different. He also knows that success in life means overcoming disability.

As Forbes Magazine founder B.C. Forbes once noted, "The most notable winners usually encountered heartbreaking obstacles before they triumphed. They won because they refused to become discouraged by their defeats."

A veteran of the Vietnam War, Commander Sursely knows about triumphs and defeats. In 1969, he triggered an enemy land mine, losing both legs above the knee and his left arm above the elbow. Ahead for him lay extensive recuperation and medical discharge from the Army. He also discovered a life of service to his fellow veterans in the DAV. At Walter Reed, Sursely softly spoke to the newest generation of amputees--one a triple-amputee like himself--offering encouragement and first-hand knowledge of what these young men and women could expect.

"The one thing you have to do is get used to people looking at you," Sursely told young Brian Kolfage of Dearborn Heights, Mich. Kolfage lost both legs above the knee and part of his right arm. The young Army specialist listened intently to Sursely's words, asking questions about what to expect in the future.

Afterwards, Kolfage was more encouraged that he could do just as well or better in life than Sursely.

The father of another amputee Sursely visited asked, "When did you step on the land mine?" "In 1969," Sursely said. "My God, that was 35 years ago," the father said. "You look great and really healthy." "Seems like yesterday," said Sursely. "That land mine really ruined my day, and I missed hot chow that night." The sheer presence and bravado of Sursely buoyed the courage the young soldiers used to battle insurgents in places like Mosul, Baquba, Tikrit, and Baghdad.

"I just hope that I was able to brighten their thoughts about their future," Sursely said. "I have traveled the road they now begin. Whatever I can impart to them may make it easier as they travel through lift as disabled veterans."

Commander Sursely joined about 50 of the Walter Reed patients and their family members the next day during a tour of the Pentagon. Some were transported to the Department of Defense (DoD) in a DAV van escorted by Pentagon security police. As they entered the Pentagon in Arlington, Va., they were greeted by applauding and tearful DoD workers and military personnel lining the long corridors of the building.

"It was a moment to be savored," said Sursely. "Stretching down the nearly endless halls of the Pentagon were men and women, civilians and military, gratefully applauding the selfless sacrifice of these young men and women."

Commander Sursely and the amputees were taken to the 9/11 Memorial and Chapel inside the Pentagon, and attended a luncheon where they met several dignitaries such as Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz, Under Secretary of the Army Los Brownlee, and St. Major of the U.S. Army Kenneth O. Preston.

"We must do all we can as an organization of veterans supporting veterans to ensure that the quality of health care for these young disabled veterans is the best we can offer," said Sursely. "There's no guarantee they will receive all that they need when they fall front the limelight. It is imperative shat our grateful nation remembers their sacrifice, and the sacrifice of all the disabled veterans before them, long into the fixture."

"The DAV will always be there for them," he said. "And the DAV will make sure our nation never forgets them or their families. Just as they have shown courage in battle and in recovery, the DAV has the courage of its convictions to ensure that they will have the best lives possible. We owe it to them, and we owe it to ourselves to keep the promise."

COPYRIGHT 2005 Disabled American Veterans
COPYRIGHT 2005 Gale Group