Home Building Projects in Florida
Anthony McDaniel
Branch: Marine
Rank: Sergeant
Home: Destin, FL
Marine Sergeant Anthony McDaniel was four months into his second deployment when he lost both of his legs and his left hand when he stepped on an IED in Kajaki, Afghanistan on August 31, 2010.
Luke Murphy
Branch: Army
Rank: Staff Sergeant
Home: Tallahassee, FL
Army Staff Sergeant Luke Murphy the Squad Leader of an 11 man Reconnaissance Team with the 187th Infantry Regiment, a component of the 101st Airborne Division was on his second deployment when he lost his right leg above the knee and severely injured his left leg in an Explosively Formed Penetrator (EFP) blast in Sadr City, Iraq on April 25, 2006.
Justin Gaertner
Branch: Marine
Rank: Corporal
Home: New Port Richey, FL
Marine Corporal Justin Gaertner was on his third deployment when he lost both of his legs above the knees, and suffered severe damage to his left arm in an IED blast in Marjah, Afghanistan on November 26, 2010. While on a routine route clearance mission, Cpl. Gaertner, a Combat Engineer, was in the third vehicle of a convoy when the vehicle ahead hit an IED.
Alex Dillmann
Branch: Army
Rank: Staff Sergeant
Home: FL
Army Staff Sergeant Alex Dillmann was on his second deployment when an IED blast left him paralyzed with catastrophic injuries while in the Province of Ghazni, Afghanistan on February 27, 2011. The Squad Leader in the first vehicle in a convoy, SSG Dillmann was on a night mission when his truck rolled over an IED ...
Thongpane (TD) Thongdeng
Branch: Army
Rank: Specialist
Home: St. Petersburg, FL
Army Specialist Thongpane (TD) Thongdeng was on his first deployment when an IED blast caused his right leg to be amputated below the knee and left him paralyzed while returning from a mission in Afghanistan on December 2, 2010. The driver of the third vehicle in a convoy, SPC Thongdeng was driving along a dirt road when his truck rolled over an IED ...
Joe Beimfohr
Branch: Army
Rank: Staff Sergeant
Home: Chapel, FL
Army SSG Joe Beimfohr was on his first deployment in July 2005 when he lost both of his legs in an IED blast near Baqubah, Iraq. While returning from a mission, his convoy was stopped when copper wires were seen running across the road ahead of the first vehicle. Stepping from his truck to investigate with two other soldiers, SSG Beimfohr noticed three wires running off of the main wire indicating that there were three IED’s meant to be detonated simultaneously.
John Hayes 
Branch: Marines
Rank: Master Sergeant
Home: Saint Augustine, FL
Marine Master Sergeant John Hayes was on his 4th deployment when he lost both of his legs and suffered life-threatening injuries after stepping on an IED in Sangin, Afghanistan on December 28, 2010. An Explosive Ordinance Disposal Technician, GySgt Hayes was on a routine mission, when his comrade located an undetonated ordinance. While retracing his steps to return and assist his partner, GySgt Hayes stepped on a buried IED resulting in the traumatic amputations of both of his legs
Tyler Southern
Branch: Marines
Rank: Corporal
Home: Saint Augustine, FL
Marine Corporal Tyler Southern was on his second deployment when he lost both of his legs above the knees, his right arm above the elbow, and shattered his left arm and hand after stepping on an IED in Musa Qala in the Now Zad District of Afghanistan on May 5, 2010. Having no recollection of what happened prior to the blast, Cpl Southern has been told by his squad members that he stepped on a 10 pound, pressure plated IED while searching for insurgents in a walled compound.
Austin Burchard
Branch: Army
Rank: Sergeant
Home: Lutz, FL
Army SGT Austin Burchard was left a paraplegic due to severe injuries caused by a gunshot wound while manning a post in a gun turret in Wardack Province, Afghanistan on March 19, 2009. Upon feeling the impact of the bullet fired from the Squad Automatic Weapon (SAW), SGT Burchard began losing feeling first in his feet and then in his legs followed by excruciating pain in his abdomen as his internal organs suffered irreversible damage.
Luis Puertas
Branch: Army
Rank: Specialist
Home: Orlando, FL
Army SPC Luis Puertas was left a double amputee after an EFP explosion in Baghdad, Iraq, on September 20, 2006. SPC Puertas was the driver of the lead HUMVEE on a daily patrol near Sadr City when an unseen EFP, planted at the base of a light pole launched into the vehicle, amputating both of his legs on impact. Leaving him trapped beneath the 400 pound up-armored door of the HUMVEE. Miraculously, his team was able to extricate him from the wreckage, and prepare him for medevac from the scene.
Juan Roldan
Branch: Army
Rank: Staff Sergeant
Home: Parrish, FL
Army SSG Juan Roldan was left a double amputee above the knees after an EFP explosion in Sadar City, Iraq on December 29, 2006. During the days prior to the execution of Saddam Hussein, Baghdad, Iraq and the surrounding area was described as "Hell on Earth" by military members who were patrolling the streets; "things were out of control." SSG Roldan was a vehicle commander, on a patrol through Sadar City when an Explosively Formed Penetrator (EFP) struck the vehicle, immediately killing the driver and gunner and throwing SSG Roldan from the vehicle.
Steven Holloway
Branch: Army
Rank: Sergeant First Class
Home: Wellington, FL
Army SFC Steven Holloway was a patrol leader on a mission to train Iraqi Police when his team was rerouted to assist at the scene of a deadly IED attack in Mosul, Iraq. After radioing for a Medivac, SFC Holloway went to the aid of a severely injured soldier and was immediately hit by a sniper's bullet. The Medivac he had called transported the injured soldier and SFC Holloway as well.
Paul "Russ" Marek
Branch: Army
Rank: Staff Sergeant
Home: Melbourne, FL
SSG Paul Russell Marek was serving with the 4th Battalion, 64th Armor Regiment of the Army's 3rd Infantry Division in Iraq when his tank was destroyed by an IED. Three of his crew members perished in the explosion and Russ lost his right leg and right arm, his right ear and left thumb and suffered brain injury and severe burns over 20 percent of his body. That happend on September 16, 2005 as he rode in a tank near Baghdad.
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