|
Sergeant First Class Joe Masseur at the Center For the Intrepid. (Photo Credit: Terry Gildea)
Masseur shows of his prosthetic limb. (Photo Credit: Terry Gildea)
|
|
The Christmas holiday is traditionally a time to celebrate with family and reflect on the achievements of the year. For some, what seem like the smallest goals are the most important. Texas Public Radio’s Terry Gildea brings us the story of a wounded warrior who has some goals to achieve and some Christmas wishes to fulfill.
December 25, 2009 · Sergeant First Class Joe Masseur was doing some important work in Afghanistan last year. He was part of an Army reconstruction team in charge of building schools and other facilities in the war torn region, but in one brief moment, Masseur’s life changed dramatically. While scouting construction sites near the town of Sharana, his vehicle was hit by a roadside bomb.
“And the only way to leave from where we were was to go right back over the same route. There was no other way. So the third time out they hooked up their IED’s, and that’s when they got us,” said Masseur.
The force of the blast knocked Masseur’s fellow soldiers unconscious in his vehicle. After being transported to the base hospital, Masseur says all he could think about was his family.
“And the corpsman was over me, and I just remember looking up at him and asking him to fly five flags. I really didn’t know if I was going to make it. I didn’t know how bad I was. I was so out of it. Just wanted to see my kids again,” said Masseur.
After a brief stay at a military hospital in Landstuhl, Germany, Masseur was transferred to Brooke Army Medical Center where he began to realize the depths of his injuries caused by the IED blast.
“It crushed my left foot, to where they had to take it off and my right calcaneus, which is actually your heal bone, which isn’t very big, was shattered,” said Masseur.
Masseur was transferred to the Center For the Intrepid in September, the place where wounded warriors learn how to adjust to what service members call “the new normal.” Masseur was fitted with a state of the art prosthetic for his left leg and had several plates and screws surgically inserted into his right foot. He endures hours of grueling physical therapy everyday as he learns how to walk again. Despite some expected setbacks he continues to improve and other the past month he has set his eyes on two things he wants to be able to do on Christmas day.
“I have a horse, so I want to get back up on my horse and I also have a motorcycle that I want to be able to ride without any add-ons like the automatic shifter. I’d rather be able to use my kick shift. So, we’ll see how that goes.”
Masseur is spending Christmas with his finance, three kids and extended family in his hometown of Tempe, Arizona. It’s the first time he’s seen everyone since he was injured. He says his most important task before the celebration is finding his fiancée that right Christmas gift.
“She’s a tough one to shop for; she’s a really tough one to shop for. Clothes. I was actually thinking about a necklace, we’ll see,” said Masseur.
After the holidays, Masseur will return to the Center for the Intrepid to continue his recovery. It’s possible he could be there for another year. But once he’s healed, the 37-year-old Sergeant wants to continue working in the Army. He says his experience at the CFI has inspired to consider a career in medicine or bio-engineering. Two career fields that require years of training, but Masseur isn’t fazed by how long it takes to achieve his goals.
“It’s a long road, but I guess I’m into that long road thing,” Masseur said. |
