I was able to visit one of my distant cousins at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. Charles “Chas” Shaffer was injured on September 1, in Iraq. Chas says he and four of his buddies were hit with a pipe-bomb thrown by a 14-year-old. My cousin lost his leg. So did three of his friends.

He doesn’t mind showing me his injury– or his “stub” as he calls it. He wants to share his story. He wears sunglasses because his eyes have been damaged by the flash of light from the blast. He also suffers from a brain injury. When he gets depressed, his father Chip Shaffer reminds him “He signed up for this.”

Chas says he’ll get $50,000 for the loss of his leg. But no one can put a price on pain he endured. After the blast, he says they had to do a field amputation. He talks about seeing the bottom of his shoe. He knew he was going to lose his leg. It took days to get him stabilized. He spent a few days in Germany, but he doesn’t remember his time there. He was flown back to the U.S. with a nurse and a specialist. We’re told, he was the only injured soldier on the flight. He arrived at Walter Reed Medical Center on September 5th. So far, he has been given two and a half gallons of blood. He is finally beginning to recover.

Chas is hoping for the best prosthetic leg he can get. After all, he plans to stay in the military. He boasts about having 18 years left until he can retire. He is 23 years old. Chas says he looks forward to getting strong and continuing as an officer. His biggest challenge is passing the Army Physical Fitness Test. He’s worried about running.

No matter how much pain he feels, Chas keeps a sense of humor. He says he doesn’t want to try any other profession, because he doesn’t think he can get his “foot in the door.” He also jokes with the nurses and physical trainers.

But sometimes, Chas is angry. He’s mad at the war, and for what happened to his leg. But It doesn’t mean he has given up. There are inspirational sayings and family pictures all around his room. One wall is tacked full of signed photos from celebrities who have visited. But all he needs to look at is a small picture of his niece. It’s attached to a post at the top of his bed. He looks at it as he pulls himself up. Now, he talks about settling down and finding a nice girl to marry. Chas’ priorities are very vivid and important to him.

Chas is focusing on his recovery, but he wants others to know about his journey. Here is what he wanted to say, in his own words:

(parental advisory for strong language and graphic details)

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