On 8 March, 1971, in Quang Nam Province in Vietnam I lost two good legs in a land mine explosion. My left leg measures 3 inches, my right leg measures 10 inches. Had it not been for the forceful intervention of my father I would have undergone a procedure known as a hip-de-articulation, where they completely remove you’re legs and your hips. That would have forced me to lie on my stomach or my back for the rest of my life. It is not that my injuries are more important than any other Marines’ injuries, who served his country, but my injuries were very profound and because they occurred during a time of war, any wounded or severely wounded American soldier has the right to expect his country’s health system to respond accordingly and professionally.