Our Maine Street's Aroostook Issue 15 : Winter 2013 | Page 15

America is the land of the free and the home of the brave. What does that mean? Each day we walk and work and play in comparative freedom. What do we think when we take a step on this land of the free? Do we ever fully realize the price that has and is being paid? The home of the brave, yes, the men and women who have given life and limb, this is their home, and ours. Let us remember to be thankful and to not give away our freedoms easily. Every one of those freedoms was hard-earned. We have a duty to remember our heritage, to even seek it out and study it, to shake off the shackles of thoughts of entitlement, to do our own thinking, and to be the American People who were known for their innovation, courage, and determination. This is a small glimpse into some of those sacrificing heroes’ stories, who they were, what they paid for us, and how they chose to continue living, not just existing, but overcoming and then contributing again to us. May this serve us as a reminder to a higher standard. The storied character of these veterans is discussed in the context of Prosthetics. (Prosthetics deals with artificially replacing a limb that has been removed either traumatically or surgically.) They have either worn a prosthetic limb due to service related injuries or served the active duty soldier or veteran in this area. A brief military background As weapons of war became more powerful and destructive the number of injured and maimed soldiers (and civilians) increased. As French military doctors learned more in the late 1500s and early 1600s lives were being saved but with the sacrifice of one or more of the patient’s limbs. The artificial limbs produced during this time were generally made by blacksmiths. The wood or metal leg looked like either a peg or a leg of armor to match what the soldier was wearing. The 1600s saw a hinged knee with a leather corset – again, French military doctors. In the 1800s a leg came about that allowed the foot to move up and down via cat gut cables. This came to America in the 1830s and with minor modifications became the “American leg”.i Ingenuity increases during war The American Civil War soon began. A teenager from Churchville, VA was all too eager to join the Confederate ranks along with his brothers and cousins. James Edward Hanger walked from his home with an Ambulance Corp to his destination of WINTER 2013 15