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
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