It was 21 July 2008 in Afghanistan, when Anthony Ameen, along with his team, was ordered to execute an ambush on Taliban. His job wasn’t to fire a gun or throw a grenade but to offer medical assistance to his marine fellows who got hurt in operation. Everything was going as planned but that only lasted until they faced counter-attack from the terrorists. This was when Anthony “Doc” Ameen was to go to work.
When he received that information that one of the marines has been severely injured, knowing that the area had been marked with mines, Ameen started pacing towards him to offer his services. And that is when his entire life changed. As he was running towards his fellow injured marine, he stepped on an IED.
His right leg was completely shattered between his ankle and his knee, but his left leg was what endured the most damage. His road to recovery was not easy either as it took 26 surgeries to save his right leg. His left one was so damaged that doctors could not do anything to save it and decided to amputate it. In total, this amputee war veteran has been through more than 32 surgeries on both his legs and a hand.
Having endured the trauma of being injured in the battle himself, Anthony “Doc” Ameen knew exactly what a marine or soldier wounded in the battle goes through so he dedicated his life to helping other veterans who have been wounded in the battle with their recovery. And for that, he started his own non-profit organization Wings For Warriors that is aimed at providing the necessary tools, resources as well as insight for wounded veterans to assist them in their recovery and convenient transit to the new reality.
So far, his organization has offered guidance and counseling in handling government and military entities to more than 2500 wounded warriors in securing financial, legal and healthcare benefits and continues to do so. Apart from this, he also offers travel assistance to the families of military personnel who have been injured in the battle. To date, he has also flown over 300 families to their loved ones.
Remembering the time when he stepped out of the line and ran towards the wounded marine and stepped on a mine, Anthony “Doc” Ameen says that he feels like he did the right thing even though what he got in return was a lifetime of disability. That was what he was trained to do; not to hesitate and do whatever he thinks is necessary to save the life of a fellow marine.
Want to know more about Anthony “Doc” Ameen and what he endured in Afghanistan, how he recovered and is now helping other injured military personnel and their families? Check out the video below:
(Video Courtesy: Wings For Warriors/Carson Daly)
Anthony “Doc” Ameen is a true hero as he has proven that nothing can stop him from serving his fellow wounded warriors; not even an amputated leg or a metal plate in this hand. We should take inspiration from him and do whatever we can to help others who need us.
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