Posted on 11/22/2006 7:20:36 AM PST by Velveeta
After 13 months of grueling rehabilitation, Bryan Anderson was not coming off that plane in a wheelchair.
The 25-year-old Army sergeant from Rolling Meadows lost both legs and much of his left arm in Iraq, but when he finally came home for good Tuesday, he made his stand.
Atop prosthetic legs hidden by green fatigues, Anderson walked up the jetway from an MD-80 and proudly emerged to a roaring crowd of family, friends and former co-workers who clogged O'Hare Airport's American Airlines terminal to greet him.
With a smile, Anderson raised his cane into the air in triumph.
Home.
"Going up that incline was tough," he said later, "but there was no way I was going to stop."
America may not be anywhere near 100 percent behind the war in Iraq, but it's behind Bryan Anderson.
He came home a hero Tuesday amid a show of support that astounded him and his family -- and likely left commuters wondering exactly who was being celebrated at the front of that enormous procession that rolled from O'Hare to Rolling Meadows.
It was Anderson, a tough and unassuming former American Airlines ramp worker who joined the Army in spring 2001 and was twice sent to Iraq -- the second time full of dread.
But he went, and on Oct. 23, 2005, his Humvee was hit by a roadside bomb in Baghdad. Anderson lost his right leg at the hip, his left leg six inches below the hip and his left arm below the elbow. His right hand was also mangled. He was conscious for it all.
'I'm all about having fun' He went through 70 units of blood, and his chances of survival weren't good, his family said. He became the fourth U.S. service member to lose three limbs in Iraq and survive. He stabilized enough to get to Water Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., where his rehab began. He's visited Chicago a few times since, but Tuesday was for the long haul. He'll soon retire as a staff sergeant.
"I still have stuff to learn," Anderson said. "But I won't learn in the clinic. I'll have to learn it out here."
He wants to return to American Airlines soon and someday fulfill his dream of being a Hollywood stunt man. How does he get the strength to keep going?
"I don't know," he admitted. "It just comes to you. I mean, you don't know it until it happens to you, and then you're just like, 'This is what I want to do, and this is what I'm going to do.' That's where you get your strength from. You make your goals."
Anderson gave a simple answer for how and why he goes on.
"Life is good. You know, I'm all about having fun. I can still have fun. So my life ain't over."
Anderson was a gymnast at Rolling Meadows High School, where he and identical twin Bobby graduated in 1999. Bobby also joined the Army but was not sent to Iraq.<
Bobby was at his brother's side Tuesday. He said Anderson's tough, time-to-move-on attitude "is helping our family cope."
"We were on vacation one time, and he's like, 'Man, I wish I had my legs.' I said, 'Yeah, I do too.' And that was it," Bobby said. "This is the way we're thinking about it. We can either sit there and be depressed and dwell on it, or we can just move on."
Said Bobby: "One of my scary thoughts was that he'll never get a girlfriend again. But I was wrong. I was totally wrong. He's had like three of them already."
Bryan and Bobby's mother, Janet Waswo, and stepdad, Jim Waswo, also have been at Anderson's side during his rehab. They both took leaves from their jobs.
"Our family has been split up for 13 months," Jim Waswo said. "You wouldn't be able to guess how it's going to feel to all be back together. We're starting over."
Motorcycle escort They'll do it in a fully renovated home in Rolling Meadows. Thanks to community donations, thir house has a new, approximately $250,000 renovation that will accommodate Anderson, who also uses a wheelchair. The donations were part of a huge outpouring of support. The locally-based Wounded Heroes Foundation has been helping all the way. Co-founder Anna Sherony even drove Anderson's belongings home from Washington in a U-Haul last weekend.
The outpouring overflowed Tuesday, starting with a big send-off in Washington. After that, Anderson's family boarded the plane -- Anderson sat in first class -- and arrived at O'Hare just before 1 p.m.
American pulled out all the stops for its former employee. Its top pilot in the Chicago area, John Jirschele, captained the flight. When it arrived, two Chicago Fire Department crash rigs shot an arch of water that the jet rolled through. Scores of airline workers greeted the plane with flags.
"This is nuts," Anderson said in amazement. "I don't know how I'm going to thank everybody."
Anderson left the airport in a limo and took a sometimes teary-eyed trip with family members. At the Des Plaines Oasis over I-90 they stopped for another surprise.
About 150 motorcyclists from the Patriot Guard Riders were waiting to escort him. They even had a motorcycle with a heated sidecar for Anderson.
"I'm up for it!" Anderson told them, and got in.
Bryan (left) walked off the plane to the cheers of hundreds of emtional American Airlines employees who gathered to greet him.
Next to him is twin brother Bobby.
Bryan Anderson is helped into a motorcycle sidecar.
(News reports stated 150 or so Patriot Guard members were among those welcoming Bryan home.)
The Chicago Sun Times has dedicated today's paper to Bryan Anderson.
Welcome home, Bryan.
Thoughts and prayers to all our Military, Veterans and their families.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Thank you to all who serve and their families.
Our family's prayers this Thanksgiving will be for you.
Jeepers, where was the kleenex alert?
What a story.....what a man!
Thank you for this incredible post. It brought tears to my eyes and pride in my heart for our incredible patriots.
Thought you all might enjoy this ping.
Happy Thanksgiving.
Kind regards,
Vel
Ooops, sorry - 5 hanky warning.
Believe me, it was tough to post the pics through streaming tears.
Damned blurry monitor.....
I am overjoyed by your spirit Bryan and I am so grateful that your life ain't over.
Thank you for your service and may God bless you and your endeavors.
Velveeta thank you for the ping and may you and yours have a wonderful Thanksgiving.
Mine too, I must need a new one...
Wow. This MAN is an example to us all.
Giving Thanks.
Kind regards,
Vel
Same to you TexKat.
Prayers for our heroes.
My office is in Rolling Meadows and it was an AWESOME sight. They started the procession at the Village Hall and snaked through downtown R.M. then onto the main road to a local favorite sports bar & grill. I read in the local paper they were doing this, but had no idea what time. About 3:00 PM, I was sitting in my office up on the eighth floor when police sirens were going nuts. I looked out and the police had cordoned off side streets and the exit ramp to the tollway. Along came the procession with more police cars, an enclosed limo, and well over a hundred Harleys with flags flying. The sight and sound of that many Harleys at once was UNBELIEVABLE. The windows in my office were shaking. The procession lasted a good 5 minutes. I was really moved by this, and I'm not afraid to admit I had a lump in my throat. People on the side of the road were saluting as the calvacade went by.
God bless Bryan and God bless America.
I have a lump in my throat reading your description.
Wish I would have known, I'd have driven out there.
You're one cold man if all you had was a lump in your throat.
What an awesome homecoming for one of America's finest.
He's a cutie pie and a hero.
Great post. Reminded me of the following quote:
"If you don't stand behind our troops, please, feel free to stand in front of them!" Source: Unknown Veteran
Take that CNN!!
That's a great quote!
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