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Army SPC Edward Guldin was on his first deployment when he lost both legs above the knees after stepping on an improvised explosive device (IED) while on a foot patrol in Zharay, Afghanistan on June 12, 2011.
On the first day of a three-day foot patrol, SPC Guldin was climbing over a wall in an area that had been previously cleared when his foot triggered an IED. The force of the blast threw him through the air, causing the traumatic amputations of both of his legs and severe damage to his right hand and arm. Transported by helicopter to Bagram Air Base, SPC Guldin was stabilized in-country and airlifted to Landstuhl, Germany. He then arrived at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland where he remained for nine months, receiving treatments and therapies. SPC Guldin was transferred to Fort Drum as part of the Warriors in Transition Unit; he is now medically retired from the Army and looking forward to the construction of his new specially adapted home. |
Homes for Our Troops (HFOT) is a privately funded 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization building specially adapted, mortgage-free homes nationwide for the most severely injured Veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan. Most of these Veterans have sustained injuries including multiple limb amputations, partial or full paralysis, and/or severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). These homes restore some of the freedom and independence our Veterans sacrificed while defending our country, and enable them to focus on their family, recovery, and rebuilding their lives. Since its inception in 2004, nearly 90 cents of every dollar donated to Homes for Our Troops has gone directly to our program services for Veterans. HFOT builds these homes where the Veteran chooses to live, and continues its relationship with the Veterans after home delivery to assist them with rebuilding their lives.