Jon Zagami Struggles to Lead Normal Life
May 21, 2010 Jon Zagami knew his family was concerned when he was serving in Iraq as a combat engineer in the Army in 2003 and 2004. When he returned, he saw it with his own eyes.
Upon coming back from a year performing dangerous duties ranging from blowing up roadside bombs and weapons caches to building forward-moving camps, Zagami, now 26, began what he called “a new war.”
"The hardest part for my family during my entire time in the service in the military was definitely my return home," said Zagami, a Needham native who is suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) sustained in multiple blasts. "That’s when my family saw my health deteriorate. That’s when I had the hardest time transitioning into the quote-unquote normal life.
"I couldn’t even face society. It was too hard waking up in the middle of the night looking for my rifle because I didn’t know where my weapon was. Having it be very quiet was a really different world. And it was so scary to go to sleep and have it be so quiet. I felt like that was the calm before the storm that was about to come." Continued
Inspired by those around him
Marine Cpl. Joseph Tarkett of Hawley is photographed throwing the shotput during practice in Hawaii.
May 21, 2010 Marine Chuck Sketch, from California, left a lasting impression on Cpl. Joseph Tarkett at last week’s Warrior Games.
“There is one Marine here who lost both legs and is blind, and this guy has to be the most motivated Marine I have ever met,” said Cpl. Tarkett.
That inspiration is what pushed Marine Cpl. Tarkett — who suffered an eye injury and blown eardrum in Afghanistan — to win a gold medal.
“This week hasn’t been about our disabilities, it’s been about our abilities,” said Tarkett, of Hawley.
Held at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado, Tarkett said it was a great honor to participate.
Close to 200 troops had gathered to compete in nine different sports, a military Paralympics, celebrating “the achievement and abilities of wounded, ill and injured service members through athletic competition.” Continued



No comments:
Post a Comment