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Travis A Soldiers Story 2013
Transcript
00:00:28Transcribed by ESO. Translated by —
00:00:34so
00:01:04I don't know.
00:01:46Oh, the early years were fun years.
00:01:51Travis, from the time he was born, on the go.
00:01:55He was never set still.
00:01:57He was always into something.
00:01:59I was always yelling, Travis, don't.
00:02:02Don't, Travis.
00:02:04And I had said that so much that my dad actually has that on his phone.
00:02:11So for his answering or to call, it says, don't, Travis.
00:02:16And he had a remarkable way of making you smile or laugh or understand that maybe it was worth it.
00:02:22He likes to tease and pick on his younger brother.
00:02:28But he and his sister were always really close and very competitive.
00:02:37Travis was always big for his age, strong.
00:02:41But Travis was never a bully.
00:02:43And the underdog, the one at school, he would actually reach out to and talk to and be nice to
00:02:49and meant so much to them.
00:02:52I've had phone calls, you know, thinking of me.
00:02:55And he's always had such a big heart.
00:02:57He was always athletical.
00:03:01Never seen him without a glove, a ball.
00:03:05Team sports started at a very young age for Travis.
00:03:08He wanted to do it, so we allowed it.
00:03:11Travis had an act to have people follow in a natural way.
00:03:19I mean, as a junior, you know, you could tell he was starting to develop himself as a leader.
00:03:23But you knew early on that he really helped his teammates improve themselves.
00:03:29Like, nobody wanted to work less than Travis did.
00:03:32So if you just matched his work ethic, you were going to dominate.
00:03:35And they all did.
00:03:36He was the key cog in the wheel with our football team.
00:03:41His number was five.
00:03:42He played fullback on our team.
00:03:44He played linebacker.
00:03:45He was a punter and a kicker.
00:03:46So he pretty much did it all.
00:03:47But there's one specific game that was pretty special.
00:03:50It's the Frankenmuth game, which is our crosstown rivalry.
00:03:53And it's like David versus Goliath.
00:03:55This is, I think, the seventh game of the year where we needed that win to make the playoffs
00:04:00and then to win the conference championship.
00:04:02So on the way there, the bus trip, literally the entire community was lined up for seven miles.
00:04:08Really, nobody expected us to win.
00:04:10So basically, it's back and forth, back and forth.
00:04:13And I remember one specific play where Travis is that running back, and he broke like about a 65-yard
00:04:18run.
00:04:19And you could tell right then that it just completely let the air out of their sails,
00:04:25where the whole city of Frankenmuth realized, okay, we may not win this game.
00:04:29And the entire town of Bass was there, and they're all just yelling, Bass, Bass.
00:04:34It's just one of those times where without Travis, there's no way he would have won that game.
00:04:39And that play just broke things a lot of them.
00:04:44People would come up to me.
00:04:46I went over to One Stop, and this man, I don't even know who he was, but, you know, they
00:04:50all know who you are.
00:04:51And he says, hey, you're Travis, and tell him he had a good game.
00:04:55I really like that, you know.
00:04:56And it's like, okay, I'll tell him.
00:04:58And he'd go up to ShopRite.
00:04:59That's where he worked up, down at the grocery store.
00:05:02And the men were actually shopping with their wives so they could talk about the Friday night game.
00:05:08And it was just like, Travis, you aren't even working.
00:05:12You're just socializing up there.
00:05:14They're paying you for it.
00:05:16He did manage to get into a community college and play football.
00:05:21But the first semester of college was over, and football was done.
00:05:26And even though the tutors were still there, his heart just wasn't in the school.
00:05:31That's when he started talking about the service.
00:05:34And that's when I really got concerned.
00:05:38I begged him not to go into 82nd Airborne.
00:05:44It wasn't a week, and Travis came back and just sat down and told us just right out that he
00:05:52joined.
00:05:53There was a day or two that I was quite not mad, scared, confused, wondering what I could do different
00:06:03to maybe stop this.
00:06:06But then you could see the joy on Travis's face and the excitement.
00:06:11It's kind of like back when he was starting football practice or basketball practice.
00:06:17You could just see the spark was there again.
00:06:20Are you recording?
00:06:21No.
00:06:22I don't know.
00:06:22Ready?
00:06:24Okay, well, you're out of the base, right?
00:06:30So that's when I knew, I said, well, this is what Travis was meant to do.
00:06:39I met Travis back in 2006 when he came to my battalion.
00:06:45You know, I noticed right away just a big, goofy, friendly guy.
00:06:49I like to talk about playing sports in high school and obviously being athletic.
00:06:55I like to try to show everybody up.
00:06:57So, like, the first time I think that I actually saw him, I mean, of course, we heard stories.
00:07:04Basically, he kicked open the door to the cough and just came in, like, ninja kicking people and owned the
00:07:10place.
00:07:11And I was like, who is this guy?
00:07:12I just remember meeting him and him being really funny.
00:07:15I wasn't really sure if he was being serious or if he was just joking half the time.
00:07:21I'm definitely a very proud, you know, loud and proud paratrooper.
00:07:25And, you know, he let everybody know every morning when we're deployed, you know,
00:07:29he'd wake up singing the 82nd Airborne song and always talking about how proud he was to be a paratrooper
00:07:36and, you know, making sure his guys were as motivated as he was.
00:07:39And I think he actually, you know, rubbed off on them and they became loud and proud as well.
00:07:44Just a, you know, good leader.
00:07:46To be honest with you, it seemed a little crazy to me, you know.
00:07:50You know, he's just kind of off the wall everywhere.
00:07:53You know, I'd be sitting at the CQ desk and he'd do, like, combat roles on the floor.
00:07:58You know, he'd do his ninja kicks and stuff.
00:08:01But I realized pretty quick that he knew what he was talking about
00:08:04and that, you know, he's actually a really good guy.
00:08:07And he definitely cares, you know, about other people.
00:08:11Travis was the first person to treat me like an adult.
00:08:14And that was just amazing to me.
00:08:17And getting a team leader spot, that had something to say.
00:08:20He had confidence in me.
00:08:21So that made me confident.
00:08:24Travis's leadership ability is like the guys that you see in movies
00:08:28that people think don't really exist.
00:08:31He's the guy that, when you're getting shot at, you would love him next to you, no matter what.
00:08:37Because he's fearless in a gunfight.
00:08:41Ask any of his guys and they'll tell you that, you know, as the machine gun squad leader,
00:08:45he'll put his guns up, tell them where to shoot.
00:08:48And instead of shouting orders to them and showing them where to shoot,
00:08:52he will walk over to them, just impervious to bullets.
00:08:56We had a guy who ended up getting hurt and he needed to, we needed to move him
00:09:02because we were, you know, taking fire and stuff like that.
00:09:05And this was the first time I had ever seen a grown man just get manhandled
00:09:11and thrown like a rag doll on the, like, I mean, he went over, he grabbed the guy
00:09:16and just was like, let's go.
00:09:19Outside of, like, firefights and all that, just like a regular day at work,
00:09:23like, he was just cracking jokes and he's just always happy and that makes people happy.
00:09:29Dinner time meant Sergeant Mills' story time.
00:09:33Like, that's basically what he was.
00:09:35He would just stand up there, dance around, you know, tell a story.
00:09:39He'd always be in there, you know, wide awake and singing songs, telling stories.
00:09:45One story in particular about how I met Kelsey, I've heard that, like, probably 10 times.
00:09:50When Travis first met Kelsey, it was on MySpace at the time, before Facebook got big, obviously.
00:09:56I was home on leave in September of 2007.
00:10:00I saw my daughter born.
00:10:02And then early October, before I had to go back, my sister tells me,
00:10:07hey, I'm talking to this guy on MySpace in your platoon.
00:10:11I said, which guy?
00:10:12She said, the real hot one.
00:10:14I'm like, who are you talking about?
00:10:16I don't know, this guy with blue eyes and huge arms.
00:10:20I was like, Travis Mills, are you serious?
00:10:23Are you kidding me?
00:10:24That guy's an idiot.
00:10:25And I told her this, that, and the other, everything bad about him, I could think, to try to dissuade
00:10:29her.
00:10:30But they kept talking.
00:10:31I saw Travis and his pretty blue eyes.
00:10:35And I found him on my brother's MySpace and sent a friend a request.
00:10:39And he started, we started talking.
00:10:41And we talked for a few months.
00:10:42And then he came home on his R&R later on in the deployment.
00:10:48And we decided to go to Mexico.
00:10:50So he flew into Dallas.
00:10:52And I met him for the first time at the Dallas airport.
00:10:54And, you know, I was really nervous meeting this guy.
00:10:59But I, like, paced up and down the airport.
00:11:01And then he came out.
00:11:02I don't know, it was just really exciting and nerve-wracking.
00:11:06Get butterflies.
00:11:08It was just, he has a way of making you feel comfortable.
00:11:13So this is Travis, finally.
00:11:14How are you doing?
00:11:15Good morning.
00:11:16Then he met my parents.
00:11:20We flew to Mexico and we just had a lot of fun.
00:11:24One of our pools.
00:11:26And over there's a golf course.
00:11:28Okay, it's still humid out today.
00:11:30But we're getting used to it, so that's okay.
00:11:32Carousel.
00:11:33Yeah, yeah, it's us.
00:11:34Here's some more.
00:11:35Oh, right here.
00:11:36The statue there.
00:11:37He automatically made me feel really comfortable with him.
00:11:40We went our separate ways, said our goodbyes.
00:11:43And he was going back to have you understand.
00:11:44But then he got laid over in Atlanta overnight.
00:11:46He called me, he's like, I'm laid over for the night.
00:11:48And I drove to the airport and flew to Atlanta.
00:11:55We just knew, I mean, you don't just fly somewhere like that for anybody.
00:12:01I love you.
00:12:03I love you too.
00:12:09By the time I got back to Afghanistan, I was pretty upset with him.
00:12:13He said, if you treat my sister wrong, we're going to fight.
00:12:16He said, you know, he's obviously way bigger than me.
00:12:20So I said, you'll probably beat me up, but I have to fight you if you do anything wrong
00:12:24to my sister.
00:12:24So I was mad at him for a little while, but I let it go because, you know, I know
00:12:28he's
00:12:29a good guy.
00:12:31What's this all about?
00:12:32You having my mom bring me down here?
00:12:34I'm just going to get a hold of you on your computer.
00:12:36Don't worry about that.
00:12:37So the real question is, so you're telling people we're getting married, right?
00:12:41And then they're like, oh, let's get in a ring.
00:12:42And you're like, oh, check it out.
00:12:43It's a promise ring.
00:12:44And they're like, ew, this guy doesn't love you.
00:12:47Are they saying stuff like that?
00:12:48No, nobody says that.
00:12:49Oh, okay.
00:12:50Well, I should probably get you a ring, so I need some ideas.
00:12:54Hey, what's under your dad's hat?
00:12:58Let's pick it up.
00:13:06When did you do this?
00:13:08Hi, I'm Stella.
00:13:09Don't worry.
00:13:10But do you like it?
00:13:11Yes, I love it.
00:13:12It's the one I wanted.
00:13:14Delce, I love you.
00:13:15I want to be here the rest of my life.
00:13:17Will you marry me?
00:13:18My mom always said, marry somebody that makes you laugh.
00:13:20And he makes me laugh.
00:13:23That's my wife.
00:13:24Yes.
00:13:25Yes.
00:13:26Yes.
00:13:27What the fuck?
00:13:35I wish you the best of luck, and I hope this is a long, happy relationship.
00:13:40I really like Kelsey.
00:13:46I haven't been on Travis for that long, but I can tell that they're a match made and haven't already.
00:13:52Because he has a lot of energy, and that's what Kelsey means.
00:13:57Let's give a cheers to the bride in the room, and hope that their love and happiness lasts forever.
00:14:33Who's that baby? Do you want to take a bath?
00:14:38Hi baby. Can you smile? Yes?
00:14:43I think someone's getting tired.
00:14:46What is that?
00:14:49We haven't heard that noise before.
00:14:59Move your purse, Celine.
00:15:04Oh, yeah.
00:15:27My job was in the military. I loved it. You know, working with soldiers every day and doing my job
00:15:31was the greatest for me.
00:15:33Coming on to my wife and kid was the best, you know, and I had a really good life mapped
00:15:37out. I was really doing well.
00:15:41It's hard. You dread deployment. You know it's lurking. You know it's going to be there. But they were brave
00:15:47enough to go. You have to be there to be their backbone, you know?
00:15:51We were really surprised because we heard from Travis more in the months that he was at this place than
00:15:58ever before on a deployment.
00:16:00So it kind of set us at ease and Travis would tell us nothing about what was really going on.
00:16:07I learned so much from talking to the troops with the firefights that he's been through.
00:16:12After a while, you just get the attitude, well, there's so many over there. What's the chances of it being
00:16:19your child?
00:16:20When no one knocked on the door, it was all a good thing. You can get up and start the
00:16:24next day and it just become a routine in life.
00:16:27This deployment, we were lucky. We got to talk or Skype every day, like once or twice a day and
00:16:32Travis could see Chloe.
00:16:33Hey, what's going on? Nothing. Chloe's learning to sit up.
00:16:38Oh, wow. She's getting up and came up a little bit. There you go. Well, hello. What are you up
00:16:43to?
00:16:44Can you say hi? Where's Dada?
00:16:46I like them pictures you keep sending me. Those are nice. You and Chloe take out in the field and
00:16:49everything.
00:16:50I know I'd say the same things, but, you know, just another day in Afghanistan, I guess. What have you
00:16:55been up to lately?
00:16:56Well, we miss you. Well, I miss you too.
00:16:592007, I was overseas until 2008. Came back and then 2009, 2010, I was overseas again for a year.
00:17:06And then I went over again February 23rd of 2012.
00:17:12People think that, you know, we're over there and everything's all better.
00:17:18People need to know the war's still going on. They're still fighting every day.
00:17:27They know more about Brad and Angelina than they know about their own country at war.
00:17:42Some people go overseas and hang out and get coffee every day, but that's fine. It's a job they picked.
00:17:48What we picked to do, cavalry and infantry guys and, you know, what they call them, the combat MLSs,
00:17:54the guys that chose to go out and, you know, go out and be the fighting force.
00:18:03We know we're going to not live the greatest. We're not going to live it up and be able to
00:18:07hit the air queen every day or go to the PX.
00:18:10We don't have showers. I mean, we can take a shower with, like, you know, water bottles and stuff.
00:18:15So what you have is what, you know, unless you get something come out in the mail and they fly
00:18:19mail out to you,
00:18:20you have what you have and that's what you make do with.
00:18:23Hey, I'll cut you.
00:18:25You're going to work? That's Mickey.
00:18:27That's our mouse.
00:18:30In Afghanistan, there's mountains, there's desert, there's really everything.
00:18:35So where we were at was mountains in the backdrop with open fields where they just still farm, like, from,
00:18:41I mean, way back in the day.
00:18:43They live in mud huts and they farm by hand, you know, and tend to their fields day in and
00:18:49day out.
00:18:49An average day over there, you know, you go out and patrol and help the population over there and their
00:18:55government,
00:18:55and you try to make sure they get rid of the insurgents and they want to work with us and,
00:18:59you know, build their structure up better.
00:19:01But why I keep going back, it's the soldiers.
00:19:08You train them and, you know, you live with them and you teach them all the things they need to
00:19:14know to come back and to go over there and survive.
00:19:21Every day, you know, you could get hit, you could take a bullet, you could step on something that explodes.
00:19:25You just, there's no point in thinking about it.
00:19:27Because if you do, then you're just too worried, not paying attention to your job.
00:19:30A private will rely on what he was told or what he was taught.
00:19:33A sergeant will enforce it, and that's just the way it is.
00:19:37You have to keep your head calm and cool and collected, because if you don't, everybody's going to be panicked
00:19:41running around.
00:19:42And you just got to show that confidence to your men.
00:19:45That's what I try to do every day.
00:20:16All right.
00:20:16Let's go get some breakfast.
00:20:18Let's see it.
00:20:23Here, bro.
00:20:27Yeah, man.
00:20:28We were riding in the bird.
00:20:30So I was like, all right, right when we get close to the ground, lock and load.
00:20:35Like we're storming the beaches of Normandy or something like...
00:20:37It busy, hit the mud, it just went face first.
00:20:40Yeah, I did that too.
00:20:42We had a call that there was an IED threat in the area.
00:20:45We had to go check it out and see if there was one.
00:20:48We'll be all right.
00:20:48Let's go out quick, come back.
00:20:50Yeah.
00:20:50Hope we catch dinner time.
00:20:52Sergeant Mills is going to be taking 300 rounds, and I will be taking 300 rounds.
00:20:56Yeah.
00:20:57You know, you are usual.
00:20:58Should I be going to position?
00:20:59We'll be setting up the same spot on the outside of the village.
00:21:02Yeah.
00:21:02Watching the road come in.
00:21:03You know, we went out there as normal.
00:21:05It was supposed to be a pretty quick mission.
00:21:06You know, just a couple hours in the village right next to our strong point and back.
00:21:10Back by dinner time.
00:21:12You know?
00:21:13Any of those guys?
00:21:14Need more tourniquets?
00:21:15Tourniquets on the elements, baby.
00:21:30So we took our own patrol out.
00:21:33Half of the patrol went to the city as well as the village town area.
00:21:37And the other half that I was in went out to set up the support by fire to make sure
00:21:41that we didn't get attacked from the flanks of, you know, where we couldn't see.
00:21:47Just any normal patrol.
00:21:48It was just any normal day.
00:21:51Okay.
00:21:52Oh, yeah.
00:21:56No, no.
00:21:57Yeah.
00:22:19We're going to take over the place now.
00:22:33We got there, our element broke off, we were leaving the way, I called my team leader up.
00:22:38So where do you think about putting the gun at?
00:22:39Uh, right there.
00:22:41Me and Travis were joking around, like, hey, where do you want to set the gun up?
00:22:45You know, letting me do my team leader thing.
00:22:47Surprising, I actually had to pick that out already, that's my spot to pick.
00:22:50I'm glad that you, that's good.
00:22:52So why don't you bring Neff up here, and we'll get him set in.
00:22:55Alright Neff, you clear up the spot.
00:22:58Yeah, let's do this.
00:23:00And, uh, we were setting the gun in place, Fessy went first, swept the bank, came back,
00:23:08went up and down, cleared it, he got about 20 feet away from me, you know, I said okay,
00:23:13Ryan, get the gunner up here, so, uh, he yelled at Neff to come up, and as they were walking
00:23:17up,
00:23:18I took my bag off, and set it down, and when I set it down,
00:23:21I was like I'm going to go.
00:23:21I'm going to go.
00:23:26I'm going to go, he was like, I'm going to go.
00:23:27I'm going to go.
00:23:28No.
00:23:28I'm going to go.
00:23:45Honestly, the first thing that kicked into my mind was this is not real.
00:23:49this is fake I looked at Fessy and then I saw that he was just bleeding from the
00:23:57face I ran by riot he pretty much looked to me the same way that you know Fessy
00:24:04did both of them just were bleeding pretty bad from the face but they were
00:24:08talking I knew I was hit I didn't know if I hit the idea who did and then I
00:24:13lift my left arm up and I saw I was a kind of tattered up pretty good I looked
00:24:18at my hand I said oh man it's not good then I came up to sergeant Mills when I
00:24:22looked at him I was like all right that's quadruple amputee I was like that
00:24:27that's you know that's Kurt yeah I heard the big boom and I saw this the smoke
00:24:44cloud and I knew Bateson was up there I knew Bateson was with that helmet
00:24:48the other medic came running up they knew I needed an IV that was losing so much
00:24:51blood yeah I know you're gonna be okay Sergeant Mills you're gonna be fine
00:24:54Sergeant Mills you're gonna be okay and I looked up at him I guess I said Doc
00:24:58voice shut up I know hey how's Ryan and Fessy doing
00:25:11hey we're gonna have to pack that wound you got it up yep let me secure it hold the pressure
00:25:18you'll be
00:25:19all right Travis I'll be fine here hold this hold this and I was like hey man like now that
00:25:25we got
00:25:25drugs in him I was like I was like we have to figure out a way to get interview you
00:25:32know IV access it
00:25:34kind of threw me for a loop because you know there was no pulses to check except for his carotid
00:25:38you
00:25:39know and he's obviously alive he's talking to us I know he's got that you know what I'm saying it
00:25:44was
00:25:44really amazing seeing somebody just that they just lost all four limbs and that high spirits you
00:25:51know knowing him from before that's just his his demeanor that was just him you know I remember
00:25:56actually while we're working on him one of the things he said was I just want to be able to
00:26:01hold
00:26:01my little girl again and the whole time you know I was just worried about Travis you know because uh
00:26:12he's a good guy and that you know you hate to see that for anybody but you know especially him
00:26:17you
00:26:17know being my leader being somebody that I look up to so yeah that's definitely hard the helicopter
00:26:24was quick it was almost too little time like I mean we couldn't do enough for him in the in
00:26:31the
00:26:31little amount of time that we had me riot and Fessy always up on the bird right had some big
00:26:37holes in
00:26:37his legs and a lot of shrapnel and Fessy had some shrapnel too a lot of you know shrapnel and
00:26:43they both
00:26:44were knocked down from the blast and I had my left eye swollen shut I think from hitting the ground
00:26:48so
00:26:48hard and I remember we can it we can it riot and smiling Tom's gonna be okay and to this
00:26:54day that part
00:26:55still amazes me and I think at that moment you kind of realize that if anybody's gonna make it it's
00:27:01gonna be
00:27:27him I guess I kept trying touch my left leg and I kept yelling them quit touching me I'm fine
00:27:30leave me
00:27:30alone and they decided it was time for me to get a you know to get sedated medically so they
00:27:35put me
00:27:36out I guess the last thing I said my baby girl am I ever gonna see her again you know
00:27:52got a missed call
00:27:52saying hey call us our Carmen back and you can it's important so I have no idea why what could
00:27:59be important
00:28:00I called him up
00:28:06I said uh
00:28:09one of your friends got hurt today
00:28:13I said who already just pumped up what happened he says uh it was Travis
00:28:22I slammed that phone down like to push it through the table and uh I lost it
00:28:30I was just waiting for his call like you usually do and I was actually making a tuna fish sandwich
00:28:35in the kitchen and uh Chloe was in her little walker and uh my phone rang
00:28:53it was his rarity commander and said your husband's been critically injured
00:29:12is he gonna make it at the time he was um a triple like both of his legs and his
00:29:20right arm were gone
00:29:22and I just fell to my knees
00:29:28and I was just screaming and I was home alone and Chloe started screaming and I couldn't figure out
00:29:36I couldn't even look at her and I and then I just had to hang up and because I didn't
00:29:42know if he was
00:29:43gonna live or not
00:29:45Kelsey was just hysterical
00:29:48she's just kept saying she's so sorry she's so sorry
00:29:52so I knew
00:29:53something happened really bad
00:29:56told me Travis had been hit
00:30:00I went down to Denise's office
00:30:03and
00:30:05told her to put him on the prep chain
00:30:15I knew he was in Kandahar I knew I had to be there I had to see him
00:30:18I know that Kandahar has some kind of ridiculous survivability rate something like 99% of guys
00:30:25that make it alive to Kandahar leave there alive
00:30:29man seeing him for the first time was something different because you know he's a big guy
00:30:37and uh to see him not filling up that small bed was just like oh god
00:30:47he wakes up he looks over
00:30:50what's up you awake
00:30:51first thing
00:30:52how you feeling
00:30:53not
00:30:54how am I doing
00:30:55what's up with me
00:30:56why am I hurting so badly
00:30:59he says
00:31:00my soldiers
00:31:01how are my soldiers
00:31:03so
00:31:04I say hey man
00:31:05they're awesome
00:31:05they're alive
00:31:06I told him you know
00:31:08you took the brunt of that explosion
00:31:09for them
00:31:11he looks at me just
00:31:14stone cold
00:31:16Josh
00:31:16am I paralyzed
00:31:18so I say
00:31:20no man
00:31:20I was like you're not paralyzed
00:31:23so he's like
00:31:25no
00:31:25no
00:31:26it's okay
00:31:26you don't need to lie to me
00:31:27I can take it
00:31:31so I tell him I'm like look
00:31:33you're not paralyzed
00:31:35I didn't want to sugar coat anything
00:31:37or you know tell it to him slowly
00:31:39just plainly
00:31:41I'm like
00:31:42you're not paralyzed
00:31:44but your arms and legs are gone
00:31:46just like that
00:31:48and he just looked at me
00:31:50and he went
00:31:51and he
00:31:53just shook his head
00:31:54closed his eyes
00:31:55and went and talked to me
00:31:56for a couple hours
00:31:57so
00:31:58I'll be right here with you
00:31:59I'm going to go all the way back
00:32:00back home
00:32:01with you
00:32:02I'll be there with Kelsey
00:32:03so
00:32:04I'll be sitting right here
00:32:05when you're ready to talk
00:32:13the first time I spoke to him
00:32:14was on his birthday
00:32:17and
00:32:18he
00:32:19he didn't really want to speak to us
00:32:21and
00:32:22we told him happy birthday
00:32:24and
00:32:24then he just
00:32:25broke down
00:32:26and
00:32:27he was
00:32:28telling us that he
00:32:30did a flip in the air
00:32:31and
00:32:31he just couldn't talk no more
00:32:33and
00:32:34Dennis says
00:32:35well you look pretty badass
00:32:36didn't you
00:32:37and
00:32:37he said
00:32:38yeah
00:32:41I was just embarrassed
00:32:41because I just got blown up
00:32:43like
00:32:43they got me
00:32:44they weren't supposed to ever get me
00:32:45you know
00:32:46like the toughest guy
00:32:47I thought I was pretty tough
00:32:48I
00:32:49you know
00:32:496'3
00:32:50250
00:32:51right
00:32:51you know
00:32:51no one
00:32:52I mean not that I was like a big brawler
00:32:54but no one really messed with me
00:32:55and
00:32:55I took care of everything
00:32:57that I could have
00:32:58you know
00:32:58I
00:32:59picked all the heavy stuff up
00:33:00opened all the jars
00:33:01and
00:33:01you know
00:33:02now like
00:33:03boy how am I going to do that
00:33:04I guess that
00:33:05you know
00:33:05kind of sums it up
00:33:07they gave me his ring
00:33:08still
00:33:09caked in blood
00:33:10dirt
00:33:11you know
00:33:12I took it
00:33:12and
00:33:13I just asked them for a couple of alcohol wipes
00:33:16you know
00:33:17some
00:33:17q-tips or whatever
00:33:19just to clean it up
00:33:20and
00:33:21uh
00:33:21sat there
00:33:22in the hallway
00:33:23at the hospital
00:33:24and just scrubbed
00:33:25every bit of blood and dirt I could
00:33:27made it shine as best I could
00:33:29and uh
00:33:30put it right in the pocket
00:33:31didn't let it leave
00:33:33until uh
00:33:34we got back to the states
00:33:37I didn't sleep for a week
00:33:39and
00:33:39I didn't eat
00:33:41and
00:33:41I literally
00:33:42I lost 10 pounds the first week
00:33:44because I just
00:33:45was waiting for phone calls
00:33:47I wouldn't answer her
00:33:49Kelsey's calls
00:33:50or talk to her
00:33:50I was really embarrassed
00:33:52you know
00:33:55I was really worried about what uh
00:33:57what life was going to be like afterwards
00:33:59you know
00:34:00like with all this
00:34:02I talked to his nurses a lot
00:34:05and I'd say
00:34:06is he awake
00:34:06how's he doing
00:34:07like
00:34:07I wrote down like
00:34:08his blood pressure
00:34:10his
00:34:10like everything
00:34:11his temperature
00:34:12like
00:34:12every time I called
00:34:14I would ask
00:34:14and I'd be like
00:34:15so you want to talk to me yet
00:34:16and he'd say no
00:34:17I was like
00:34:17okay don't push him
00:34:18when he's ready
00:34:19he'll talk to me
00:34:32hello
00:34:35hey
00:34:38I'm good
00:34:39how are you
00:34:41he said
00:34:42hey babe
00:34:43what's up
00:34:43I love you
00:34:44and
00:34:46right then I knew
00:34:47he was gonna
00:34:47he was gonna be okay
00:34:49and
00:34:49I was able to keep it together
00:34:51for a few minutes
00:34:52and I said
00:34:52I love you too
00:34:53it's gonna be okay
00:34:54it's gonna be okay
00:34:54I love you
00:34:55I can't wait to see you
00:34:56and
00:34:57when he hung up
00:34:58I mean
00:34:58I was a mess
00:34:59like elation
00:35:00that I was able to talk to him
00:35:05he called his uh
00:35:06his platoon
00:35:07back in
00:35:08back in Afghanistan
00:35:09I called up
00:35:10um
00:35:12their cop
00:35:13I asked for his platoon sergeant
00:35:15and told him that
00:35:15you know
00:35:16Travis wanted to talk to them
00:35:17and he uh
00:35:18he got on there
00:35:19and he sang his song
00:35:20that he likes to sing
00:35:21to everybody
00:35:21hey LT I got something for ya
00:35:23you ready
00:35:26activated long ago
00:35:27in the days of world war one
00:35:28the 82nd ship to France
00:35:30and there they fought the Hun
00:35:31it's one of the 82nd songs
00:35:33we were there
00:35:34I yelled to the phone
00:35:35and they were all there
00:35:36so that was cool
00:35:37you know
00:35:37that I got to do that for them
00:35:40me and my mom
00:35:41and Chloe flew in
00:35:42got to the hotel
00:35:44and then
00:35:45we met up with his parents
00:35:47and then we went
00:35:48to the ICU
00:35:49Travis had just arrived
00:35:51like
00:35:51I think he was there
00:35:52like 20 minutes before us
00:35:53I met his CCAT team
00:35:55which is the critical care
00:35:56air transport
00:35:57that brought him from
00:35:58Germany
00:35:59here
00:35:59and
00:36:00the guy said
00:36:01you know
00:36:02he's really nervous
00:36:05I'm looking in the door
00:36:06and I can see him
00:36:07but
00:36:07I can't really see him
00:36:08because everybody's like
00:36:09there's so many doctors
00:36:10and nurses
00:36:11it's very overwhelming
00:36:12I walked in
00:36:13and he wouldn't really
00:36:14look at me
00:36:15when I look at him
00:36:16I don't see
00:36:16his arms and legs gone
00:36:18I see
00:36:18the man I married
00:36:20it wasn't as big a shock
00:36:22to see him
00:36:23as that
00:36:24you look at his face
00:36:27and you see him
00:36:29alive
00:36:31just I had my hand on him
00:36:32and they had to rush him
00:36:34back for emergency surgery
00:36:35so they told me to go
00:36:36and now that I had seen him
00:36:38and the nerves of seeing him
00:36:40you know
00:36:41were all gone
00:36:43the two days
00:36:44I went to see him
00:36:46and I
00:36:48got real sick
00:36:49I ended up
00:36:50with emergency surgery
00:36:52two days after
00:36:53Travis was there
00:36:54and Travis is the one
00:36:56that made me go
00:36:56he says
00:36:58dad no you have to go
00:36:59went down
00:37:01ended up with emergency surgery
00:37:02and seven doors down
00:37:04from Travis
00:37:05it was kind of nice
00:37:06on my part
00:37:06because I could get out
00:37:08of bed
00:37:08and take my IV pole
00:37:11after the first two days
00:37:12and I could walk down
00:37:14and see him continuously
00:37:17there's just two and a half weeks
00:37:18I don't recall
00:37:20because I was in such bad pain
00:37:22they tried three different studies
00:37:23lidocaine drip in my spine
00:37:25and some other things
00:37:26where I was just
00:37:2710 out of 10
00:37:28I kept yelling out in pain
00:37:29you know
00:37:30and I don't like to have pain
00:37:31or admit it
00:37:32but it was bad
00:37:33he says
00:37:34dad I know
00:37:35I don't have a leg
00:37:37there
00:37:38he says
00:37:39but you gotta turn it
00:37:40it's backwards
00:37:41to believe that he could be
00:37:42in that much pain
00:37:43with all the medications
00:37:44they were giving him
00:37:45to try to combat it
00:37:48he never slept 20 minutes
00:37:50then they had this thing
00:37:51that they've only done
00:37:53one other time
00:37:54at the hospital
00:37:54and only like
00:37:5530 times in the world
00:37:57and they used ketamine
00:37:59which is like PCP
00:38:00like it's crazy
00:38:01hallucinogen
00:38:02but they used it
00:38:03to reset my pain tolerance
00:38:04in my brain
00:38:05they did 600 milligrams
00:38:07an hour for five days
00:38:09where they had to sign off on it
00:38:11you know
00:38:11and it was all like
00:38:12we don't know exactly
00:38:13what's going to happen
00:38:14well they did that
00:38:16and I woke up
00:38:17after the five days
00:38:19I started hallucinating
00:38:20kind of
00:38:21the first day
00:38:21I guess I just yelled
00:38:22and the second
00:38:23and the third day
00:38:24I was still kind of
00:38:25my brain was fried
00:38:26not talking very fast
00:38:27I'd sit there
00:38:28and be angry
00:38:28or not talk
00:38:30or hallucinate
00:38:32and like just keep
00:38:33flipping out
00:38:34kind of
00:38:35I'm grateful I did it
00:38:37but I wouldn't
00:38:38I wouldn't do it again
00:38:39I don't think
00:38:39he was rather mean to me
00:38:41at nights
00:38:42he accused me
00:38:44of stealing
00:38:44from this poor family
00:38:47that didn't have anything
00:38:48to cowering behind
00:38:50a food tray
00:38:51why the warriors
00:38:53were coming
00:38:53and you know
00:38:54and different things
00:38:55like that
00:38:56and I'd learned
00:38:56in a hurry
00:38:57not to argue with him
00:38:59just apologize
00:39:00and he would
00:39:02actually just give me
00:39:03a glare
00:39:03that you
00:39:04oh it was scary
00:39:05and turn away
00:39:11there's one picture
00:39:13that still gets me
00:39:14every time
00:39:15Travis has
00:39:17Chloe up on his chest
00:39:18and he's looking
00:39:20down at her
00:39:20but he's got
00:39:21you can tell that
00:39:22there's just
00:39:23so much emotion
00:39:24and it's like
00:39:24man
00:39:24that picture
00:39:25kills me
00:39:26because
00:39:27innocent baby Chloe
00:39:29looking up
00:39:29just smiling
00:39:30at her dad
00:39:32that's a good one
00:39:38you love your daddy
00:39:43oh you're so sweet
00:39:47one of the best moments
00:39:48was you know
00:39:48when Kelsey came in
00:39:49with Chloe
00:39:49and she sat in my bed
00:39:51with me
00:39:51and I sat up
00:39:52and then like
00:39:53she'll pull my sleeve up
00:39:54and blow like
00:39:55raspberries I guess you call them
00:39:56like on my arm
00:39:57and laugh about it
00:39:58my little nub
00:39:59what's left of it
00:40:00seeing him get to play
00:40:03you know with Chloe
00:40:04and just be there
00:40:05you know
00:40:06she doesn't care
00:40:07that her dad
00:40:08doesn't have arms and legs
00:40:09it's her dad
00:40:09so it's all she knows
00:40:11it's all she knows of him
00:40:14so to her
00:40:14nothing was lost
00:40:15the way I see it
00:40:17can you sit up
00:40:19want to play some ball
00:40:20no yeah go ahead
00:40:24there's a clown
00:40:25for the camera
00:40:29Todd Nicely
00:40:30he's a corporal
00:40:30he was a corporal
00:40:31in the United States
00:40:31Marine Corps
00:40:32he was the second one
00:40:33to be a quadruple amputee
00:40:34he came up and told me
00:40:35hey man it gets better
00:40:36it's going to be okay
00:40:37like it's a
00:40:38it's a you know
00:40:39feasible
00:40:39you know
00:40:40it's whatever
00:40:41that getting better
00:40:42and walking
00:40:43and using your arms again
00:40:44is you know
00:40:45it's going to happen
00:40:45so just hang in there
00:40:47I went to the doctor
00:40:48I said hey
00:40:48I got to go to the gym
00:40:49he said
00:40:49you can't go to the gym yet
00:40:51I said no
00:40:51I'm going to go
00:40:52I've been sitting around
00:40:53I'm losing muscle
00:40:54I can't do anything
00:40:55I will sit here
00:40:56and do leg crutches
00:40:56in my bed
00:40:57until I hurt myself
00:40:57and then where are we going to be
00:40:58where are we going to be
00:40:59that doc
00:40:59kept saying why
00:41:01you know
00:41:01what's your big rush
00:41:02and I told the doctor
00:41:02I said hey doc
00:41:03look behind you
00:41:04I had pictures up
00:41:05me and my wife
00:41:06and my daughter
00:41:07and my wedding pictures
00:41:08and stuff like that
00:41:09all my friends
00:41:09and I said
00:41:10I have a family
00:41:10like I live in a hospital bed
00:41:12like take the pain pills
00:41:14take the drugs away from me
00:41:15whatever you need
00:41:16and get me out of here
00:41:18too much pain
00:41:19is it rubbing
00:41:19as you go
00:41:20I'm not even going to stop
00:41:22so don't worry about me
00:41:23that was a silly question
00:41:24huh
00:41:25yeah
00:41:25I'm never going to stop
00:41:26good job
00:41:27ah
00:41:30so let's go 15 today
00:41:32and put that one there
00:41:33and then we'll do 10
00:41:34good
00:41:36up
00:41:36up
00:41:37yeah
00:41:38in
00:41:38down
00:41:39that's one
00:41:40up
00:41:41up
00:41:42in
00:41:42down
00:41:43I don't see that
00:41:49it's not like I can bring it up
00:41:51you know like you can't run out
00:41:52you can't run out
00:41:53so you can't run
00:41:55stop crafting
00:42:02yeah
00:42:02yeah him with Chloe
00:42:03she is his life force
00:42:05really
00:42:06I mean
00:42:07that's what he told everybody
00:42:08from the get go
00:42:09is I have a daughter
00:42:10I've got a wife
00:42:11I can't be a bump on a log
00:42:12I have to be there for him
00:42:14so
00:42:15and she really does drive
00:42:17drive me to do better
00:42:18here you go
00:42:19here you go
00:42:20here you go
00:42:21it's okay
00:42:22it's his spirit and willpower
00:42:25modern medical technology
00:42:26and advancements
00:42:28even in the last 10 years
00:42:31to see that
00:42:32you know
00:42:33prosthetic technology
00:42:34has gone so far
00:42:36that
00:42:36at the end of the civil war
00:42:37you could get a
00:42:38you know
00:42:39if you lost an arm
00:42:39a stick with a hook on it
00:42:40and then at the end
00:42:42of the vietnam war
00:42:43it was a plastic stick
00:42:44with a hook on it
00:42:45to now
00:42:46robotic hands
00:42:47and arm transplants
00:42:49you know
00:42:49who could have ever guessed
00:43:00do what you've been doing
00:43:02with joe
00:43:03there you go
00:43:04oh my goodness
00:43:06oh that's so cool
00:43:08yeah
00:43:12so you remember how you're doing
00:43:14the quick slow with joe
00:43:15we didn't get a whole lot
00:43:17I'm trying to
00:43:19I did a quick
00:43:20yeah that's it
00:43:21started fast
00:43:23you can sit
00:43:23I would like to just
00:43:24kind of get up
00:43:25sure
00:43:27learn to control
00:43:28just relax
00:43:37oh my gosh
00:43:38man I love me some Gatorade
00:43:40it was awesome to get a hand
00:43:41and use it
00:43:42I think the first thing I ate
00:43:43was lasagna
00:43:44you know
00:43:44I ate it by myself
00:43:46it's a little hot
00:43:53you got to find
00:43:54different ways of
00:43:54how you do things
00:43:55how's that
00:43:56is that alright
00:43:57do you think I'd point it the other way
00:43:59I'd point it straight out
00:44:00it would work better
00:44:02it looks like it's pretty
00:44:03uh
00:44:04can't just twist the wrist
00:44:05or nothing
00:44:06oh
00:44:07oh is that good
00:44:08look at that
00:44:08I can even scrape your face
00:44:09like this
00:44:11hey here you go
00:44:13here we go
00:44:13here we go
00:44:14mmm
00:44:15that's good
00:44:17don't show my mess
00:44:18your face
00:44:18it is
00:44:20it's a little family outing
00:44:22of us doing some laundry
00:44:23she holds it
00:44:24I pick up the smelly smelly stuff
00:44:28and then
00:44:29I put it in the laundry
00:44:31I put it in the laundry
00:44:32go slow
00:44:33and let it take you
00:44:34we'll be ready
00:44:35hi
00:44:36good
00:44:39look at us in our little red wagon
00:44:41where do you guys go
00:44:42we're going on a trip
00:44:44in our favorite rocket ship
00:44:46you to the sun
00:44:47Bill Einstein
00:44:51when I first got my legs
00:44:52it wasn't easy
00:44:54because you are
00:44:55so weak
00:44:56and so
00:44:56you know
00:44:57you don't have
00:44:58much muscle left over
00:45:00from laying in the bed all day
00:45:01they put you on a tilt table
00:45:03you're not cleared
00:45:04you know
00:45:04to stand yet
00:45:05by yourself
00:45:06they put you on a table
00:45:07and it tilts you up
00:45:07to 45 degrees
00:45:08so I stood up
00:45:09just on one leg
00:45:11I got to hug my wife standing
00:45:12I was only 5 foot 5
00:45:13so it felt different
00:45:14looking up at her
00:45:15seeing him stand up
00:45:16for the first time
00:45:17I could feel so much
00:45:19joy from him
00:45:21that was like
00:45:22a turning point for us
00:45:29I went to go visit him
00:45:30at Walter Reed
00:45:31it's the first time
00:45:32I'd seen him since
00:45:34you know
00:45:35everything that was going on
00:45:37I actually got to see him
00:45:38walk for the first time
00:45:48I was trying to walk
00:45:49and felt my feet
00:45:52were in cement
00:45:53I'd pick up my leg
00:45:54and I'd move
00:45:55and I kept looking down
00:45:56and kept saying
00:45:56look up
00:45:57look forward
00:45:57and I kept looking down
00:45:58and watching my feet move
00:46:00you know
00:46:00I hadn't been able
00:46:01to get up
00:46:01and walk
00:46:02in the last 5 weeks
00:46:03had my legs gone
00:46:04you know
00:46:04you wonder if you're
00:46:04going to walk again
00:46:06and then
00:46:06you're doing it finally
00:46:07one foot on the red
00:46:08one foot on the blue
00:46:10oops
00:46:15oops
00:46:15oops
00:46:16there we go
00:46:21he was sweating
00:46:22because he was trying
00:46:23so hard
00:46:24you know
00:46:24to move
00:46:25and then at the end
00:46:26he kind of broke down
00:46:26a little bit
00:46:27and cried
00:46:28because
00:46:29and it
00:46:29you know
00:46:30it wasn't sad
00:46:31you know
00:46:31it wasn't
00:46:32oh this is
00:46:32the rest of my
00:46:33it was
00:46:33you know
00:46:34it was happy
00:46:34it was
00:46:35you know
00:46:35he's coming back
00:46:39I can't think
00:46:40of this
00:46:40but you know
00:46:40oh
00:46:47it doesn't get much
00:46:48better than that
00:46:49you know
00:46:49something's taken
00:46:50away from you
00:46:50but then you still
00:46:51still succeed
00:46:52because people make
00:46:53you know
00:46:54things like
00:46:54like these legs
00:46:55or you know
00:46:56have the systems
00:46:57systems in place
00:46:58so that I can walk
00:46:59again
00:46:59opposite crutch
00:47:00opposite foot
00:47:01get those crutches
00:47:02on the ground
00:47:02get those crutches
00:47:03on the ground
00:47:04put your crutches
00:47:05on the ground
00:47:09you know
00:47:09that's where I'm from
00:47:12all the toughness
00:47:13is they come
00:47:13there's nothing
00:47:14more inspiring
00:47:15you know
00:47:16that I've seen
00:47:16in my life
00:47:17I just kept
00:47:18plugging away
00:47:19at my next goal
00:47:20my next goal
00:47:20you know
00:47:21walk up steps
00:47:22and get tall
00:47:23or get my
00:47:24other
00:47:24get my manual
00:47:25locking knees
00:47:25and then get
00:47:26my regular knees
00:47:27and I mean
00:47:27it's definitely
00:47:28been a struggle
00:47:28but it's not
00:47:29something that
00:47:30you know
00:47:30that I couldn't
00:47:31get past
00:47:34don't help me
00:47:35I can do it
00:47:36myself
00:47:37watch your smuggle
00:47:37stranger
00:47:38I can do
00:47:39it's
00:47:42get it
00:47:42get it
00:47:43get it
00:47:43get it
00:47:43get it
00:47:43get it
00:47:45work them
00:47:48straight
00:47:48right
00:48:12it takes practice
00:48:13you've only had the knees
00:48:35I forget that he doesn't have
00:48:37hurt his legs
00:48:39because he does so well
00:48:40and he's still the same person
00:48:44and he could still laugh
00:48:45about life
00:48:56never give up never quit
00:48:58just kind of stays in my head
00:48:59because if I give up
00:49:01I'm giving up on more
00:49:02than just myself
00:49:03I mean
00:49:03would it be easy for me
00:49:04just to quit
00:49:06probably
00:49:06if I was by myself
00:49:07I'd be like
00:49:08okay I'm done
00:49:08I'm just going to sit in here
00:49:09and have someone else spoon feed me everything
00:49:11and mope around
00:49:12but if I give up
00:49:13I'm giving up on my family
00:49:19so one of the very first days
00:49:20that I got to go out
00:49:21the sidewalk had a lot of goose poop on it
00:49:23and she goes
00:49:24oh watch out for these landmines
00:49:25she goes oh I am so sorry
00:49:27and she like
00:49:27was almost in tears
00:49:28she felt so bad
00:49:30and I said
00:49:30don't worry about it
00:49:31she said why
00:49:32don't worry about it
00:49:33I said yeah
00:49:34I probably should watch out for them
00:49:35the last one I hit
00:49:36wasn't very nice to me
00:49:37you know
00:49:38and uh
00:49:40but you know
00:49:40I don't mind talking about it
00:49:42like I know people want to stare
00:49:43but if they want to stare
00:49:44if they stare long enough
00:49:45just ask me a question
00:49:46you know
00:49:47other people will look
00:49:47and then I'll look right up
00:49:48at the ceiling
00:49:49like they didn't see you
00:49:49like oh look at
00:49:50there's a ceiling
00:49:51and it's really cool
00:49:53ask me
00:49:54I might joke around
00:49:54say ah it's a shark bite
00:49:55can you believe it
00:49:56the shark got me
00:49:57then tell them the real story
00:49:57but it doesn't bother me
00:49:59to talk about it
00:50:00just don't make me feel
00:50:01like an outsider
00:50:01your support system
00:50:03is the biggest thing
00:50:03like I'm Travis
00:50:05the support system
00:50:06and our whole family
00:50:07like we have a huge family
00:50:08that's the difference
00:50:09between some of these guys
00:50:10that are injured
00:50:12they don't have family
00:50:13and they get in fits
00:50:15of depression
00:50:15and stuff like that
00:50:16and Travis and I
00:50:17try and go around the hospital
00:50:18to help these guys
00:50:20you know the hospital
00:50:21might come to me
00:50:21and be like
00:50:21hey we go talk to this person
00:50:22and I'll go up there
00:50:23at least the other day
00:50:24me and two other buddies of mine
00:50:25that are double amputees
00:50:26went up and talked to people
00:50:27you know
00:50:27and met nine different people
00:50:29just to show them
00:50:30like it gets better
00:50:31if I'm helping inspire people
00:50:32or people you know
00:50:34just can build off
00:50:35what I do
00:50:36to help them
00:50:36get through their day
00:50:37I'm more than happy
00:50:38to help
00:50:39he does it
00:50:40just because
00:50:41I think it helps him
00:50:42and it helps other people
00:50:45say open
00:50:46and I say wow
00:50:47you gotta talk to him
00:50:47open
00:50:51probably the
00:50:53biggest standout
00:50:54moment to me
00:50:55that
00:50:56I think
00:50:57I think really showed
00:50:58his strength
00:50:59is
00:51:00maybe five months later
00:51:01the Tunnel Towers 5k
00:51:03in New York
00:51:04I mean he had not been
00:51:06walking that long
00:51:07and he said sign me up
00:51:09and walked
00:51:10you know
00:51:11three miles
00:51:11on prosthetic legs
00:51:13that he was not
00:51:14very used to yet
00:51:26and he just pushed it out
00:51:28and I talked to him
00:51:29afterwards
00:51:29he was hurting
00:51:32it wasn't comfortable
00:51:33and it wasn't easy
00:51:34but
00:51:35he can push through
00:51:36walking on sore
00:51:38stumps
00:51:39in his sockets
00:51:40for three miles
00:51:42to complete a 5k
00:51:44nobody in America
00:51:45has an excuse
00:51:47period
00:51:47to say that
00:51:49they can't do something
00:52:07I miss living in my house
00:52:09and I miss
00:52:10complaining about him
00:52:11going to work
00:52:12early
00:52:12and I miss
00:52:14texting him
00:52:15saying
00:52:15the baby's finally
00:52:16get home
00:52:17you know
00:52:18come take care of her
00:52:19but
00:52:20you know
00:52:23life's changed
00:52:24and you can't look back
00:52:27good job
00:52:32one
00:52:33two
00:52:34three
00:52:51he's been a great father
00:52:52he's always been a great father
00:52:52since the day Chloe was born
00:52:54and she was given to us
00:52:57and she was given to us at this time
00:52:57for some reason
00:52:58and it's because of this
00:53:00hey Chloe where's daddy's arm
00:53:03get daddy's arm
00:53:07get daddy's arm
00:53:09you know you sit there and you wonder
00:53:10like how can I be the dad I wanted to be
00:53:12how can I play with her
00:53:13you know how can I do things
00:53:14you know I might not have her hold my hand ever again
00:53:16my real like hand was issued
00:53:19I guess or I was with my original one
00:53:21but I can feel when she holds this hand
00:53:24and puts pressure through it
00:53:25I can feel
00:53:26you know I can walk on my shorter legs
00:53:28I have the house legs
00:53:29and chase around play hide and seek with her
00:53:31or peekaboo or
00:53:32I don't know
00:53:33rawr daddy's scary
00:53:34he's coming to get you
00:53:35I don't know what you want to call that game
00:53:36but we have a blast with doing it
00:53:38and I uh
00:53:38I wouldn't change it
00:53:40rawr
00:53:41rawr
00:53:42rawr
00:53:42rawr
00:53:43rawr
00:53:45rawr
00:53:46there's two things I wanted to accomplish
00:53:48first and foremost
00:53:49my daughter's sleeping in her own bedroom
00:53:50most important to me
00:53:52she's got to sleep in her own crib
00:53:53that she's never been in
00:53:56rawr
00:53:56rawr
00:53:57rawr
00:53:57rawr
00:53:57rawr
00:53:57rawr
00:53:57rawr
00:53:57rawr
00:53:59rawr
00:54:01rawr
00:54:03yeah
00:54:03yeah
00:54:10second
00:54:10when I see my guys get off the plane
00:54:12I stand there tall
00:54:13I saw my first sergeant
00:54:15and
00:54:16as soon as I saw him I started crying
00:54:18I said hey I'm so sorry
00:54:19I'm so sorry I let you down
00:54:22I'm proud of you
00:54:25you're one of the best squad leaders I ever saw
00:54:28look at me
00:54:29you did just as you were trained
00:54:32it happens i didn't want them to think i just was laying there looking out a window wondering
00:54:38why this happened um my goal was to let them know i keep working i keep going hard
00:54:46it's just it's truly amazing and it just uh makes me really proud he was just a fearless guy
00:54:51and even more so now i'm just proud to be with the guys i deployed with i think that's how
00:54:58everyone feels because you know you won't ever make brothers anywhere else like that you know
00:55:05they were just pushing us by you know we were they were like they were telling us to get in
00:55:09formation and and they were just hurrying us like i just gave them a hug like we hugged and that
00:55:14it
00:55:15was like all right man see you later i was like dude i just want to hang out you know
00:55:18and talk
00:55:19with them a little bit you know what i'm saying i've never seen that motivation before in my life
00:55:23you know somebody loses all four limbs and uh they still want to still want to keep going
00:55:28still want to be a hard charger and yeah that's that's travis mills
00:55:32i can take a hit inside i love my job i love you guys so uh thank you so much
00:55:40with that uh you guys have a good day
00:55:43travis was meant to help people i think he's meant to lead and help people
00:55:48that's the type of person he is you know he faces obstacles and he doesn't let anything stop him
00:55:53he's uh the strongest willed person i've ever met
00:55:58honestly i can't even i can't even fathom it i don't i don't understand how he does it
00:56:04like it's you know what i'm saying like i don't i don't think i could do it
00:56:16big part of his life ended april 10th and he definitely grieved and mourned the loss of his
00:56:23limbs and his former self but really pushing on to his new life like this he's still in there i
00:56:32mean he's still the same guy i believe god's got a plan for all of us and after seeing travis
00:56:38in
00:56:38action the word bravery has more meaning to me now than it ever has i mean you can do anything
00:56:47if you really have that much willpower you can do anything and travis really demonstrates that by
00:56:53showing that you know hey it hurts big deal push through it people always wonder like would you do
00:56:59it all over again yes i mean i take back april 10th because i love the army i actually would
00:57:05like to
00:57:06stay in and have my arms and legs but i wouldn't take back signing up just so happened that i
00:57:10hit
00:57:10one of 13 ieds that were buried in the ground my ammo barrier hit then hit one with the mine
00:57:17sweeper
00:57:17because there was no metal it just happens you know it's part of war the day i hit an ied
00:57:24it was a
00:57:24normal day i didn't do anything more heroic than anybody else you know they work hard every day day in
00:57:30one day out two patrols a day sometimes 12 16 18 hour days sometimes 24 hour hours
00:57:45what would make me more of a hero than them i don't think anything
00:58:01they say like 90 of marriages that go through a tragedy don't make it but i don't see how that
00:58:07can be because this has brought us closer travis has always done everything for me
00:58:15like everything and it's like the rules of reverse
00:58:22she definitely has sat by my side i mean when i don't even remember for 18 to 20 hours a
00:58:29day
00:58:29i'm in my sleep knowing i was in a medically induced coma and holding what i had left like my
00:58:35arm
00:58:35you know not my hand but uh it's just uh it's amazing what she has done
00:58:41her and chloe you know know you know that i'm gonna be all right be fine they're nothing to worry
00:58:47about
00:58:56so the cool thing to me is that in 30 years chloe she's watching we'll get married
00:59:04and uh travis be able to walk her down the aisle
00:59:06and you know walk her down the aisle is it on flesh and bone no who cares he's walking her
00:59:13down
00:59:13that aisle you know and just see the different advancements in her life just because he has that
00:59:19willpower to survive and push through through all this my main goal in life is to be the great
00:59:24dad and a great husband my wife and kid kelsey whenever she needs something i'll be there for
00:59:29just like she's been there for me and she's gonna be there for me if chloe wants to play softball
00:59:34i'll get a pitching machine and i'll find a way to catch a ball if chloe wants to do ballet
00:59:39i'm gonna have to find a way to do parallettes with her with my with my prosthetics on nothing's
00:59:45gonna set me back i'm gonna teach her how to ride a bike i haven't figured out how i'm gonna
00:59:47do it yet
00:59:48but i'm gonna teach her how to ride a bike
01:00:02every day is a challenge but it's not a challenge you can't overcome
01:00:07so
01:00:19so
01:00:19so
01:00:19so
01:00:19so
01:02:10Daddy, when you come home, you'll read me stories and tell me your own.
01:02:27Daddy, I'll be waiting.
01:02:33I've been dreaming for so long.
01:02:40I need a hero holding my hand.
01:02:49Someone who loves me like no one else can.
01:02:58I need a hero to tell me it's okay.
01:03:07Daddy, daddy, you're my hero every day.
01:03:15Every day.
01:03:17I need a hero to tell me when you come home.
01:03:39I need a hero to tell me when you come home.
01:04:02I need a hero holding my hand.
01:04:10Someone who loves me like no one else can.
01:04:19I need a hero to tell me it's okay.
01:04:31Daddy, you're my hero every day.
01:04:37Daddy, you're my hero every day.
01:04:56I, I, I, I, I love you.
01:05:00I, I, I love you.
01:05:02There it is.
01:05:03There it is.
01:05:04There it is.
01:05:05I, I, I, I love you always.
01:05:12I, I, I, I love you.
01:05:20I, I, I, I, I love you always.
01:05:29I, I, I, I love you.
01:05:37I, I, I, I love you always.
01:05:38So shy.
01:05:40Hello.
01:05:41Hello.
01:05:42Hello.
01:05:45I, I, I, I love you.
01:05:49I, I, I, I love you.
01:05:53I, I, I, I love you always.
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