Wounded warrior shares inspirational message

Wounded warrior shares inspirational message

Melissa Stockwell, a U.S. Army veteran who lost her left leg in Iraq in 2004, spoke Thursday at Blue Ridge Community Health Services.

By Jessica Goodman
Times-News Staff Writer
Published: Thursday, January 19, 2012
Melissa Stockwell, a U.S. Army veteran, reached down and unhooked her leg during a Thursday presentation for the Philanthropic Educational Organization, Chapter AN, meeting at Blue Ridge Community Health Services.

"I'm an extremely proud American," said Stockwell, 31. "And I'm an extremely proud to be an above-the-knee amputee."

Stockwell was the first woman to lose a limb in Iraq, losing her leg to a roadside bomb in 2004, and has turned the experience into a teaching moment. She uses her story to inspire others.

Stockwell is on the Board of Directors for the Wounded Warriors Project, which helps service members with injuries connected to their service. The program helped her after she sustained her injuries in Iraq. Stockwell is a recipient of the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star.
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