Vietnam Veteran's son staying positive at Walter Reed

Casper soldier maintains positive outlook after Afghanistan explosion mangles his body

By JEREMY PELZER Casper Star-Tribune

Pfc. Colton Sasser, a Casper, Wyo. native, poses in front of a valley in Kunar Province, Afghanistan. Sasser was badly injured by a roadside bomb while driving in the area on April 15, losing his left foot and spleen.

For as long as he can remember, Colton Sasser wanted to be a soldier — following in the footsteps of his father, a Vietnam War veteran.

CHEYENNE, Wyo. — Last week, Pfc. Colton Sasser opened his eyes for the first time in almost a month to find his soon-to-be amputated leg mangled, his back broken, and his chest stapled shut.

But as the 21-year-old Kelly Walsh High School graduate starts to recover from wounds suffered in a bomb blast in Afghanistan last month, it’s also clear he’s found an inner pride and a new motivation for what he should do with his life.

Speaking casually, almost nonchalantly, from a hospital bed at Walter Reed Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., Sasser said he’s determined to make the most of his life now for the sake of his fallen comrades, his family, and his country.

“I think it’d be a disappointment to them if I just moped around,” Sasser said. “People without legs or arms, they go on to do great things. It’s not like I’m 100 percent, but I have a heart and a mind.” read more here