Parachuting amputee tells veterans not to give up
But before he did that Thursday, Dana Bowman parachuted onto the grounds of the Veterans Affairs Medical Center to help prove his point.
Bowman was a member of the Army’s elite parachute team, the Golden Knights, when he collided in air with his teammate, Sgt. Jose Aguillon, while practicing a maneuver in Arizona in 1994.
Aguillon’s outstretched arm sheared off both of Bowman’s legs — one above the knee and one below. Aguillon was killed instantly.
After the accident, Bowman became the first double amputee to re-enlist in the Army. He retired in 1996 with the rank of sergeant 1st class.
His re-enlistment helped open the door for others, including two amputees currently in Iraq on active duty.
While recovering, Bowman slipped out of Walter Reed Army Hospital and convinced his buddies on the Golden Knights to let him jump again.
“I snuck out and asked forgiveness later,” he said.
Today, he uses prosthetic limbs to aid him.
“All of us have to overcome our disabilities,” he said. “We have to adjust to everything. You just can’t give up. You fall down; you get back up.”