U.S. Army veteran Sam Cila of Aquebogue visited his son Evan's school Thursday to share his story with the children. Watch the video.
Cila joined the NY National Guard right after the Sept. 11 terror attacks and was deployed to Iraq in Oct. 2004 with the 1st Battalion, 69th Infantry Regiment. Near the end of his year-long deployment, Cila was injured by an IED blast while on patrol outside the Green Zone in Baghdad.
"The blast blew out my left side taking with it my brachial artery and almost all of my left bicep and tricep,” Cila said. “I spent three years fighting a never-ending battle. I took every opportunity available to me to try and fight the inevitable — amputation.”
Cila lost his left arm below the elbow.
After he was fitted with a prosthetic arm and hand, the veteran became associated with an organization called Operation Rebound, run by the Challenged Athletes Foundation. Challenged Athletes Foundation "raises money to help people with physical disabilities pursue an active lifestyle through physical fitness and competitive athletics."
"It was another turning point in my life," Cila said.
Cila's visit with the students at Aquebogue was meant to both inspire and inform the children about new possibilities in science and the importance of finding hope and support in the midst of sadness, according to a Riverhead Central School District press release.
Cila ran in the Riverfront24 endurance run this Veterans Day to raise money for a local veterans services organization. For more information about the veteran, visit his website.
