John, my life changed forever on January 11, 1969.

I was weeks away from returning from a combat tour in Vietnam, and I had plans for when I got home — enroll in college, pursue my passion for sports. Then one evening while on duty, setting up for a night operation, I stepped on a land mine.

I lost both of my legs and my left arm.

Although some people may look at January 11 as the day life as I knew it ended, I look at it as my “Alive Day.” In the 50 years since that day, I’ve lived a whole and interesting life. I became a husband, father and business owner. And I’m proud to have served as National Commander of DAV.

In honor of Veterans Day, we’re sharing stories of hope about veterans who have persevered through life-altering combat injuries. But whether a veteran has an “Alive Day” story or not, there is no doubt they’ve made incredible sacrifices for our country. Let us know what you are doing to observe Veterans Day next week.

Thank you for supporting DAV and our nation’s veterans.

Jim Sursely
U.S. Army Veteran