News From the Cause
RAMSEY: Injured military Warriors still enjoy the games (The Gazette- Colorado Springs)
May 24, 2011
Keith Buckmon used to enjoy rides through the air to dunks.
“Ah, I was pretty good,” Buckmon said, laughing as he traveled back to what is almost a former life. “I could dunk, jump, shoot, you name it. I was pretty hard to guard.”
Buckmon, 28, can no longer fly. On June 26, 2008, he was the victim of a suicide bomber in northern Iraq, nearly losing his legs and his right arm. But he’s still pretty hard to guard.
Buckmon helped lead the Marines to a 28-9 win Wednesday night over Navy/Coast Guard in wheelchair basketball. He seized rebounds, delivered accurate passes and dropped shots.
He has savored the Warrior Games this week at the Olympic Training Center. He’s been surrounded by dozens of other athletes struggling to understand and overcome their own severe injuries.
One of them is Max Rohn, a 23-year-old from Longmont who played for the Navy/Coast Guard.
Rohn was injured in Iraq on May 2, 2009, when a rocket-propelled grenade destroyed the Humvee he was riding in. He’s been struggling ever since to save his right leg. He underwent his 14th operation in March.
“It’s a fresh start for me,” Rohn said. “Just being here with all the guys, you don’t feel so different. Everybody is the same way. It’s a level playing field. Everybody here has had something traumatic in their life.”
That certainly describes Buckmon. After he heard the explosion in Iraq, Buckmon tried to stand, but realized his legs were shattered. The next few days were a blur of pain, and his first clear memories are from July 4, when doctors informed him of the rugged path that awaited him.
