Statesville, North Carolina (CNN) --
It was supposed to be a routine patrol for Dale Beatty, a National Guardsman
serving in northern Iraq.
But when the Humvee he was in veered
slightly off the road, his life changed in an instant.
"I remember seeing all the sand
across the dash of the Humvee go up in the air. That was pretty much the last
thing I remember," Beatty recalled eight years later. "And there was
a big boom, lots of pain."
The vehicle hit an anti-tank land
mine, flying nearly 50 feet in the air. When Beatty came to, his legs were
pinned under the wreckage. Within days, both were amputated below the knee.
It was a life-altering injury, but
from the beginning, Beatty had a positive attitude about it.
"For some reason, I've always
been able to see how lucky I am," he reflected, noting that his injuries
made it possible to wear prosthetic legs. "It's not like losing a
fingernail. But ... it's just the way it has to be. I've met people that have
been hurt a lot worse than me that have lived full, fulfilling lives. So
there's no excuse for me not to."
