OLATHE — A retired Army infantryman who lost both legs and his left arm in Iraq has finally felt strong enough after 12 years to return to his old suburban Kansas City home.
Retired Staff Sgt. Matt Lammers told The Kansas City Star that a renewed love of sports and the support of his current wife gave him the strength to return to Olathe this month.
He was wounded on his second tour in Iraq in 2007 at 25. He said memories of playing catch in his parents’ yard and being in the living room again were too painful. He also struggled with drug abuse and attempted suicide.
He’s on a two-week visit with his daughters from his first marriage before heading to Florida to compete in a Paralympics-style competition for veterans.
