• MSN
  • Hotmail
  • More
    • Autos
    • My MSN
    • Video
    • Careers & Jobs
    • Personals
    • Weather
    • Delish
    • Quotes
    • White Pages
    • Games
    • Real Estate
    • Wonderwall
    • Horoscopes
    • Shopping
    • Yellow Pages
    • Local Edition
    • Traffic
    • Feedback
    • Maps & Directions
    • Travel
    • Full MSN Index
  • Bing
  • NBCNews.com
  • TODAY
  • Nightly News
  • Rock Center
  • Meet the Press
  • Dateline
  • msnbc
  • Breaking News
  • Newsvine
  • Home
  • US
  • World
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Sports
  • Entertainment
  • Health
  • Tech
  • Science
  • Travel
  • Local
  • Weather
Advertise | AdChoices
  • Recommended: Chaos and courage as tornado wrecks elementary schools
  • Recommended: More storms on the way, tornadoes possible across swath of US
  • Recommended: Storm after the storm: Consumers warned about fake Oklahoma charities
  • Recommended: National Guard: 'Words can't describe' the Okla. damage

NBC News reporters bring you compelling stories from across the nation. For more US news, follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

  • ↓ About this blog
  • ↓ Archives
    • Icons Email E-mail updates
    • Icons Twitter Follow on Twitter
    • Icons Feed Subscribe to RSS
  • 5
    Oct
    2012
    5:44am, EDT

    Soldier who lost 4 limbs in Afghanistan returns home to hero's welcome

    Carlos Osorio / AP

    Chloe Mills, 1-year-old daughter of Army Staff Sgt. Travis Mills and his wife Kelsey, crawls past her father's walking legs in his boyhood home in Vassar, Mich., on Oct. 4, 2012.

    Carlos Osorio / AP

    Travis Mills plays with his daughter Chloe.

    The Associated Press reports from Vassar, Mich. — Army Staff Sgt. Travis Mills had been a lot of places since losing his four limbs in Afghanistan. The one place he hadn't been was where people knew him best.

    He finally returned to his Michigan hometown this week — six months after the explosion that cost him his arms and legs — to serve as the grand marshal of his old high school's homecoming parade.

    "This is my new normal, and it's all about how I adjust to it," he said moments after using his prosthetic legs to walk from the living room to the sun room at his childhood home. "There's no good that's gonna come from me sitting there and wondering, 'Why'd this happen? Why me? Now what do I do?' The answer's right in front of you: It happened because it happened." Read the full story.

    Visit Travis Mills' web page to learn more about his road to recovery.

    Related links:

    • At long last: Remains of soldiers killed in World War II put to rest
    • Wounded warriors show grit, determination on journey to recovery
    • Funeral for a New Jersey soldier killed in Afghanistan

    Carlos Osorio / AP

    Mills, right, is helped with his home legs by his father, Dennis Mills.

    Carlos Osorio / AP

    Kelsey Mills helps her husband navigate the newly installed ramp at his boyhood home.

    Carlos Osorio / AP

    Travis Mills rides in the back of a Jeep during the homecoming parade on Thursday, Oct. 4. Mills, his wife, Kelsey, and their 1-year-old daughter, Chloe, were the grand marshals of Vassar High School's homecoming parade.

    Carlos Osorio / AP

    Julie Best, a friend of Travis Mills, cheers as he rides in the homecoming parade.

    Follow @NBCNewsPictures

    Sign up for the NBCNews.com Photos Newsletter

     

    250 comments

    It's enough to bring tears to your eyes, and make you ask yourself, why do we as humanity continue to put our loved ones and ourselves through wars like this? Bless that family.

    Show more
    Explore related topics: afghanistan, war, military, conflict, us-news, disability, vassar, amputee, travis-mills
  • 4
    Jun
    2012
    2:42pm, EDT

    Man with no arms biking from Florida to New York

    By NBC News and msnbc.com staff

    Twenty years after he lost both his arms when he was electrocuted while working on a transformer substation, a Florida man is biking 1,500 miles to New York.

    "I just try to focus on being centered on the bike," the man, Hector Picard, told NBC station WECT-TV during a stop Sunday in Wilmington, N.C.

    "I do actually hold on with my stump with just my arm, and I tend to get a lot of stress in the right side," Picard said. "But it's not something I can't do."


    Picard, who took up triathlons a few years ago, is scheduled to arrive in New York City on Sunday. He's tracking his journey on his website, Don't Stop Living, where he's raising money for the I Will Foundation, which assists people with traumatic injuries.


    Follow @msnbc_us

    Picard rides a customized bike with a special gear shift, a drink compartment, modified brakes and other devices that allow him to control it with what's left of one arm.

    "I've just met some wonderful people. It's been a great experience, and they mention the fact that I motivate them. But they motivate me as well, so I keep going," Picard said.

    Read the full story on wect.com

    More content from msnbc.com and NBC News:

    • Sandusky accusers must use real identities at trial, judge rules
    • Public transit ridership rises sharply, advocacy group reports
    • $63.5 million Wisconsin recall is most expensive in state's history
    • One dead, 7 hurt in shooting at Toronto mall
    • Killer's corpse dragged from car, eaten by bear
    • Video: Crews make aggressive push on New Mexico fire

    Follow US News on msnbc.com on Twitter and Facebook

    13 comments

    You go guy!!

    Show more
    Explore related topics: charity, florida, disability, featured, bicycling, new-your, hector-picard

Browse

  • featured,
  • crime,
  • military,
  • weather,
  • california,
  • updated,
  • florida,
  • environment,
  • us-news,
  • shooting,
  • new-york,
  • texas,
  • education,
  • chicago,
  • police,
  • gulf-oil-spill,
  • kari-huus,
  • nbcnewyork,
  • los-angeles,
  • murder,
  • new-jersey,
  • guns,
  • obama,
  • afghanistan,
  • colorado,
  • sandy,
  • nbclosangeles,
  • trayvon-martin,
  • barack-obama,
  • crime-and-courts,
  • politics,
  • gay,
  • veterans,
  • connecticut,
  • fire,
  • arizona,
  • crime-courts,
  • religion,
  • boston-marathon-tragedy
Also
Advertise | AdChoices

Archives

  • 2013
    • May (327)
    • April (608)
    • March (548)
    • February (510)
    • January (563)
  • 2012
    • December (457)
    • November (460)
    • October (477)
    • September (432)
    • August (525)
    • July (519)
    • June (508)
    • May (566)
    • April (538)
    • March (576)
    • February (471)
    • January (417)
  • 2011
    • December (455)
    • November (190)
    • October (9)
    • September (3)
    • August (51)
    • July (8)
    • June (3)
    • May (12)
    • April (5)
    • March (3)
    • February (1)
    • January (8)
  • 2010
    • December (5)
    • November (1)
    • October (2)
    • September (28)
    • August (40)
    • July (35)
    • June (177)
    • May (50)
    • April (9)
    • March (2)
    • February (2)
    • January (4)
  • 2009
    • December (5)
    • November (5)
    • October (2)
    • September (11)
    • August (4)
    • July (12)
    • June (1)
    • May (1)
    • April (1)
    • March (3)
    • February (3)
    • January (2)
  • 2008
    • December (3)
    • November (2)
    • October (6)
    • September (30)
    • August (26)
    • July (10)
    • June (4)
    • May (8)
    • April (13)
    • March (9)
    • February (7)
    • January (6)
  • 2007
    • December (10)
    • November (6)
    • October (22)
    • September (11)

Most Commented

  • Obama calls IRS flap 'inexcusable,' announces resignation of acting IRS chief (3715)
  • Benghazi, IRS, AP: A guide to the 3 storms confronting the White House (2544)
  • Majority of Colorado sheriffs file suit against new gun laws (1949)
  • At least 51 killed, including 20 children, as tornado tears through Oklahoma (1810)
  • Man with ties to Boston bombing suspect shot during FBI questioning (1157)
  • Judge blocks Arkansas' tough new abortion law (1879)
  • Jodi Arias pleads for jury to spare her life, says, 'I want everyone's pain to stop' (828)

Other blogs

  • The Body Odd
  • Cosmic Log
  • Red Tape Chronicles
  • PhotoBlog
  • Open Channel

NBCNews.com top stories

3147,10
© 2013 NBCNews.com
  • US news on NBCNews.com
  • About us
  • Contact
  • Help
  • Site map
  • Careers
  • Closed captioning
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Advertise