At 14, Reggie Showers lost both of his legs in an electrical accident. More than two decades later, hes living his dream of being a professional stock bike rider. Showers, 39, wore his 2003 Pro Stock Bike Champion jacket for a Dec. 12 visit to Walter Reed Army Medical Center, where he delivered messages of hope and inspiration to Soldiers recovering from injuries suffered while serving in Iraq. The visit also included NASCAR drivers Jerry Nadeau and Joe Nemechek; NHRA drag racer Tony The Sarge Schumacher; and NHRA Pro Stock Bike riders Angelle Savoie and Antron Brown all of who drive or ride for Army-sponsored teams. Showers rides for Prosthetic Design. Staff Sgt. Maurice Craft, an Avenger crew member with B Battery, 3/4th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division, was riding on Highway 5 in Baghdad Nov. 24 when an improvised explosive device hit the vehicle he was riding in. He remembers telling the driver to pull him out, and the searing pain cursing through his legs. Closing his eyes seemed to make the pain go away, but he worried that he wouldnt wake up again. Crafts left leg was amputated at the knee and a titanium rod is keeping his right leg connected to his hip, which was shattered in the attack. He is determined not to allow his injuries to hold him back; Showers visit only strengthened his resolve. Spc. Lance Gieselmann echoed Crafts appreciation. Gieselmann, of the 367th Armored Regiment of the 4th Infantry Division, was in an M1-A2 tank when it rolled over a remote-controlled roadside bomb Oct. 28 About 55 miles north of Baghdad. The explosion killed two of his friends and blew the turret and track off the tank, Gieselmann said. His left leg was amputated above the knee and back broken. Showers encouraged the Soldiers to do plenty of research on the various types of prosthetics on the market. He uses two sets of prosthetic legs one for racing, and the other for walking. Gieselmann said he was also inspired by Nadeau, who suffered a head injury from a crash during a May practice run. Nadeau was at the hospital visiting Soldiers just a few days before the accident. Im working on getting better so I can get back to racing, said Nadeau, whose place on the Army team is being filled by Nemechek. He hopes to be back in a racecar by May or June, starting out in bush races. Im just waiting for my head to heal. As appreciative as the Soldiers were for the visit, the drivers and riders were equally grateful for their service and sacrifices. The visit brought back a piece of Savoies past. She was a registered nurse before turning professional stock bike rider. Its inspiring to meet them, Savoie said. I think about how the fans put us on a pedestal, like were heroes. But these guys are the heroes. It makes me feel a lot more humble. Nemechek, too, was impressed with the Soldiers, especially Sgt. Gerald Santos, a flight engineer for the 106th Aviation who survived the Nov. 2 Chinook crash that killed 17 Soldiers on their way to 15 days of rest and recuperation. Its pretty incredible what they do, what they go through, said Nemechek. I look at the things that have happened to me, the times Ive been hurt, and its nothing compared to what they go through. Theyre tough.( ARNEWS )(12-19-2003)
