SeeCalifornia.com

SAN DIEGO, CALIF.–Tristan Wyatt’s personal experience has allowed him to walk in other people’s shoes. He’s an inspiration to those who come to him for help at the San Diego VA Medical Center where he’s living proof that injured Veterans can gain independence and bounce back.

Wyatt served in the Army, fought and was wounded in combat, joined the VA and has risen to be the Chief of Prosthetic and Sensory Aids for the VA San Diego Healthcare System — all by the age of 31. He enlisted in the army after 9/11 in response to the attacks on the World Trade Center and Washington. He was part of the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment involved in operations in the Sunni Triangle spearhead after the invasion of Iraq in 2003. During an early morning combat operation, Wyatt and his squad were ambushed by insurgents. While fighting his way out of the situation, he and two other service members lost a leg.

His biggest battle, says the San Diegan, was learning to accept his fate and the new limitations. Wyatt stood tall for the signing of  a memorandum of understanding (photo above)  providing severely wounded service members the opportunity to receive training through the VA while they are recuperating.

“The most difficult part was not accepting the injury itself, but accepting the fact that I would have to live my life differently. At that point in my life, I was completely in love with the military, the travel and the lifestyle. When the injury occurred, it was a violent and messy way to separate me from a profession that was incredibly meaningful to me.”  Tristan Wyatt celebrates Veteran’s Day 2013 remembering his personal heroes–Randy Shughart and Gary Gordon. “They paid the ultimate price so others could live. I believe their actions embody the spirit of the American soldier.”