Aaron Mankin
My hero today has been featured across the country on this Veteran’s Day, 2013. His name is Aaron Mankin, a former Marine corporal who suffered severe damage to his nose, mouth, and ears when his amphibious assault craft rolled over and detonated an IED. Four marines were killed in the blast that disfigured Mankin and eleven were injured.
Thanks to Operation Mend, a project spearheaded by UCLA that utilizes the best plastic surgeons to treat injured soldiers, Aaron Mankin is nearly as handsome now as he was before his injury. But the road to recovery has been long and grueling. He has suffered through more than sixty surgeries in his nine years of recovery. What makes him a hero is they way in which he has handled his affliction. “Life happens to you. But your power resides in the fact that you can choose how you respond to that.”
These days, Mankin is a powerful public speaker who volunteers his time inspiring and supporting other injured veterans. “Beauty is who you are,’’ Mankin said. “It’s not the way you look.” Listen to Makin speak on Youtube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fn_olg6R-fY.
And don’t forget to thank a veteran today and every day.