Wednesday, December 22, 2010 By Sgt. Randall A. Clinton LONG BEACH, N.Y. — Tara Hutchinson smiled more than you’d expect for someone who could barely stand on a surfboard. She had wiped out more times than anyone else in the water, and yet she paddled back out for another go.
The retired Army sergeant first class has spent the last four years undergoing countless surgeries after losing her leg in Iraq, and without that second limb to steady herself she was not having much luck staying on the board.
Hutchinson’s surf lesson was part of a week-long program for wounded service members by the Long Beach Waterfront Warriors. The Long Beach Waterfront Warriors hosted 34 recovering wounded service members and their families July 24 to July 30.
“I love it here. I was the first one on the surfboard last year,” said Angela Lupe. Her injuries in 2003 left her confined to a wheelchair and eventually she was medically separated from the Army in 2005.
Lupe watched from the beach as volunteers pushed special beach wheelchairs into the water and helped amputees out into the waves. “I hope they get as much out of this as I did. It can change their lives forever,” she said. “It’s not about one event or one day, it’s about the community and the people expressing their support.”
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