SPC. Paul Statzer

On March 29, 2005 Paul was critically injured by an IED in Tikirt, Iraq. His unit was checking out a crater left by a roadside bomb when another one went off.

Paul had very serious head and neck wounds which resulted in partial loss of the frontal lobe of his brain, total loss of hearing in his left ear, loss of his left eye, severe damage to his carotid artery on the left side of his neck, vocal cord damage to his throat and numerous other shrapnel wounds.

Paul is still at Walter Reed where he is continuing to have reconstruction surgery. In a few more months he will be permanently retired with over 17 years of service.

Notebook: Damaged, But Not Defeated
(CBS) CBS News correspondent David Martin interviewed injured U.S. soldier Paul Statzer, who lost half of his skull during battle in Iraq, and filed this Reporter's Notebook on Statzer's amazing recovery.
January 14, 2006

Click here to read the full story, published in the CBS Evening News.

Miraculous Help For Wounded Vets
CBS News correspondent David Martin has the remarkable story of one such soldier, Paul Statzer — a real American hero — and some miracle workers at Walter Reed Army Hospital.
October 7, 2005

Click here to read the full story, published in the CBS Evening News.