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Wounded Warrior amputees overcome adversity to play softball, visit Elkhart County

July 22, 2012|By Chad Damp (damp@wsbt.com) | WSBT-TV

GOSHEN – U.S. soldiers put their lives on the line everyday while deployed overseas.

Many come home wounded.  But there's a group of veterans who travel the country to show that life doesn't have to stop after adversity, and each member is an amputee.  They came to Goshen Saturday for a Wounded Warrior Amputee Softball game.It was the military veterans vs. Goshen firefighters."They're a testament to the power of the mind and the will you can overcome anything," said firefighter Craig Hursey. "Every one of us are humbled that these young guys have done what they have and made the sacrifices and are still better athletes than we are.""That's our goal is to show people that just because you're missing part of your body doesn't mean that's the end of your life," Wounded Warrior Kyle Earl said. "You can still get out there and do everything you were doing before."

Earl has been on the team for 8 months playing right field. The Marine from Kalamazoo had his right hand amputated as a result of an improvised explosive device (IED) in Iraq. He says the time spent on the team has been the best form of therapy.

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"That's one of the biggest things that bonds us together," Earl noted. "We've all been in the military and we all have amputations. It's just great to be able to hang out with guys that are just like you."This game was even more special than usual for Earl. His mom drove from near Grand Rapids to see him play for the first time."Everyday, I'm amazed at what he accomplishes in his daily life and to see him come out here and do this is something he loves," said Earl's mom, Monica Doherty.
Each of these men has a purple heart, but it's the heart and determination they display on the field that is the most inspiring."We like to play to win, but as long as we're having fun, it doesn't matter," said Earl.
In case you were wondering, the Wounded Warriors won 19-0.  The team also played a game against Elkhart city firefighters on Saturday.
  The group's next stop is in New York.
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