Our first honoree is Corporal Carl Sampson from Picayune, Mississippi. Carl was a reservist in the Army National Guard with the 890th Engineering Battalion and was deployed to Iraq. On September 12, 2003 Corporal Sampson's supply truck came under attack outside of Fallujah. An improvised explosive device detonated as his vehicle passed a checkpoint, disabling the truck. Then a rocket-propelled grenade blew up the gas tank. Corporal Sampson was seriously injured. His fellow servicemen laid him in the back of a nearby truck and wrapped his head wounds in their clothing. A two-hour firefight ensued with the insurgents, while Corporal Sampson lay critically injured. Despite his life threatening wounds, he remained conscious, repeatedly asking for his gun to participate in the fight. Finally, our troops were able to transport him to Baghdad Hospital, then to Germany and ultimately to Walter Reed in the USA. He remained hospitalized until March 2004.

Carl Sampson has also been brave and courageous in recovery. The doctors told his family that he might never walk or talk again, but he has defied the odds and is doing both. He still faces months of physical therapy, but is an inspiration to all who meet him. Carl Sampson was awarded the Purple Heart and Magnolia Cross for his heroic service. Thank you, Corporal Carl Sampson, for your sacrifice for our country.