Thursday, December 27, 2007

Don Barone: War and Fishing


ESPN's Don Barone is leaving the ESPN studios to write for ESPNOutdoors.com and B.A.S.S. Before he moves on he sent us a link to one of his best stories yet about a fishing trip with a wounded warrior.
Here is an excerpt from his ESPN.com article:
Dan Laffin, standing up in the turret, was getting lit up from RPG's (Rocket Propelled Grenades). Out of the night, from both sides of the road shoulder-fired bombs streaked into the Humvee, and landed right next to where Dan was standing.

Dan: "Never saw it coming, caught in a cross-fire. The shrapnel tore through my left shoulder, wrist, face, neck, ear …" He suffered Traumatic Brain Injury, suffers Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, deaf in one ear, except for the constant ringing which tends to drown everything out.
Dan is telling me this standing on the banks of the Farmington River in New Hartford, Conn. He sticks out his left arm and pulls up the sleeve, I see that "most" of his left wrist is still there. "Good thing it's not my casting arm."
Don't worry, we will keep you informed about all of Don's new efforts.
photo: Don Barone / ESPN.com

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