Russell (Rusty) L. Carter was welcomed home this afternoon, April 14, with a police escort that included cars from just about every jurisdiction in Delaware County, fire engines, Mummers, dozens of motorcyclists from Warriors’ Watch Riders and a crowd of hundreds that lined his small block on Orchard Road between Leamy and Woodland avenues in Springfield Pa.
The procession proceeded through an arch made from ladder trucks from the Springfield and Clifton Heights volunteer fire companies from which hung an enormous American flag.
Rusty served as a member of the 101st Airborne Division and was deployed to Afghanistan. In July 2010, he came under hostile fire and suffered a concussion. A month after being treated from his wounds he returned to his unit.
On Jan. 2, 2011 while returning from a night mission, Rusty was in the turret of his Humvee that experienced mechanical problems and went over the side of an unprotected bridge, crashing into a ravine and coming to rest in the river bed 50 feet below. While the five other soldiers on board sustained recoverable injuries, Rusty suffered several broken bones, severe lacerations to his face and skull and a complete C 4 separation of the spine.
Rusty has lost all motor function; he is paralyzed from the chest down and has no feeling from the elbows down. He also suffers from minor traumatic brain injury. The prognosis is that he is permanently disabled, will never walk again and no longer has use of his hands.
The event was organized by Warriors’ Watch Riders, an organization of motorcyclists dedicated to honoring those who served pictured below turning onto Orchard Road from Leamy Avenue.