Orchard Road in Springfield Pa. will be closed at about 12:30 p.m., today, April 14, for a big welcome home for Army Specialist Russell (Rusty) L. Carter to his home on the street.
Rusty served as a member of the 101st Airborne Division and was deployed to Afghanistan In July of 2010. He came under hostile fire and ultimately suffering 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 when, after experiencing mechanical problems, it 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.
While he has undergone spinal and neck surgeries, he is paralyzed from the elbows down.
Rusty will be escorted home by Springfield Police and The Warriors Watch Riders, along with members of the community.
Please join Jerry in welcoming home a severely injured young soldier from Springfield, PA (See the above link regarding our hero, Army Specialist Russell Carter).
The escort is expected to arrive at 1 p.m.
God Bless Our Troops, God Bless America and God Bless Rusty Carter.
Hat tip Cathy Craddock.
Aslo today, at 6:30 p.m., the World War II vets participating in the Inaugural Trip of Honor Flight Philadelphia will be returning to Anthony’s Restaurant, 4990 State Road in Drexel Hill from their day in Washington D. C.
The public is encouraged to greet them.
Honor Flight is a national non-profit organization founded in 2005 to give aging or terminally ill veterans a day of honor in Washington D.C.
There is no cost to the veterans. Thousands of them have participated in the last six years.
The Philadelphia hub was started and is managed by Springfield resident Andrew Schiavello.