Sunday, November 8, 2009
Top Stories
Comment
Get Email Alerts!

Disabled Iraq war vet charges back into life at home

Published 09/21/08

At first, it is easy to see what war has taken from Sgt. Luis Rosa-Valentin.

Joshua McKerrow — The Capital A bomb in Baghdad could not take away Sgt. Luis Rosa-Valentin’s sense of humor, as he displays a shirt declaring “I’m just in it for the parking.” Sgt. Rosa-Valentin, a Meade High School graduate, lost his left arm and both of his legs during his second tour of duty in Iraq.
Advertisement

Both of his legs and his left arm are gone. The 25-year-old soldier needs a hearing aid for his left ear, and a cochlear implant soon will be placed in his right. He has no sense of smell.

Luis' right arm, his only remaining limb, also is a symbol of loss. A tattoo of the memorial soldiers make for their fallen comrades - an arrangement of the dead's empty boots, helmet and rifle - adorns the inside of his forearm, set against the American flag. It stands as a reminder of his closest buddy in the Army, Staff Sgt. Steve Butcher, Jr., who was...

This story has expired!
You can purchase the full text in our news archives.
YOUR COMMENTS

If you encounter other problems, please email ewiffin@capitalgazette.com and include your name, username, and any errors or messages that are displayed. The more information you can provide, the better able we will be to assist you.

In order to post or vote on a comment, you must be signed in with a hometownannapolis account.

Take a look at a summary of Commenting Guidelines.

LOGIN TO POST A COMMENT

If you encounter other problems, please email ewiffin@capitalgazette.com and include your name, username, and any errors or messages that are displayed. The more information you can provide, the better able we will be to assist you.

Username: Password:
Forgot your username? Forgot your password? Create an account
LOGIN
Facebook click
Twitter click
HometownGlenBurnie click
HometownBowie click
video
video
Home of the Week: Judi Fike
video
video
Cordle Campaign Party
video
video
Cohen Victory Speech
video
video
Navy Sports Chat, Football: Nov. 3
video
video
Silver Gloves Boxing Champion
video
video
Business Q&A: Rick Morgan

• BUY PHOTOS & VIDEO>>

SPECIAL: Two-for-one 8x10 photo reprints

slideshow
slideshow
St. Mary's tops Severn in football
slideshow
slideshow
Navy 23 - Notre Dame 21
slideshow
slideshow
Tug-of-War
slideshow
slideshow
USS New York
slideshow
slideshow
Home of the Week: Judi Fike
slideshow
slideshow
High School football
#1 - Mids shock Irish again
#2 - 6 injured in early-morning crashes
#3 - Suspect in assault top military wrestler
#4 - Pasadena man presumed to have drowned
#5 - Annapolis 'Bar Wars' continue
#6 - Mids adjust, but Irish don't
#7 - Arundel Digest
#8 - Old Mill football coach’s car destroyed
#9 - MRE claims victory in 'Slaughter Across the Water'
#10 - Man: Police forced him to delete photos
#1 - Anti-illegal-immigration group draws controversy (43 comments)
#2 - Severna Park forfeits county title (34 comments)
#3 - Man: Police forced him to delete photos (14 comments)
#4 - Suspect in assault top military wrestler (12 comments)
#5 - Couple departs Annapolis, continues on sailing adventure (9 comments)
HomesInAnnapolis.com

Annapolis

Curtis Bay
Advertise
Archive
Blogs
Calendar
Comments
Contact us
Cookbook
Slideshows
Video
AP Video
SUBMIT INFO:
Anniversary
Band info
Birth
Calendar event
Engagement
Letter
Obituary
Wedding