Soldier Returns Home After Afghanistan Blast

The second he felt the blast Private First Class Scott Hysell knew something was wrong.

The specialized truck he was driving along a dusty road in the Logar Province had hit a roadside bomb. Still in a hostile fighting environment, Hysell checked on his fellow passengers knowing that something was wrong with his legs.

“I was pretty lucky, these things are designed to save our lives and that’s exactly what it did,” said Hysell with a dim voice remembering the fateful day in late March.

Rank faded away and the soldier helped one another. While few details can be talked about given the ongoing operations in Afghanistan, Hysell did tell ABC-7 that his fellow soldiers risked their lives to make sure he was okay once they realized he couldn’t walk. Once to safety, it was believed he had a severely injured ankle. It wasn’t until he flew back to the United States that it was learned Hysell had shattered his left heel and broken his right leg.

“That’s when you see the brotherhood of what we’re doing over there come together really quickly,” said Hysell when remembering how his fellow soldiers made sure he made it home safe.

A similar brotherhood was taking place on Saturday. Worlds away in El Paso, the Texas Ramps Project was sponsoring a build to install a hand-built handicap ramp that would allow Hysell to return home for the first time in nearly a year.

Until Saturday Hysell had stayed in hospital and hotel rooms, never being able to enter the place he intends to call home with his wife for the forseeable future. With a smile on his face, 75 volunteers swung hammers and used drills trying to make his dream of finally making it “home” a reality.

“It’s not only for the people that need the ramp, but their family,” said David Kessinger, the team leader on Saturday’s build. “How easy is it to push them up a gentle slope and get him into a car? Going to the movies or to the store, this is going to give them their lives back.”

Members of multiple Knights of Columbus’, Rotary Clubs, Boy Scouts of Americas and local churches gathered to make the build a reality on Saturday. While Hysell was grateful, it was clear the builders felt the other way around as each made their way to Hysell to shake his hand and thank him for his service.

“It’s overwhelming, I feel like I just did a job,” said Hysell.

The ramp may not be permanent, Hysell is going through rehabilitation and hopes to make a full recovery in the coming months and years, but the volunteers said it’s made in such a way that it can be cut up and transported to any other wounded warrior who needs their help. In the meantime, the volunteers said their time and effort on Saturday will not be wasted.

“This is worth all of our time,” said Kessinger.

Hysell isn’t sure whether he wants to return to the military, or whether they’ll eventually have him back after his recovery. For now, he said, the immediate plan is to rehab and determine what the next step is.