Retired Marine Corps sergeant gifted $100,000 truck with hand controls after losing both legs in Afghanistan grenade blast

By Natalie Duddridge

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    NEW YORK (WCBS) — A New York City veteran and double-amputee was honored Friday and gifted a new truck, modified with hand controls, at a Memorial Day event at the USS Intrepid.

“They said an organization wants to donate a truck and I was shocked,” retired Sgt. Luis Remache said.

Remache tested out his modified Ford F-150, perfectly fitted with hand controls, CBS2’s Natalie Duddridge reported.

“It’s giving me a part of freedom. I’m able to maneuver around more,” Remache said.

Remache served in the U.S. Marine Corps for nearly a decade. In 2011, he was severely injured in a grenade blast while on patrol in Afghanistan. Both of Remache’s legs were amputated above the knee.

Remache was evacuated to Walter Reed Military Medical Center where he met his wife who happened to be working there.

“She was the one that got me out of the ambulance that brought me to the hospital,” Remache said.

“He was actually the first person I ever medevaced off the CCAT,” Cynthia Remache said. “So I helped load him onto the stretcher and then we pulled him into the ICU so he could get work done.”

The couple married and now have two children, five and eight months old. A modified vehicle became more important than ever.

“It was so difficult getting his wheelchair in and out of our vehicle,” Cynthia Remache said.

The couple was referred to the Wounded Warriors nonprofit, which raised funds to donate the $100,000 truck.

“For Sergeant Luis, this means that he’s going to have freedom to be mobile again,” said Kate McCauley, president and CEO of Wounded Warriors.

Remache said he’s most looking forward to being able to drive his family around.

“Leaving the house with both of the kids and just leaving my wife to be by herself. Some free time away from three of us, since she takes care of all three of us,” Remache said.

The Remaches didn’t think they would be able to have children, but their miracle babies were born five years apart, both on September 11.

“It’s very, very, very crazy that that day brought not only my husband and I together because we went to war for that, but it also brought my family together as well,” Cynthia Remache said.

In 2021, Wounded Warriors donated nine vehicles to combat-wounded veterans.

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