SSG EUGENE SIMPSON

Woodbridge, VA

Mission Accomplished on May 19, 2007

SSG Eugene Simpson, a 27-year-old father from Dale City, Va., was severely injured when an improvised explosive device (IED) exploded near his vehicle in Tikrit, Iraq. The blast sent shrapnel into his stomach and shoulder, shattered bones in both legs and feet, and partially severed his spinal cord, paralyzing him from the waist down.

In the years since receiving his Homes For Our Troops home, Eugene has become a volunteer in one of the VA’s multicenter Cooperative Study Programs. Through the program, Eugene is able to test out new powered exoskeleton technology.