I am beyond thrilled to be here with all of you today,

but more importantly for his tremendous leadership

of the DAV and for all of his outstanding service

But most of all, I want to thank all of you here today --

the men and women who have served and sacrificed so greatly

Truly, one of my greatest joys over these past few years

I have laughed with your children at barbeques.

I've learned so much during my many visits to military bases

I have been so inspired by your stories -- so inspired.

And I'm reminded of one of those stories today,

the story of a young man I met at Walter Reed.

His name is Sergeant Winder Perez, and he is 24 years old.

Sergeant Perez was on a combat mission in Afghanistan,

He collapsed, but the grenade stayed lodged in his left thigh

Sergeant Perez's fellow Marines ran to his aid and together

they chose to carry him off the battlefield to safety,

even though they knew that any wrong move

Moments later, four pilots and medics chose to load him

onto a helicopter with the live explosive still in his leg,

transporting him 65 miles to the nearest medical station.

And finally, when they arrived, a nurse and explosive expert

chose to rush to his aid, finally dislodging the rocket

by hand and giving doctors a chance to save his leg --

Now, just that part of Sergeant Perez's story tells you

everything you need to know about the men and women

stories like these don't end in the combat zone.

He has survived a heart attack and an aneurysm,

and he's fought through hundreds of hours

of rigorous physical therapy to strengthen his leg.

just when he's regained the strength to walk,

his doctors have told him that it's time for another surgery,

and then Sergeant Perez is back in a wheelchair,

You don't hear about any of that when you talk to Sergeant Perez.

who he will tell you has stayed by his side every single day.

to the family and friends who come from New York to visit,

and he plans to spend the rest of his career

And when asked about everything he's been through,

Sergeant Perez puts it all in perspective by simply saying,

"I just think you've got to get back up."

And as I look across this room, I see a group of people

-- no matter what the struggles you have faced,

That's why, every day, I work to push myself harder

And that's why Jill Biden and I are working so hard

because we want to honor and serve you and your families --

to make sure that you and your families have

Subtitles ListPlay Video

President Obama and the First Lady address the Disabled American Veterans National Convention

extraordinary

mental

deserve

applause