John Ricketts

United States Army Sergeant John Ricketts was injured in May of 2010 while serving as a gunner for the 101st Airborne Division in Afghanistan. His vehicle was blown up by an improvised explosive device during a routine convoy patrol of a mountainside. The homemade roadside bomb ripped the cab off the heavy truck carrying SGT Ricketts and three other soldiers, sending it flying off the edge of a cliff.

His brain injury was so severe that initially, he was not expected to ever walk or talk again. The doctors focused mainly on the brain injury. So, the bones in SGT Ricketts’ feet and ankles calcified. After learning to walk and stand with much pain, SGT Ricketts decided to have his legs amputated below his knees. He now has prosthetics, and his dream is to compete in an off-road marathon involving a run through the desert, a mountain-bike race, and a competitive swim.

In 2015, Jared Allen’s Homes for Wounded Warriors finished remodeling a home for SGT Ricketts in Phoenix, Arizona, so he could live safely and independently within his own home, either in his wheelchair or prosthetics.

Please take a moment to honor SGT Ricketts’ service and sacrifice by signing his guest book and leaving a message of support below. Consider donating today to help JAH4WW continue its mission of supporting combat-wounded Veterans. Your generosity makes a difference.