Josh Wege

Lance Corporal Josh Wege’s journey of service and sacrifice began in August 2009 when he enlisted and was later deployed to the Helmand Province in southern Afghanistan. There, he shared his expertise in marksmanship and tactics with the Afghan National Police and Army. His dedication to duty led him to volunteer for a patrol of a local bazaar on October 4, 2009. A few minutes into the patrol, the LAV (light armored vehicle) hit an IED, resulting in the immediate loss of his right leg, severe injuries to his left leg, a severe concussion, and lumbar spine compression fractures.

Unfortunately, the injuries to his left leg were too extensive, resulting in his second below-the-knee amputation. Upon return to the United States, LCpl Wege faced extensive surgeries every other day for a month to clean the wounds. His resilience shone through as he was fitted and wearing prosthetics just two weeks after his surgeries were finished, and he took his first steps within a month and a half. Six months later, he faced a minor setback when it was found that he needed revision surgery due to excessive bone growth. Being only 19 years old made his trauma easily susceptible to excessive bone growth, and he developed spurs that made wearing prosthetics almost unbearable. Even a surgical revision couldn’t dampen his spirit. With support and motivation from his family and his competitive nature, he was determined to recover quickly.

Today, LCpl Wege embodies the epitome of determination by engaging in snowboarding and other activities that keep him active. He has found a profound purpose in volunteering with the USA Patriots – a softball team comprised of Veterans who have lost a limb(s). You might recognize a few other JAH4WW Veterans on the team as well. As a founding member, he is proud to host an annual kids camp, inspiring amputee children to play, be proud of themselves, and build their confidence. His commitment and desire to “Serve Beyond the Uniform” with an organization that fuels his sense of purpose is a testament to his indomitable spirit.

LCpl Wege currently lives in an apartment with a lack of accessible features. Jared Allen’s Homes for Wounded Warriors is honored to collaborate with our national partners to design and build a 100% accessible, mortgage-free home that will ease daily challenges and allow LCpl Wege to feel safe and secure.

Please take a moment to honor LCpl Wege’s 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.