A large gathering came to Tahoma National Cemetery for the Veterans Day ceremony.
The keyno
te speaker was Jim Martinson, a Vietnam Veteran who lost both legs above the knee in Da Nang in 1968.
After returning from Vietnam Martinson began racing wheelchairs in 1976 and competed in numerous road races and track events. He founded Shadow Products, a sports equipment manufacturing company, and developed products like the Race Wheelchair for 10k, marathon and track, the Kan Ski for water skiing, the mono ski for snow skiing and the basketball and tennis wheelchair.
At the ceremony Martinson talked about the events of the day he lost his legs after stepping on a land mine. He said he wondered why his two buddies weren’t helping him, then he realized they were dead.
Martinson said he has been very fortunate in his life after losing his legs and that one should never lose hope and never give up.
He said the veterans of Vietnam War like himself were in their 60s now, and their legs are likely beginning to stiffen and creak with age. Martinson said he is fortunate because his legs are just as good as they were 40 years ago.
