Sticks for Soldiers 2011 Honorees

Fairfield Connecticut Lacrosse

Joshua Budd

Pfc. Joshua Budd, U.S. Army, of Cheshire, Connecticut was seriously injured on July 18, 2011 while serving in Kandahar Province, Afghanistan. After serving just three months in Afghanistan, an improvised explosive device (IED) caused one leg to be amputated and left him with internal injuries and damage to his other leg. Josh, 19, is being treated at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Maryland where his mother, Barbara Budd, has remained since he was admitted. Josh was a 2010 graduate of Cheshire High School, where he played football and baseball and was also a volunteer junior firefighter with the Cheshire Fire Department.

Liam Dwyer
 

Sgt. Liam Dwyer, a U.S.Marine of Southbury and Litchfield, Connecticut, was severely injured by an IED on May 22, 2011 in Afghanistan. Dwyer, 30, a 1999 graduate of Litchfield High School, lost his left leg above the knee and suffered major damage to his right leg and right arm in the explosion. He was leading a patrol at the time. Despite the severity of his injuries, Liam hasn't lost the good attitude. His determination remains intact as well. "There's going to be nothing I can't do," he said in looking forward to resuming his life after completing rehabilitation at the Walter Reed Medical Center in Maryland.

Joe Wilkinson

Tech Sgt. Joe Wilkinson, USAF (ret.), of North Troy, New York, has progressive leg paralysis and strength loss as the result of a compromised spinal cord with an unclear diagnosis or cause. He served in the USAF Security forces for 12 years from 1997 to 2009. Since returning in 2006, he has endured 2 spinal surgeries and many months of therapy and rehab at Walter Reed and the VA Hospitals in Albany and Syracuse. Joe, 32, is mostly confined to a wheelchair, and struggling to support his wife, Lucretia and 3 young children in a house needing improved accessibility.