The courageous gentleman whose photo is featured in our Veterans Across America banner is John Fernandez, an Iraqi war veteran and a member of VAA’s Board of Advisors.  John, a native of Shoreham, NY, was captain of the West Point lacrosse team.  Commanding a platoon in the Iraqi desert in 2003, First Lieutenant Fernandez lost both legs when his unit was hit by a laser-guided bomb dropped by a plane. 

The explosion, which killed three of John’s platoon members instantly, landed John in Walter Reed Hospital for a lengthy rehabilitation. Even though his first prosthetic legs were excruciatingly painful, John later acquired a pair of state-of-the-art “cheetah legs,” which have allowed him to return to play in the West Point alumni lacrosse game—and to “ski and snowboard” with his three young kids. 

Back on his feet and charging ahead, John now supplies medical equipment, orthotics and other goods and services to the federal government, through John Fernandez Associates.  He is an inspiration to all wounded and disabled veterans, and we at Veterans Across America salute him for his courage, his tenacity and his devotion to the cause of helping veterans like himself find success in American business.

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