“When we ran over the median, that’s when the bomb went off and everything went black.”
During the seventh general session of the 85th National FFA Convention and Expo, Josh Bleill addressed thousands of FFA members to share a story of emotion and encouragement.
Bleill was a United States Marine who had suffered an accident during his tour in Iraq. He had enlisted in the Marine Corps in 2002. His father and grandfather had served in the military before him and after 9/11, he knew it was his duty to enlist. On October 15, 2006, Bleill lost both of his legs when an IED exploded under his Humvee in Fallujah, Iraq.
Bleill went through two years of rehabilitation. “I hid from the world. I missed out on a lot of great opportunities because I was scared,” he said of his challenges during rehab.
He overcame hardships and learned to walk with two prosthetic legs. At first, he struggled through negativity and failures. But after receiving support from family, friends and neighbors, he was able to turn his situation into a positive one. He learned to appreciate every second of life and be a role model for others.
After Bleill’s heart-touching story of tragedy and triumph, his message rang out loud and clear in Banker’s Life Fieldhouse. “When you want to grow, you have to grow your vision. It’s about giving. You have to GROW your voice.”
National FFA Convention and Expo Blog 