A Marine veteran from the Miami Valley is looking to represent his country in a different international affair.
Dayton native Larry Draughn currently plays for Ohio Warriors Sled Hockey in Columbus but he is looking for a shot to play for Team USA.
He’s continuing to train so he can achieve his dream.
“That would definitely be an amazing accomplishment,” he added.
Draughn has already accomplished so much off the rink.
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May 30, 2009 is a day that Draughn will never forget.
The marine was on his fifth combat mission in Afghanistan when he stepped on an improvised explosive device that resulted in both his legs being amputated.
“It threw me they said between 10 and 15 feet in the air,” Draughn recalled.
He remembers reading for help and fearing the worst.
“I rolled over to my radio operator and swallowed as I said, ‘save me... I’m not going to make it,” he said.
He doesn’t remember much after that but knows it took about two hours to get him to the hospital.
“I prayed the whole time. I really did. My guys kept fighting for me, so I kept fighting for them and fighting for my family,” Draughn said.
In just 17 days he was discharged from the hospital.
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It’s been 13 years since the attack, and he has come a long way.
He said he has a lot to owe to the non-profit Semper Fi & America’s Fund. The organization cares for critically wounded service members and their families.
Draughn said the organization helped get him into sled hockey as well as paid for his rehab, hospital bills and the bucket he uses when he plays.
While Draughn said he still has a lot of training to do, he hopes he can represent his country again soon.
“That’d be an honor... I’d be representing everybody, so that’d be really really sweet,” he said.