ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – A U.S. Army Ranger veteran who was injured in combat back in 2009 is sharing his story alongside his father, who has been his caregiver for the last 15 years.
Cory Remsburg joined the 75th Army Ranger regiment back in 2001.
While serving in Afghanistan in 2009, Remsburg was on a mission when he was struck by an IED.
“We were walking back to the helicopter landing and the enemy put a bomb in the ground and the Ranger to the front right of me stepped on it and blew us both into a canal,” Remsburg said.
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Cory’s father, Craig Remsburg, said Cory was found not breathing underwater with collapsed lungs and a hole in his head.
“They started the life-saving situation,” Craig Remsburg said. “If you’ve heard of the golden hour, that’s post-injury you get somebody to the hospital and the likelihood is better to save his life, and they medivac’d him within that hour.”
Craig was on a work trip when he got the call about Cory’s injury. He said when he went to silence his phone, a call came through. He said because the phone number had extra digits, he knew it was a satellite call which meant it was probably Cory.
“I go, ‘Hey Cory, how’s it going?’” Craig Remsburg said. “And he goes, ‘This is Major, the Company Commander.’ He goes ‘Cory has been hurt.’ I think they did it the best way because they were matter-of-fact. Explosion, found him underwater, not breathing, collapsed lungs, hole in his head, right eye, shrapnel wound throughout the body.”
Craig said he remembers writing it all down, trying to stay collected so he could tell the rest of the family.
Craig recalled that the Major said he saw him getting put on the helicopter and that Cory was alive. Craig held on to that hope.
Days after Cory’s traumatic injury, Craig said they received a phone call from the Army telling them to come to Germany.
“Very, very difficult situation,” Craig Remsburg said. “Didn’t think he was going to make it — but that’s what it means.”
Eventually, Cory’s family moved him to a facility in Tampa, Florida, with leading traumatic brain injury care.
After three and a half months in an uninduced coma, Cory began to wake up.
“He opened an eye, and then days later he moved a foot,” Craig Remsburg said. “Then in a couple weeks, it’s like he’s tracking you around the bed. It’s not like Hollywood where you wake up and say, ‘Hey what’s for breakfast?’ He had to learn how to swallow, he had to learn to do everything. I think it was a struggle when he figured out, ‘I can’t move my left arm, or my left leg, I can’t move it.’”
During their time in Tampa, Craig said they stayed in the Fisher House, an organization that provides housing to caregivers whose loved-ones are traumatically injured.
“You meet other parents or spouses, family members, and after a full day of in the hospital, watching, nurturing, learning, you go back to the Fisher House and you end up sharing stories,” Craig Remsburg said.
Craig said having community support was paramount in the early months of Cory’s recovery.
“My wife literally quit her job and moved there,” Craig Remsburg said.
The Remsburg family also received help from Semper Fi & America’s Fund. The organization ensures that service members and military families have the resources they need during their recovery and throughout their transition back into their communities.
“They have a specialist that can advise, they would always check in,” Craig Resmburg said. “There was assistance on airplane rides, and didn’t need a hotel, but rental cars as necessary. But they would also offer counseling opportunities.”
Craig said Semper Fi & America’s Fund has been there since the beginning and continues to support the family nine years later.
Despite his injuries, Cory lives life to the fullest and doesn’t let it define him. He travels the world, attends Giants games with his dad and even competes in triathalons.
He said the fact that his story may help someone is what keeps him going.
“The fact that unbeknownst to me, I am helping someone,” Cory Remsburg said. “And because someone didn’t teach me how to quit.”
Cory’s dad, Craig, said he considers themselves the lucky ones.
“Sometimes people are taken aback from that comment from me because they look at the situation,” Craig Remsburg said. “They know the struggles that he has. ‘How can you be lucky?’ I go, ‘He’s alive. We didn’t know that was going to happen.’”
Cory, who is originally from Arizona, wanted to find independence and moved to Avalon Park where he now receives his care.
“The family said, this is the place,” Craig Remsburg said. “The downtown is great and there was activities going on, it was self-sufficient that Cory could go out in his wheelchair and do anything he wanted cutting across the parking lot.”
For more information on Semper Fi & America’s Fund, click here.
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