Dave Roever is a Vietnam war veteran who made a miraculous comeback after sustaining life-threatening injuries during the war.
After being drafted at the height of the Vietnam war, Roever joined the navy and served as a riverboat gunner in the elite Brown Water Black Beret. He suffered horrific burns when a grenade went off in his hand as this excerpt explains: "Eight months into his tour of duty in Vietnam, Roever was burned beyond recognition when a phosphorous grenade he was poised to throw exploded in his hand. The ordeal left him hospitalized for fourteen months."
The explosion happened when a sniper's bullet intended for Roever's head hit the grenade which he was holding just 6 inches from his head. According to reports, the grievously injured burned Navy Special Warfare combat Crewman Sailor (SWCC) fell into the river with the flesh literally melting off his body. He was rescued by fellow servicemen and taken to a hospital.
Roever was able to make a successful comeback after undergoing several major surgeries to repair the damage sustained in the explosion. He then became a gifted public speaker.
Per reports, he is regularly called upon to address troops both based in the US and abroad: "Using his life as an example, he addresses issues relevant to his audience and presents concrete solutions to life’ s problems. Often drawing upon his war experiences of loneliness, peer pressure, disfigurement, and pain, as well as life’ s triumphs, Dave weaves a message of courage, commitment and survival that touches and transforms those who hear him."
In addition, he speaks at public schools, military installations, and businesses, as well as is a frequent guest on national television talk shows.
He was awarded the Purple Heart 34 years after sustaining his injuries. In 2005, he also received an honorary doctorate degree in recognition of his remarkable life and service.
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