Artist Bio
September 11th, 2001, Luis Rosa-Valentin found himself in the position of attention in the company area listening to the drill sergeant. About an hour elapsed when the senior drill sergeant hurriedly approached our drill, whispered in his ear, and then they both disappeared into the office, leaving us alone in the silence of what would become the last few minutes in Luis' life that he would know the word peace. The drill sergeant returned.
Sergeant Luis Rosa reported for his second combat unit in December of 2007. By February Sergeant Rosa was back in Iraq. Then, on April 21st, 2008 (two days before his birthday) SGT Rosa, during an attack against insurgents in Sadr City, was on foot when he was struck with a roadside bomb. As a result of the blast Sgt Rosa lost both legs above the knee, his left arm below the elbow, the sight from his left eye, all hearing in both ears (he now wears a cochlear implant in either ear), and a moderate brain injury.