A native of Pearland , Texas , Soule attended Texas A&M University as a member of the Corps of Cadets ; he was a student there when the September 11 attacks occurred . At the end of that school year , he enlisted in the U.S. Army and , after completing basic training , was deployed to Afghanistan . On May 21 , 2005 , while on a security patrol in the Shinkay District , his Humvee was struck by an improvised explosive device . The explosion killed one soldier , destroyed Soule 's legs , leading to their amputation above the knees , and lightly wounded two other soldiers . Soule was evacuated to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany and then transported to Fort Sam Houston , Texas , where he spent the next several years recuperating at Brooke Army Medical Center
September 11 attacks
September 11 attacks
Andy Soule