Photo By Sgt. Amber Bohlman | Retired Army Sgt. Jared Lemon. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Amber Bohlman / Released)... read more read more
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GUANTANAMO BAY, Cuba - Soldiers Undertaking Disabled Scuba made their 9th appearance at U.S. Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, this week, giving seven former service members the opportunity to spend five days diving in the surrounding tropical waters.
Of the seven divers was 34-year-old retired Army Sgt. Jared Lemon from Anchorage, Alaska. Lemon received his open water diver and advanced open water diver certifications with SUDS. Lemon said he has been with SUDS for a while now and has gone on several trips with the program to Puerto Rico, Hawaii and Florida.
Lemon first heard about SUDS from some friends during his time at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md.
“I had a bunch of buddies, and their recoveries were further along than mine,” Lemon said. “They had all been doing scuba diving, and they told me how therapeutic it was, so as soon as I got healed up, I started going with it, and it was through SUDS and John.”
Lemon said that diving is in fact therapeutic for him. After the loss of his right arm, he has developed a phantom limb pain, a pain that feels like it’s coming from a body part that’s no longer there, which resembles his right arm being on fire at its worst, and stabbing needles at its best.
“When I go diving, the pain goes away,” Lemon said. “It’s amazing. It’s like meditating under water … It’s peaceful, and it brings peace to me.”
Lemon said that doing something physical, being a part of a team and getting the chance to do things he thought he couldn’t do is awesome.
“It means a lot to go on these trips,” Lemon said. “Not just the diving part, but the camaraderie. Being retired, you’re not around as many military people anymore, so it’s always nice to come back.”
| Date Taken: | 02.15.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 02.19.2015 17:47 |
| Story ID: | 154898 |
| Location: | GUANTANAMO BAY, CU |
| Hometown: | ANCHORAGE, AK, US |
| Hometown: | SALT LAKE CITY, UT, US |
| Hometown: | SAN DIEGO, CA, US |
| Web Views: | 103 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Wounded Warrior finds Peace in Diving Program, by SSG Richard Hoppe, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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