May 22, 2023
Former patient salutes nurses on Navy Nurse Corps’ 115th birthday
WRNMMC, Bethesda, Md. —
A nurse’s face.
That was one of the first things retired Army Master Sgt. Cedric King said he saw after waking up from a coma at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (WRNMMC) in August 2012.
On July 25, 2012, during his second tour in Afghanistan, King, then on active duty, was severely injured by an Improvised Explosive Device (IED). Although the IED claimed his legs, caused internal injuries, and permanent damage to his right arm, it did not destroy his gung-ho spirit and enthusiasm about taking on any challenges life puts before him, he said. The soldier was at WRNMMC as a patient for nearly three years following his injuries in Afghanistan.