Sgt. Damon's Art

What would you do if you lost both of your arms?

Sgt. Pete Damon became an artist. And a damn good one, too.

In October of 2003, while serving as a helicopter mechanic in Iraq, Pete Damon lost both arms.

Since that time, he has made truly beautiful paintings.

Guys like Pete Damon amaze me. I have both of my arms. I couldn't do work this beautiful if you gave me 100 years and private lessons with a master. Pete does it with a prosthesis and his natural God-given talent.

 Here he is, at work.

His story - which you can read more about at his blog (and at stories done about him in publications such as The Boston Globe, TIME, and others, to which there are links at his place) - is courageous and heartwarming, but arms or no arms, the guy is just plain GOOD.

Within three months of losing his arms, he took up painting. He had drawn before, but now painting,“became my therapy,” Damon says. “It really uplifted me. It lit a spark. It has really evolved from therapy to a passion that consumes most of my time.” It's time well-spent, wouldn't you say?

 In January 2009, he presented one of his paintings to President George W. Bush. The painting of a soldier saluting the president from a wheelchair reflected Damon’s own views. “I told him I had no regrets. I think I’m a better person because of my military experience,” Damon says.

 I think I'm a better person for having found out about Sgt. Pete Damon.

Please visit Sgt. Damon's blog. His paintings are for sale. If you're not in a position to buy one, why not do the world a favor and feature him and his artwork on your blog, as I've done here?

Thanks for your service, Sergeant. And thanks for making my day a better one via your art.

Oh, one last thought: Before his injuries, Damon was right-handed. He has accomplished all of this as a lefty.

Soon, with more better stuff.