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SGT James T. Hackemer, US Army

Son of John and Nancy Hackemer
Father of two daughters, Addison and Kaelynn

James survived the loss of both legs and a severe head injury from a roadside bombing in March of 2008 on his second Iraq deployment. “After he was hit by the IED, he died once in the field and once on the operating table,” his mother Nancy said.

After a three-year rehabilitation at Walter Reed Military Medical Center, James returned to his home in Gowanda, New York where he said in a WIVB-TV interview, “I’m going to live my life to the fullest from here on out, no regrets. Still looking forward to my life ahead of me.” James died doing just that, riding a 208-foot roller coaster in upstate New York in 2011.

“He so loved his family, friends and Savior. He was a treasure and left an impression on everyone he met along the way.” Nancy and John Hackemer