A Special Story Of Courage And Independence (NAPSA)—A blinded vet has taught a lot of Americans to see howit’s possible to overcome great adversity if you don’t abandon your hope for a bright future and full life. A good example is Corporal Neftali Sanchez, whose life changed abruptly on July 11, 1953 in Korea when he was 19. On patrol that day, Tali was wounded by an exploding grenade that caused the loss of both his eyes and both his arms below the elbows. Instead of languishingin selfpity and despair, Tali refused to abandonthe bright future and full life that he had envisioned for himself before his injury. Coping with so many obvious adversities, Tali was nevertheless relentless in the pursuit of his personal goals. After completing blind rehabilitation in 1955, he graduated from Pepperdine University in 1959 and received a master’s degree two years later. He attended Bible college and received a bachelor’s degree in theology in 1974. Along the way, in 1955, Tali discovered an organization that would serve him and to which he would dedicate muchofhislife for the next 47 years. The Blinded Veterans Association, or BVA, elected Tali to the National Board of Directors in 1968 and then as National Chaplain in 1979, a post he had held throughout the 23 years since. Tali, a Las Vegas, Nevadares- ident, was initially attracted to ala il g re Tali Sanchez, seated with his nephew Mark Gonzales, refused to abandonthe future andfull life he had envisioned for himself. BVA for the special services and benefits that the organization could help him, a blinded veteran, learn about and obtain. Just as important for Tali, however, was that BVA could provide him opportunities to serve others, particularly those who may be climbing the same mountain that he had climbed but who had not yet been able to reach the same heights. BVAoffers blinded veterans a variety of services, including rehabilitation initiatives and a national, full-time field representative pro- gram. BVAtracesits roots back to a group of veterans wholost their sight during World WarII. The Association’s services are free and available to any blind veteran, including those who were not injured in combat. For more information, visit www.bva.org or call 800-669-7079.
