SPC Gustavo Zarate was wounded on May 18, 2012 at the age of 20 years old serving the 2st ranger infantry company during combat in Afghanistan. It was an IED explosion that change his life forever.
The day (May 17 2019) they were conducing a combat resupply to FOB Moqur. It was a standard patrol, smooth and fast, the platoon had come into a great rhythm and was really doing well stated per his friend James. Gustavo was in distro platoon E co 1/504, he was called “cold as ice” after a 400LB IED went off right behind our truck and Gustavo didn’t even blink. When the incoming fire alarm sounded an unexpected IED (first, second and third) came from the sky as Gustavo heard the alarm and the first explosion was nearby, he grab a riffle and ran through the second rounds and went to the nearest bunker to start shooting back (which had an open side facing) as he got to the bunker the third round explosion ended under 10 meters away from him. This is where Gustavo had been struck with a piece of sharp metal flying through the air striking on the bunker hitting and severely injuring SPC Gustavo on the head and body. As a result SPC Zarate was left hurt on the ground with severe bleeding coming out of his left side of the head, internal jugular vein and thyroid artery and minutes away from losing his life. He was taken to the surgery “thanks god his base had a surgery department” if not he would not be a live today.
Gustavo was hardly recognizable when arriving in the first aid station for surgery to remove and clean all the metal they could from the head and stop the bleeding from a veins. He then was taken to the Afghanistan hospital and transferred to the military base in Landstunhl Germany where they made a second surgery on his head. This second surgery was to help the brain reduce the swallowing with the pressure of the bones of the skull, this was also to avoid any more damage to the brain and the spine that will cause him to never walk again.
At Landstun Germany, the doctors said “Gustavo is in coma but stable, he suffered from severe TBI during a combat attack, I cannot tell you if he will be able to make it through the night or if he will wake up.” He is explained “a shot to the head can damage you brain and can cause severe damage but what happened to Gustavo was 5 times worse than a gun shot. Not sure if he will be able to see, speak, walk or move at all.” Doctor stated that metal shrapnel went inside his head like a blender cutting everything inside. Gustavo was eventually moved to Palo Alto California and San Diego during the 16 months that he was in the hospital.
Today, Gustavo is left unable to move, hear or see clearly on the right side of his body. He is not able to speak, read and write, which makes it difficult for him to communicate and understand any of his thoughts and we are not sure if Gustavo recalls everything from his the incident. Gustavo is a brave soldier and doesn’t give up, he is a true hero.