Danielle Green, an Army military police officer who survived a grenade attack while stationed in Iraq in 2004, is joining the Wounded Warrior Project’s Soldier Ride in New York City on Thursday. Green lost much of her left arm as a result of the attack and now has a prosthetic. According to the New York Times, Green will be riding a bicycle for the first time in New York City.
Although Green is used to the hot weather, living in St. Petersburg, Florida, she is concerned about navigating hills along the ride. Green will be participating in the “Soldier Ride” using a specially designed bike with handlebars to accommodate her prosthetic arm “which grips the bars like an open wrench.”
Green will ride among other veterans and supporters from midtown Manhattan to Coney Island. During the ride, Green and her fellow cyclists will be surrounded by supporters encouraging and cheering them on. Green is looking forward to starting and finishing the ride together as a team, while they look out for each other for any signs of physical or emotional distress.
“We start together, we ride together, we finish together. We’re going to ride as a team,” said Green.
Reflecting on the moment she lost most of her left arm, Green shared that she joined the Army after the September 11th attacks, and explained that she “wasn’t naïve about the fact that we were going to war.” According to the New York Times, “Green’s unit was assigned to a police station in central Baghdad, training officers. On that day, none of the officers showed up. It was Green’s turn to guard the roof, watching the neighborhood for trouble. The first two rocket-propelled grenades landed in the building two stories below her. The third landed on the roof. The blast made Green’s body numb, followed by pain like she had never experienced.” After waking up in a hospital, Green was awarded a Purple Heart from the commander of her battalion.
The Wounded Warrior Project’s Soldier Ride is giving veterans like Green a special opportunity to ride among other veterans “united in their bonds of service in a supportive environment.” The purpose of the ride, according to the Wounded Warrior Project, is “[empower] warriors to find solace, healing, and strength through movement” and help “unleash their untapped potential.”