On May 22, 2011, Staff Sgt. Liam Dwyer was serving for the U.S. Marines when he was involved in a horrendous incident in Afghanistan, stepping on an explosive and subsequently losing part of his leg.
Fellow Marine Sgt. Aaron Denning picked up Dwyer, helped slow his bleeding and carried him to safety. Dwyer has since been fitted with a special prosthesis that replaces his leg.
On Saturday, May 2, Dwyer and Denning met again at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, where Denning flew the green flag for the Continental Tire Monterey Grand Prix powered by Mazda. This was the first time Denning ever saw Dwyer race.
Liam Dwyer had scored a victory in the Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge ST class last year at Lime Rock Park in Connecticut. This time, however, he had the added bonus of having his savior watch on as Andrew Carbonell, Dwyer’s co-driver, made a move for the ST class lead and the win on the final lap of the two-and-a-half-hour race.
“It’s like a fairy tale,” Denning told IMSA.com, “Liam Dwyer is the living, breathing embodiment of a man who was knocked down, and got back up. I’m honored to be here, and I’m honored to be his friend.”
“I don’t have words for the emotion,” said Dwyer, thanking Carbonell, his team, Mazda and Marine Sgt. Aaron Denning. “I’m just so proud to be part of this team.”
Dwyer’s mother was also on hand to meet the man who had saved her son’s life. Both Denning and Dwyer continue to serve in the Marines.
