Former guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier faces fight of his life

in the military protecting the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery these elite volunteers are hand-picked and rigorously trained and tonight we have the story of one sentinels courage from our special assignment unit reporter Andrea McCarran and photojournalist Chris Mullin Sentinel Andy salga service ended abruptly when he was diagnosed with a rare disease that has no cure military doctors told him of the 17 people in the world with his precise diagnosis he's the only one still alive [Music] it's emotional and it was always motion Sentinel Andy salgo was living his dream 21 steps at a time it's just like pumped him yep and I was like alright I get to go guard the unknown soldiers today for an entire twenty six hour period like he served as a tomb guard that's really when it's like oh like this is this is way bigger than anything I've ever done in my life the number 21 is a symbolic nod to the 21 gun salute our nation's highest honor to me the only time that I ever felt the true honor and respect was like at night time when it's like there's nobody out there and America's sleeping but you get you know a sliver in the night to guard the end own soldiers when nobody else is around and America's entrusting you to like be there tombs March 21 steps down the mat turn and face East for 21 seconds they turn again and face north for 21 seconds then they take 21 more steps down the mat before repeating the process I think about that you know 24/7 it is haunting that selgeh was 21 when doctors at Walter Reed brought him in for emergency surgery they raced to find answers to his relentless abdominal pain pain that came on suddenly while he was walking the mat almost as if something like just took a knife and drove it into my stomach his diagnosis was devastating after the surgery I wake up and they're telling me I have just a feel like vasculitis the condition is so rare that only two of every 1 million people in the world are diagnosed with it each year the disease causes an inflammation of the blood vessels there is no cure I said back it in and they're like why me like what do what did I do you know they asked me the whole questions and stuff in your family now anywhere anywhere in your family now this rare form of vasculitis is often deadly you know I got a crash course in adulthood marriage and caregiving all at once at the age of 17 sagas found strength and his wife Emily high school sweethearts the newlyweds tied the knot when Emily was just 17 years old he was 20 where just till death like your your my he's my best friend I'm gonna be here till the end we got the sickness part done sickness and in health I'm really hoping health comes soon despite the constant pain it's impossible to find a photograph of selgeh where he isn't smiling make the best of it the couple was even tossed out of an emergency room once for uncontrollable giggling I love my husband i'ma live every day of a fullest you know I appreciate every second I get with him and with Emily's steadfast support he's transitioned from a wheelchair to a cane and is now able to walk again on his own I still wake up feeling just like somebody hit me with a bat on the inside but he's responding well to treatment they expect me to live Salva is fighting this disease with the same discipline and energy he mustered to protect the tomb 21 steps at a time and II selgeh will never walk the mat again he was forced to leave the military because of his illness but recently started an internship at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Andrea McCarran wusa9 he's an amazing young

Channel: WUSA9

Views: 3,805,485

Rating: 4.9174333 out of 5

Keywords: News, Local, military, DC

Id: 9UjMwfFnHyQ

Length: 4min 29sec (269 seconds)

Published: Fri May 26 2017