A Soldier's Battle Back

A Soldier's Battle Back
Eight months after losing his right arm in Iraq, Staff Sgt. Norberto Lara takes hold of his new life.

By Michael Doyle
Bee Washington Bureau

(Updated Sunday, February 27, 2005, 6:29 AM)

Staff Sgt. Norberto Lara practices using his chest and back muscles to control his new prosthetic hand Feb. 11 in a Washington hospital. Lara, a graduate of Visalia's Sequoia High School, lost his right arm in June in Iraq.
Lisa Nipp / McClatchy News Service

"I never thought I would lose an arm," Lara said.