John Kriesel lived through a roadside explosion near Fallujah, Iraq, on Dec. 2, 2006.
The blast claimed both of his legs as well as two friends and members of his team, Minnesota Army National Guard Sgt. Bryan T. McDonough and Sgt. Corey J. Rystad.
Kriesel died three times on the operating table, but the former Staff Sgt. survived and co-wrote Still Standing: The Story of SSG John Kriesel. Now a member of the Minnesota House of Representatives, friends held a party for Kriesel’s 10th “alive day” on Friday night.
Kriesel said he appreciated the support from friends and others that he had never previously met.