Ivan Castro was in Augusta a few years ago being treated for his egregious wounds. He is still on active duty and a remarkable man. The following article appeared in an Annapolis newspaper.
Army officer blinded in Iraq inspires mids
By JENNIFER HLAD Staff Writer
Published 09/18/09
TOP: Gin Kai — Courtesy of the Naval Academy BOTTOM: Ivan Castro, a blind Army special forces officer, jogs with midshipmen.
Capt. Castro spoke Wednesday to the Brigade of Midshipmen during the Forrestal lecture at the Naval Academy. Castro lost his right eye and the vision in his left eye after a mortar attack in Iraq in 2006. He passed on a message of perseverance to the mids. When Capt. Ivan Castro learned his vision was gone, he started to second-guess his doctors. He hoped for a miracle, that he would wake up one morning and be able to see.
Then he started to think about his future, he told the Brigade of Midshipmen Wednesday night.
The special operations soldier couldn't stand up on his own, he had lost 50 pounds of muscle and gained 70 pounds of fat since two 82-mm mortar rounds exploded near him in Iraq in 2006. But as he lay in a bed at National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, he heard some nurses talking about the Marine Corps Marathon and decided he wanted to do it, he said.
Three years after he lost one eye and the vision in the other, he has run the Army 10-miler three times, hiked the 14,270-foot Grays Peak in Colorado, completed two half marathons, seven full marathons, a 50-mile race and a triathlon, Castro told the midshipmen gathered in the Naval Academy's Alumni Hall for his speech, which was part of the Forrestal Lecture Series.
Now Castro, the only blind special operations officer in the Army, is a student at the Maneuver Captain's Career Course at Fort Benning, Ga.
"What gets me fired up is all life has to offer," he said. "Live every day to the fullest."
Castro enlisted in the Army in 1988 and, after earning his degree, was commissioned as a second lieutenant in December 2004. He told the midshipmen about his experiences as a soldier and as a leader, saying they are in the perfect place to determine their leadership style and build the foundation they will need as officers.
"We are a nation at war, and you guys joined at a time of war," he said. "That makes me proud."
Castro served in Iraq during Operation Desert Storm as well as the current Iraq war. He also has served in Afghanistan, Kosovo, Albania, Bosnia and South America. Before he was injured, "all I wanted to do was deploy," he said.Now, Castro figures that by doing a desk job, he can allow someone else to go out and do the missions he wishes he could still do.
"I believe I can still contribute to the force," he said.
Still, Castro stressed he wouldn't have been able to do it without the support of his command, his friends and family, particularly his wife, Evelyn Galvis.
"I wouldn't be standing here if it wasn't for my wife," he said.
Vice Adm. Jeffrey L. Fowler, Naval Academy superintendent, said the message Castro delivered was the same one he and the commandant try to send to the midshipmen, but it may carry more weight coming from Castro.
"We try to make this special, a little different than their day-to-day classes," Fowler said. "We want this to be engaging."
The midshipmen were required to attend the lecture, but their reactions throughout the speech showed they remained engaged. He spoke for about 30 minutes, then opened the floor for questions. When he finished speaking, the brigade gave him a standing ovation, then cheered when he put on a Navy jacket.
As they prepared to sing "Blue and Gold," Castro stopped them.
"I heard that at the end of this song, you say something, and you were told not to say it because I am here," he said. "Stay true to what you believe. … I want to hear it."
The midshipmen obliged, shouting a hearty "Beat Army!" to end the evening.
"I think it was pretty amazing," Midshipman 1st Class Nathan Tocco of Jacksonville Beach, Fla., said after the speech. "It is inspiring to know that even if something like that happens to you, you can still overcome."
