Man Who Lost Leg in Afghanistan Stops After Colin Powell Blows Tire on Interstate
A disabled veteran who lost a leg in Afghanistan stopped to help retired General Colin Powell change a tire on the Capital Beltway.
On Jan. 23, Anthony Maggert, 42, was driving on Interstate 495, Washington, D.C.’s beltway, when he saw a man who he thought resembled Powell struggling to change a tire on the side of the road.
Maggert immediately decided to stop to help the stranger.
As it turned out, Maggert’s hunch was right: It was General Powell.
Maggert told The Washington Post about the brief exchange between the two of them that he’ll remember for a lifetime.
“You’re General Colin Powell,” Maggert said.
“Yes, I am,” Powell, 81, replied.
Powell noticed the prosthetic leg Maggert used and found out that Maggert lost his leg in Afghanistan.
Maggert served 23 years in the military, which included three tours in Iraq and two more in Afghanistan.
During his time in Afghanistan, Maggert got an infection from flesh-eating bacteria that led to the amputation of his leg.
The two men worked quickly in the cold weather to change the stubborn tire before heading their separate ways.
Maggert asked for a quick picture with the former U.S. secretary of state, and Powell was happy to oblige.
Maggert sent Powell a message later that night telling him how much the moment with the retired general meant to him. Powell was also moved by the encounter and shared the story on Facebook.
“Yesterday was a reassuring day for me,” Powell wrote, explaining what happened.
“You touched my soul and reminded me about what this country is all about and why it is so great,” Powell wrote.
“Let’s stop screaming at each other. Let’s just take care of each other. You made my day.”
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