veteran

"No one was helping...The dog has just as many rights as they do. He doesn't bark or bite unless he is threatened. He's my security blanket. He keeps me grounded."

Gowanda resident Sgt. James Thomas Hackemer was on the Ride of Steel as it quickly crested a steep hill and apparently flew off because the lap bar couldn't be properly secured to his torso.

Imagine you've spent months fighting in Iraq, surrounded by hostile locals