‘It was phenomenal’: Inspiring moment wheelchair bound Afghanistan veteran STANDS for the anthem during Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final in Florida. Ty Edwards, 51, wore a Lightning jersey while the U.S. Air Force 6th Air Mobility Wing Honor Guard presented the American flag at Tampa Bay’s Amalie Arena. Edwards, a retired Lt. Colonel in the Marines, was shot in the head during an ambush in the Kunar province in Afghanistan on Oct. 18, 2008. He was given a ‘grim prognosis’ of ever standing or walking again, Fox News reported. Edwards said he wanted ‘to pay tribute to all those that have lost their lives and made sacrifices that the average American doesn’t see’ 

Stunning video shows the moment a wheelchair-bound veteran stood for the National Anthem at a Stanley Cup game while more than 17,000 fans cheered on Wednesday. Ty Edwards, a retired Lt. Colonel in the Marines, was shot in the head during an ambush in the Kunar province in Afghanistan on Oct. 18, 2008 and was given a ‘grim prognosis’ of ever standing or walking again, Fox News reported. Edwards, 51, wore a Lightning jersey while the U.S. Air Force 6th Air Mobility Wing Honor Guard presented the American flag at Tampa Bay’s Amalie Arena before Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final. ‘The Lightning organization and [owner] Mr. [Jeffrey] Vinik, and the NHL overall, are such first-class organizations. It was great to be there with my entire family,’ Edwards told Fox News.

Tonight at the Canadians Lighting Stanley Cup Game LT Colonel Ty Edward’s stands for the National Anthem. God Bless the Veterans pic.twitter.com/9i7fv3GCup

— Stephen Boyson (@StephenBoyson) July 1, 2021

Edwards said he wanted ‘to pay tribute to all those that have lost their lives and made sacrifices that the average American doesn’t see’ even as standing for the National Anthem has become a hot button issue in the United States. However, Edwards added he doesn’t ‘fault’ anybody who disagrees with him whether people should stand for The Star Spangled Banner. ‘I don’t fault anybody. It’s a free country. I don’t agree with it but it’s their choice,’ he said. Edwards, a fan of the Tampa Bay Lightening, said he was ‘honored’ to be at the hockey game on Wednesday. He predicted that the team will ‘win in four’ in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Montreal Canadiens on Friday night. ‘I wasn’t really thinking about anything but making it through the anthem at the time,’ Edwards told Fox News.