Daniel H DerHammer was on active duty from January 1996 to November 1998. He served almost three years of a four-year enlistment, then was injured in August 1998 while his unit was in NTC Yakima. He was in a HMMWV accident and suffered a broken neck and back. DerHammer was awarded a 40 percent service connected disability rating. Because of his injuries, he has extensive arthritis and multiple conditions which limits how long he can stand and sit. He requires numerous medications to manage the stiffness and pain. But even with his pain he still volunteers at his church.
DerHammer has applied for and been approved for vocational rehabilitation. He will begin an Associate's degree program in Accounting as of January 2016 at Pierce College. He recently had a full hip replacement as an aggravated condition of the damage to his lower back. As the sole bread winner of his family caring for his special needs child and his wife who is disabled, their family has been in financial hardship for the past year. CARSTAR Puget Sound felt that this car will give DerHammer and his family the helping hand he needs to start the New Year in a positive way.
“Across the Puget Sound area, we have many of our customers and community members who are currently serving in the military or are veterans,” said Shaun Copeland, president of the CARSTAR Puget Sound Business Group and co-owner of five CARSTAR locations throughout the region. “We want to recognize their many contributions to our country’s freedom and security and thank them for their service with a special event in their honor.”
