Transcript for 'Stand Up for Heroes': Soldier's Journey

Since his head was nearly blown off by a roadside bomb in Iraq are ABC news colleague Bob Woodruff. As a special understanding of the obvious and hidden wounds of war. Tonight his foundation kicked off the New York comedy -- the -- with another star studded stand up for heroes. We thought would follow one wounded warrior to the event to better understand life after deployment. And how much one night of laughter can mean. -- Funny where life -- how one moment changes all the rest that follow. Tonight he's on -- red carpet but almost exactly five. Years ago marine lieutenant Andrew kinder was on patrol. He's Smart strapping son of a surgeon Naval Academy grad it was only six weeks into his first deployment when he took -- one fateful step. And -- couple months later Maryland hospital. His first thoughts where's my rifle. And why is my dad in Iraq. They realized half of them was gone and as my point man turned around to sort of direct. Us to -- when you go this way that's when the bomb exploded. It threw me through the air I've been told thirty feet or so. After this guy and I just fell to a crumple. We've seen it in Iraq and Afghanistan how cutting -- battlefield medicine is saving troops it -- died in any prior war. He has and you take your right foot hasn't yet taken place today's soldiers actually put on turn it gets before the battle. Kind of grim self awareness that makes them harder to kill that any wars in history again -- -- Tina writing thank you deserve them. So instead of families learning to live without a son we have unprecedented numbers of men learning to live without arms and legs. In day to -- life people discount me so much for being a wheelchair I -- talks down to and patronized. On a regular basis I -- helped all the time when I don't need help you know I'm a marine officer try to help other people who I don't need help. These 75. Surgeries changed his body but didn't remove his pride or his drive. Andrew has hand -- a couple Boston marathons and is now working on a law and MBA degree at Harvard. But he took the night off from New York City little -- there something he believes in since that moment in the hospital and a fellow at BT made him laugh. The first times last. When he came to my room hands. -- -- Its holdings. Blasted himself in Thailand let them. I didn't I was to find them. Meanwhile some of his fellow heroes are getting the kind of pampering they never imagined back home. Especially compared. Air force captain to -- Fred -- the purple heart after his suicide bombing burned 30% of her upper body. This year then. Torn off and. But they -- greatly affect on and I can't hear well. And there are make overs for the caregivers as well bungle means realized by Lee Woodruff. In those grueling days nursing bombed back to help it was a woman pushing a wheelchair with -- Vietnam veteran husband -- said to me at an event. -- guys get to go on vacation here but we don't we're still pushing wheelchairs it was -- and around -- -- you know we have an opportunity do is make part of this weekend. Just making them feel like queens her. A day. As the crush of the red carpet intensifies captain friends arrives looking radiant. And there's Andrew -- probably must -- look at what is here from the boss is bracing for yeah yeah I want to thank you for for for being. It's one of those nights that hits the extreme emotional polls there's joy. Relief that they all made -- home you know I'm. Happy to be here tonight for a number of reasons. -- is that I'm -- But then lumps in throats as Andrew remembers a marine in his unit who just last month took his own life. You know for some -- the deployment never really ends. When we come back home. We suffer not just from injuries of our bones our muscle. We suffer injuries of the mind it's not a call for pity but a reminder that support the troops. It is not a -- It's an action. In the first four years these -- have raised eleven million dollars to help these warriors that their lives that it's an animal and. Good for the grand finale. The boss as a regular at this event it's customary for Bruce Springsteen to auction off his car. I'm 45000. -- -- -- 130. And tonight that precious acts brought a 160000. Dollars Bob release foundation and the bitter. Well he gave that guitar. This engine. I.

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