By Martha Buracker and Joe Duggan, ASLA

Sgt. Arthur ?EUR??,,????'??Bunky?EUR??,,????'?? Woods has been described by his friends as one of the toughest individuals they know, both in ability and personal determination. His friends also refer to Sgt. Woods as the person who they most respect.

Sgt. Arthur ?EUR??,,????'??Bunky?EUR??,,????'?? Leo Woods IV graduated from Warren County High School in 2001 and enlisted in the army. His goal was to complete his four years of service with the military and then attend Virginia Tech to obtain a degree in landscape architecture.

About 70 miles west of Washington D.C. in the small mountain community of Front Royal, Virginia a story of tragedy and true friendship have brought a community together to take care of one of their own.

When his tour was up, the army had issued a stop loss order until August 2007.

Sgt. Woods was near the end of his second tour of duty in Iraq and due to return to Fort Campbell, Ky. in November 2006 when he was shot by a sniper on August 26, 2006. The bullet entered the back of his neck on the right side and made a diagonal cut through and came out of the left jawbone. He had emergency surgery in Iraq to reconstruct his left jawbone, and to repair his esophagus and pharynx. At Walter Reed Army Medical Center he had spine-stabilizing surgery. Although the bullet did not sever his spinal cord, it caused traumatic injury to his spine and he is currently paralyzed from the neck down.

Near the end of his second tour of duty in Iraq, Sgt. Woods was shot by a sniper and paralyzed from the neck down. He is currently in rehabilitation in Richmond, Va. at the Hunter Holmes McGuire Medical Center. His hard work at physical therapy has allowed him to regain some of the motion in his arms.

Sgt. Woods was applying for early release from the army so that he could attend the fall 2007 semester at Virginia Tech. The sniper?EUR??,,????'???s bullet however, changed all that.

It everyone?EUR??,,????'???s hope that Sgt. Woods will regain the use of his limbs someday. That outcome, they say is in the hands of Bunky, the doctors and God.

The respect Sgt. Woods?EUR??,,????'??? friends have for him motivated them to do the best they could for him. The ?EUR??,,????'??Men with a Heart?EUR??,,????'?? Bachelor Auction was their way to raise funds to assist Bunky and his family in the many expenses involved with his recovery and care. An auction committee was formed, the date was set and soon the community was buzzing about the event.

The Fire Hall was filled to capacity the day that Sgt. Woods rolled in to attend the auction that was being held in his honor. Once the standing ovation and the applause had died down, auctioneer Tom Eshelman started the bidding on the forty-eight bachelors that were eagerly waiting. Local radio personality Lonnie Hill read the bachelor?EUR??,,????'???s bio and Sgt. Woods?EUR??,,????'??? commanding officer, Sgt. Andy Jesser gave an emotional speech about losing the ?EUR??,,????'??heart and soul?EUR??,,????'?? of the platoon when Bunky was shot. Then, Sgt. Woods himself took the stage and thanked everyone for all of their efforts. The bidding continued and by the time midnight rolled around the ?EUR??,,????'??event of the year,?EUR??,,????'?? had raised nearly $75,000 to donate to Bunky?EUR??,,????'???s trust fund.

When Sgt. Woods rolled into the ?EUR??,,????'??Men with a Heart?EUR??,,????'?? bachelor auction being held in his honor he was greeted by a roaring crowd and a standing ovation. By midnight, the auctioning off of Bunky?EUR??,,????'???s friends and family had raised over $75,000 to help him achieve his dream of becoming a landscape architect.

While the auction took care of purchasing a van for Sgt. Woods, this is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to what will be needed for a lifetime of care. It is Bunky?EUR??,,????'???s goal to someday walk again and to go to college and fulfill his dream of landscape architecture.

To help Sgt. Woods reach his goal, write a check to: Sgt. Arthur ?EUR??,,????'??Bunky?EUR??,,????'?? Woods?EUR??,,????'??? Trust Fund and mail it to:

Heather Tweedie, CPA
316 Mountain Lodge Drive
Winchester, VA 22602

Words of encouragement will also be greatly appreciated.