Simon Brown's inspiring story

Simon Brown, is a member of the Legion's Morley Branch and served as a corporal in the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME). In December 2006, Simon was shot by a sniper in Basra. The bullet left him virtually blind and he has undergone 12 operations to reconstruct his face. With the Legion's encouragement he has completed a teaching degree so he can work with troubled teenagers. The Legion also assisted Simon with his pension claim.

"One of the biggest challenges, apart from losing most of my sight, has been coping without my mates and that loss of camaraderie can really get you down. I will always be grateful for the Legion people in Leeds who came around to see me and got me off my backside. It really helped me to overcome the fear of meeting people face-to-face. The welfare facilities the Legion can provide are unbelievable and it's such a comfort to know they're there."

View our video interview with Simon below.