WESLEY CHAPEL, Fla. — Christopher Lawrence was 14 years old when he watched the Twin Towers fall.
Like millions of Americans, he sat in front of a television as the attacks unfolded. But what he saw that morning didn't just change his view of the country. It changed the course of his life.
Lawrence was a ninth grader in Milwaukee when the country came under attack.
"Somebody flew a plane into the Twin Towers. I believe we were watching it when the second plane hit, and it was just like, this can't be real."
At that moment, he said something inside him changed.
"People in my class had family there, and they were crying and emotional,” he continued, “If we're doing something, I want to be part of it."
That decision would define the rest of his young life. Despite resistance from his family, Lawrence enlisted in the Marine Corps. He was just 18 when he left for boot camp in 2005.
Two years later, Lawrence was in Iraq — when his life changed forever.
On April 13, 2007, a bomb went off during a routine patrol.
"Next thing I know, I woke up in Bethesda Hospital… the person who we were like, oh, something's not right, was part of a crew that set a bomb underneath the bridge… the bomb literally went off underneath my feet."
The blast launched him into the air. The explosion left his body shattered. He spent nearly two weeks in a coma, followed by months in a hospital bed.
Surgeries. Rehabilitation. A shattered arm reconstructed. Internal injuries. A traumatic brain injury. And a decision no one should have to make at 21.
"I had to make the decision for them to amputate. I actually told them to take them both… they were able to save one and took the other."
But the Marine who answered the call at 14 wasn't finished serving.
After leaving the Corps, Lawrence became a police officer in Southern California. Nearly two decades after losing his leg, he was still putting others first.
When asked if he would do it all over again, Lawrence didn't hesitate.
"I wouldn't… change. I got to say that was, even though it was terrible, I think that made me a better person."
In 2025, Lawrence, his wife, and their two daughters moved to the Tampa Bay area to start a new chapter — into a brand new, specially adapted custom home built and donated by Homes for Our Troops, a nonprofit that builds custom homes for severely injured veterans.
The home in Wesley Chapel was designed specifically for Lawrence. Due to wear on his knee, he uses a wheelchair to get around the house, and the new home allows him to navigate without any issues, restoring his independence.
He is now working toward a master's degree in emergency management, rehabbing, and finding a new way to serve — which includes making sure the lessons of 9/11 never disappear.
"I don't say history repeats itself, but it surely rhymes, and I'm worried about that rhyme… I think as a nation, we have forgotten the lessons that we learned after 9/11, the unity, the way we came together."
Lawrence has not yet gone to Ground Zero but said it is on his list. For now, he is focused on his wife, his two daughters, and building the next chapter of a life that almost ended on a bridge in Iraq.
"America is amazing. It is an amazing country."
Homes for Our Troops has built more than 50 homes in Florida and more than 450 nationwide. Volunteers and donations make the organization's work possible. To learn more about Homes for Our Troops and how to help, visit their website.
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Tampa Bay is known for our diverse military community, and Good Morning Tampa Bay Anchor Andrew Kinsey takes pride in sharing their stories. He is also dedicated to being a voice for crime victims as they navigate the legal process. So, reach out to Andrew if you need an ear to listen.
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