Tyler W. Ziegel (October 16, 1982 – December 26, 2012) was a United States Marine Corps sergeant who suffered severe burns during the Iraq War.
Ziegel and six other marines were part of a convoy coming back to Al Asad Air Base from al-Qaim in northwestern Iraq, when a suicide bomber detonated an explosive device near their truck.
His left arm was later amputated below the elbow, three fingers of his right hand were lost and, in place of the thumb, a big toe was transplanted.
Their wedding was widely reported by the press in the United States, and their marriage day was declared a holiday in Illinois.
[2] The wedding was attended by the American photographer Nina Berman who took a series of shots, one of which won first prize among portraits on World Press Photo.
He was unable to work, and the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) paid him benefits.
Among them was a World War II veteran, Hershel Williams, a retired United States marine, who received the Medal of Honor for his actions in the Battle of Iwo Jima.