Mazda Brings A Hero's Hero To The Monterey Grand Prix

Subtitle:Staff Sgt. Liam Dwyer, Sgt. Aaron Denning Reunited At Mazda Raceway

Staff Sgt. Liam Dwyer and Sgt. Aaron Denning met under horrendous circumstances four years ago while serving with the U.S. Marines in Afghanistan. Dwyer left part of his left leg among extensive injures after stepping on an improvised explosive device. Denning saved his life by arresting his bleeding and helping to carry him to safety.

This weekend, the two Marines were reunited, with Denning a guest of Mazda at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca to watch Dwyer drive the No. 26 Freedom Autosport Mazda MX-5 in the Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge.

Dwyer was leading a patrol in a Taliban stronghold on May 22, 2011, when he stepped on a pressure-plate IED that severed both of his femoral arteries, shattered his left leg above the knee, blew his right arm apart and damaged his right leg. Unconscious and badly bleeding, he was nearly left for dead.

When Denning – who knew Dwyer on a casual basis at the time – noticed that his fellow Marine was still breathing. He immediately began taking steps that would save his life. He put tourniquets on both of his legs and arm, and then helped carry him 100 yards to a helicopter.

“Sgt. Denning stopped my bleeding and saved my life,” Dwyer said. “You can say he literally knows me inside out.”

The pair have kept in touch since the explosion. Dwyer endured many surgeries and extensive rehabilitation to be able to pursue his goal of driving race cars.

Last year, when Dwyer won his first Continental Tire Challenge race at Lime Rock on Memorial Day weekend – on the third anniversary of his ‘alive day,’ one of the first people he called was Denning.

“I don’t think he knew at what level I was racing, and he told me it was great,” Dwyer recalled. “Then he started hearing about me on Yahoo news, FOX news.

“Dude, you’re on ESPN Top 10, I didn’t realize how big this was,” Denning told Dwyer.

Denning would also suffer serious injuries after being blown up several months after Dwyer.  Learning how racing helped Dwyer’s recovery, Denning began playing hockey despite brain and back injuries.

“Seeing Liam’s injuries, I couldn’t compare them to mine,” Denning said. “Seeing all the incredible things that Liam is doing is an inspiration to me. I have no excuse not to live my life to the fullest.

“We’ve kept in touch, but this is my first opportunity to see Liam race,” added Denning, who resides in Simi Valley, Calif. “This brings closure to me, after seeing him almost deal and now to see him living his dream.”

The pair donned USMC uniforms for photos on Friday. Both men are in the process of retiring from the Corps.  Dwyer’s final day will be at the end of May. Dunning will retire from active duty in June, although he will continue in the Marine Reserves.

“We wanted a chance to see each other in uniform again, and to get some pictures by the car – under better circumstances than when we last saw each other in uniform, which was in Afghanistan,” Denning said.

After the photos, Dwyer went out and qualified a career-best eighth – and then gave full credit to the Freedom Autosport crew. He then started the car in Saturday’s race, taking the green flag waved by Sgt. Denning, who served as Grand Marshal for the event.

“To have him come out here this weekend and be a part of this is great,” Dwyer said. “It’s a full 360.”