THE Royal British Legion’s poppy appeal launches today, with the aim of raising £50million for forces veterans and their families. If you ever wondered why your donation is so desperately needed, here two best friends who suffered devastating injuries in explosions just minutes apart while serving in Afghanistan reveal how the Legion helped save their lives. 6 The Royal British Legion saved veterans Anthony Cooper and David Plant from suicide Credit: Zenpix 6 The pair were severely injured during a Taliban attack in Afghanistan Credit: Zenpix “The Taliban were hunting gingers that day,” jokes David Plant, “and they got two in just three minutes.
” Redhead soldiers Anthony Cooper and his comrade David, from The Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment, were on a routine patrol in Helmand Province on the morning that their lives changed forever. First Anthony — nicknamed Coops — stood on an improvised explosive device which blew off both his legs, his finger, took out an eye and left him with “one of the worst brain injuries in military history”. Just three minutes later, David — known to mates as Jack — stood on a second Taliban IED and he, too, lost both his legs.
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