Bob and Pam Westover

Senior Chief Petty Officer, Robert Westover, U.S. Navy, (Ret.) and Pam Westover Robert Westover served four years of active duty and twenty-four as a Naval Reservist before he earned a Purple Heart in Iraq. While he was attached to the Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 23, an IED hit the vehicle he was traveling in. The explosion occurred approximately six feet from where Westover was sitting while he was trapped in the vehicle watching his own skin melt off of his right arm. When he was able to escape, he fell into a pool of burning gasoline that severely burned his entire body. Westover was able to inch his body away from the burning gasoline and was found 400 feet from the vehicle.The injuries he sustained were massive: 40% of his body was covered in 3rd degree burns, 10% was covered in 2nd degree burns. He has four partial amputations and one full amputation of his left-hand fingers, and lost all five fingers on his right hand. He was covered with shrapnel wounds, sustained multiple fractures on every limb and has a titanium rod in his left leg. His left ear drum was destroyed and he has 60% missing from his left drum. He will require 13 surgeries to repair his injuries.Although Westover was injured so severely, he says that if given the chance he would join the Navy all over again. He and his wife Pam reside in San Antonio, Florida where Bob owns his own stock car race team and are avid NASCAR fans. His son, Ryan Charles Westover, is currently following in his father’s footsteps as a Seabee in the Naval Reserves. Bob and Pam are currently serving as National Spokespersons for CSAH in order to give something back to the organization that helped them through the recovery process. It is through the strength of their family, the support of the Navy, and his involvement with CSAH that has allowed Bob to remain steadfast throughout his long and strenuous recovery process.