army sergeant brian jergen recovering from severe injuries he snevd afghanistan. and today he was given a military honor with his young wife by his side. lisa is live from the veteran's hospital in palo alto with a powerful story. lisa. >>reporter: dan sergeant jergen has been in a special unit at this veterereran he got. >> sergeant brian jergens. for wound received in action on 7 august 2,000 11 in afghanistan. >>reporter: it was a bitter sweet moment for sergeant brian jergens. 23-year-old lost a lot to gain this purple heart. both legs and a finger were amputated. his spleen removed and he suffered severe brain damage after a roadside explosion. >> it's an honor but at the similar time you really don't want it. >>reporter: sergeant ben got his own purple heart because of what happened that august day. >> i was in the truck with him. so it's a big deal to see him come this far from when it first happened. brian was driving. and it just as far as we know it exploded underneath the driver area so he did get the majority of it. >>reporter: sergeant jergens was bar

last night 23-year-old brian jergens received the purple heart. jergens was a combat medic in afghanistan when the humvee he was driving ran over an explosive device. he lost both of his legs below the knee and suffered severe brain trauma. >> really it was doctors saying he might not ever wake up and he woke up. then they said he would never talk and he started talking. he's so stubborn. he beat all the odds. >> his wife said yesterday during therapy he was able to walk 20 feet on his knees. with christmas and his first wedding anniversary approaching this medal is one more thing to celebrate. >>> today a defense will make his case. the prosecution called its final six witnesses yesterday in the case against private first class bradley manning. he's accused of leaking secret information to wikileaks. defense lawyers have been portraying him as a troubled man. >>> the countries trade minister said it could take as long as 40 years to fully commission the facility. because it will emphasize safety throughout that process. the announcement comes day

. -- >> reporter: i was a bittersweet moment for sergeant brian jergens.t a lot to gain this purple -- heart both legs and finger amputated, spleen removed and severe brain damage after a roadside explosion. >> it is an honor at the same time you don't want. >> reporter: sgt. stehman got his own purple heart because of what happened that august day. >> i was in the truck with him. >> reporter: sergeant jergens was barely conscious. he was quickly transfered to palo alto veterans hospital, specialized unit for severe traumatic brain injuries. jergens wife is with him daily. >> it has been hard, not going to say it is easy. i see people that have it much worse than we do. >> reporter: this unit treats 80 to 90 active soldiers every year. s did say the types of injuries jergens suffered are unfortunately, -- common in this war. >> they have terrible injuries to their lower extremities horrible orthopedic injuries or traumatic amputations. >> reporter: while progress is slow this medical is -- this medal is lifting the spirits of a man. his wife tells me she e

honored for his military service and the fact he beat the odds given to him by doctors. 23-year-old brian jergens was injured when a humvee hit an explosive device. sergeant ben was also in the humvee when it exploded. he too received a purple heart. >> it's something you really don't want but when you do get it you are just glad you are like in my condition where you can talk about it. >> jergens wife says doctors didn't expect him to wake up or talk but he has done both. yesterday in therapy he was able to walk 20 feet on his knees. he says the purple heart is another reason why he's celebrating the holidays. >>> a san francisco man is in the hospital after being hit by a car. it happened on monday night in the south of market neighborhood. police say the man stumbled and fell on the street where the driver neared howard street. the man that is believed to be homeless suffered life threatening injuries. >>> very important step in the plan to relocate the metropolitan transportation commission from oakland to san francisco. the mtc will hold a meeting at 10:30 this morning. they will discuss con