A groom has to make a difficult decision while preparing for his wedding. Sure, he already went through all the trouble of preparing for his proposal, but he’s not off the hook yet. He has to choose his best man and trust us when we say that this is harder than choosing an engagement ring.
Fortunately for Justin Lansford, he didn’t have a problem choosing his best man. He already knew who he was going to give that role to even before he proposed to Carol Balmes, his longtime girlfriend.
The veteran and his service dog
Lansford served in the 82nd Airborne Division as a paratrooper. He was on a mission in Afghanistan when his truck hit an IED. The vehicle flipped, and Lansford suffered extreme injuries. His femurs were bilaterally severed, leaving the doctors no choice but to amputate it.
When Lansford went home, he was paired with Gabe, a service dog. The Golden Retriever was trained to assist war veterans who are suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Gabe comforts Lansford whenever he feels scared, uncomfortable, or anxious about something. Whenever Lansford has nightmares, Gabe hugs him and kisses him to let him know that everything is okay.
Balmes was a volunteer at Warrior Canine Connection. She was there when Gabe first met Lansford. According to her, the service dog couldn’t stop wagging his tail when he saw Lansford. It seemed like Gabe already knew Lansford long before they met.
The four-legged best man
When Lansford decided it was time to marry Balmes, he chose Gabe as his best man. The service dog was thrilled to be part of the beautiful wedding ceremony. He wore an olive-drab vest that was custom-made for him. All of the medals that Lansford earned while in service were pinned on Gabe’s vest. Watch their story here:
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