POPLAR GROVE (AP) — After completing a tour of Iraq, Marine Cpl. Noah Currier certainly didn't have the homecoming he expected.

The Poplar Grove resident flew to Camp Pendleton in California with the intention of staying four days before leaving for Illinois. But the day before his plane trip home, the car Currier was riding in crashed, leaving him paralyzed from the chest down.

He returned to Illinois and started selling military-themed T-shirts to offset costly physical therapy. More importantly, he learned the importance of setting goals and staying active.