By The Survivors Club Staff
February 2, 2010

Otto Lee, a Sunnyvale city councilman and Navy reservist, spent most of 2009 in Iraq where he survived a rocket attack that was launched by insurgents about 90 feet from his barracks. Now back with his family in California, Lee is working on reopening his law practice and preparing to return to Sunnyvale City Hall, according to Mercury News.

The 42-year-old recalled the challenging deployment to Camp Liberty in Baghdad, saying he and fellow soldiers worked 60 to 100 hours a week on the "draw down" of forces ordered by President Obama.

"It was hard on the body and a lot of stress, and that's not counting the bombs and rockets coming at you," he told the news provider.

However, Lee does not regret the experience and says he is inspired by his grandfather, a naval veteran who served at sea during World War II. He also told Mercury News that his priority in Sunnyvale will be to revitalize the downtown and help turn it into a popular place to visit and shop.

There are still more than 100,000 U.S. troops in Iraq, and 978 American soldiers have lost their lives there since 2001, according to iCasualties.org.

Among the many resources that can help assault survivors live thriving lives is the Trauma Resource Institute, which also accepts donations.