The Truth About Gold Rush's Fred Lewis

During Fred Lewis' military career, he toured in Africa, Korea, Iraq, and Afghanistan. The "Gold Rush: Winter's Fortune" star left the service in 2011 after sustaining a nearly-fatal injury in Afghanistan: He was hit in the helmet with a sniper round. "It was a million dollar shot," Fred told the Tri-City Herald in 2018. Although the helmet saved his life, his neck was badly injured from the impact of the shot and he broke a vertebrae. Fred was classified as disabled by the Department of Veterans Affairs, and started his life as a civilian. "You talk to the VA, you are disabled," he told the Herald. "That's what they expect you to accept."

The veteran had a difficult time accepting not only his physical limitations, but his post-military life. "I went through a pretty tough transition when I got out," he told Monsters & Critics in 2020. "I went from being active-duty in combat to disabled-and-unemployed. And that's a pretty tough transition," Fred added. The "Gold Rush" standout mentioned on the series that he believes the military was "overwhelmed" with too many injured soldiers. "The care we get is a quick fix, you know, 'Take these pills, and you'll feel better,'" he explained, per Military.com.

Fortunately, Fred was able to make a full recovery, and his passion for physical training led him to an appearance on another popular television show before winding up on "Gold Rush." Keep reading to find out more.

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