Cadets from both the Humboldt and Wadena squadrons were told a miraculous tale of living and life on Wednesday night from a true American war hero.

On April 7, 2007 Bobby Henline, while serving his fourth tour in the United States Army was in an armoured Humvee that struck an IED just north of Baghdad. Henline was the only soldier of five in the vehicle to survive. He suffered burns to over 38 percent of his body and has since endured 47 surgeries and counting.

Now, after many days of pondering where his life would take him, Henline came to the reality he was here to help.

For the past three years, including 2016 the annual Wounded Warriors weekend in Nipawin will take place. That's why Henline was in the region and able to share his story to the local cadets.

"If you can't laugh at something you've been through then you haven't been through it yet," Henline said after. The 44 year-old has used his sense of humour to cope with PTSD. "You've got to get to the point where laughter heals, it's truly the best medicine. You have to enjoy life, you're here, why be grumpy? It is what it is, I have to move on with my life, it's about mental toughness."

Wounded Warriors weekend has inspired many happy outcomes, Henline has seen therapists, tens upon tens of them. He says there is no better healing than talking to his colleagues and sharing stories and laughs with them.

"Just talking to colleagues that have been through it and understand, we bring them in from Great Britain, Australia, US and Canada, it doesn't matter what country you are from, we've got the same similarity with being in the war. We talk to each other, hey how did you deal with it? Maybe I will try that next time I am in that situation."

His comedy, which he has showcases around the globe including to other troops overseas all started by him attending an open mic night while in Los Angeles. He fell in love with that and now uses it to bring smiles and joy to anyone who will listen. His accident is the star attraction as he continuously takes shots at himself including the line, "my fourth tour in Iraq was a real blast."

He also wanted to pass a message along to the cruel world especially teenagers who can't seem to comprehend there is more to life than being the cool guy. And with his appearance due to the skin grafts and surgeries, Henline knows he is looked at differently.

"That's just it, make it awareness, talking. A lot of us just don't talk and letting people know it's okay to be you. Whoever you are, it's okay to be you. We are all special and unique in different ways for a reason but we are all human. There is no reason for all that, we're all somebody. The sad thing is kids can't see past high school, they think that's the whole world."

Henline has been featured in media outlets across the world including Time magazine. He has also appeared on David Letterman and been on Ellen. He is true war hero that uses his own circumstances to spread joy and heal, one laugh at a time.

Henline served his first tour at 19, he was out of the Army for a decade before 911 occurred. He admitted he couldn't sit back and not take action so he re-enlisted at the age of 30, served three more times with his final mission lasting just weeks before the accident. When asked if he would do it differently, that answer was a clear as a prairie night.

"I would do it over again, even though what happened to me, what might happen to me, I would do it again."

Over the August long weekend in Nipawin and across east-central Saskatchewan, those Wounded Warriors will be laughing along thanking Henline for doing what he does.

You can hear more from Henline below in his interview with Bolt FM's Clark Stork.