Friday, July 28, 2006
Thank You Joe Fowler
I'm going to take a break from my rants against the machine to highlight a story I recently heard on NPR.
A Wounded Soldier Sets His Goals by Melissa Block
(don't just read it .... listen to it)
The story was about Army Sgt. Joe Fowler who was serving in Iraq when the Humvee he was riding in hit and anti-tank mine. Joe was blown from the truck and burned on over 50% of his body. Another soldier died in the attack as well as Sgt. Fowler's dog Dak. Fowler was a dog handler with the 148th Military Police Detachment assigned to the Army's 10th Mountain Division.
Joe has spent many months in the Army's burn unit in Texas. His hands and his arms are badly burned so he has great difficulty doing simple tasks like eating and brushing his teeth.
What touched me the most was how positive he and his wife are. They are most grateful that Joe is alive and are confident they will get past this. When they are having a rough time the only need to think of the others in the burn unit that have it worse than he might .... or of those that have not made it.
Joe loves mountain biking and is confident he will be able to do it once again. Doctors say it could be two years and many surgeries till Joe is self sufficient.
Thank You Joe, Leslie and Shane.
#posted by Rob Roschewsk @ 8:55 AM
Comments:
Fowler was one of my soldiers and as explosive doghandlers we were expected to have a high degree of proficiency, Joe showed that all the time...Thanks Fowler, and I am proud at the courage and candor you have shown. SSG I
