thedrifter
03-14-06, 06:16 AM
Tuesday, March 14, 2006 — Time: 7:04:51 AM EST
Local Guardsman recovering after being shot in head during ambush in Ramadi
By MARK MARONEY-mmaroney@sungazette.com
National Guard Sgt. Michael S. Bennett heard a shot ring out in the streets of Ramadi, but never felt the pain or realized the severity of his wound until blood flowed down his face.
The 28-year-old Brady Township resident, a member of Co. B., 1st Battalion, 109th Mechanized Infantry of 1307 Grove St. was shot in the head in an insurgent-led ambush on American troops the afternoon of Feb. 15 in the embattled Iraqi city of Ramadi.
The soldiers with him, including a friend, Staff Sgt. Adam Detato of Montoursville, returned fire, aiming toward nearby rooftops.
“I never realized I was hit,” Bennett said last week during an interview at the Sun-Gazette offices.
The bullet had penetrated the helmet and the right side of his skull was gone. All that protected his brain was a thin layer of blood-soaked skin.
‘‘They believe the bullet shattered when it cracked his skull,’’ said Bennett’s wife, Jolie.
Part of the bullet ricocheted back through the helmet and struck Detato in the arm, where pieces remain, Bennett said. The helmet is being studied and may be returned to Bennett.
Marines retrieved a medic’s bag and attended to both men. They wrapped Bennett’s wound in gauze and took him to a field hospital at nearby Camp Ramadi. From there, he was flown to Balad in northern Iraq.
Bennett said he was conscious and able to contact his employer, Crest Homes of Milton.
He tried to speak to his father, Kenneth, who also works at the modular home manufacturer, but his father had received a call from superiors and went home to wait for additional news.
A neurosurgeon performed emergency surgery and repaired the majority of damage. Bennett said, Afterward, he was flown to Landsthul Airbase in Germany, where he remained in recovery for four days.
He was transferred to Walter Reed Army Hospital at Washington, D.C., where he is preparing to be fit with a titanium and polymer plate that would be implanted in May.
‘‘They wanted to make sure I was not passing out or having seizures,’’ Bennett said, admitting he lost some hearing in his right ear but felt pretty good otherwise. He pressed an index finger into the soft tissue of the skin, which normally is protected by the hardened skull. ‘‘That’s my brain matter,’’ he said.
Plans are to implant the manufactured skull piece in order to restore his natural look.
While Jolie is glad to see her husband, she is a nervous wreck about all that can go wrong with only bare skin protecting his brain.
‘‘I am excited that he is home, but at the same time a little nervous because he has no skull on the right side of his head,’’ she said.
Everyday chores or actions are potentially hazardous.
‘‘He has to watch everything he does,’’ she said.
He can ill-afford any kind of blow to the head. He is unable to run and is unable to jerk his head in any quick manner, she said.
‘‘I kind of find myself checking on him all the time,’’ she said. ‘‘It’s hard.’’
To protect his head, Bennett wears a type of helmet cushioned with foam.
Less than two weeks after getting shot, Bennett visited his employer and received a rousing ovation.
Employees made a sign welcoming him home.
‘‘We got wind he was coming in for lunch,’’ Crystal Hite, human resources coordinator at the company, said.
Yellow ribbons and American flag materials were hung, she said.
He was told how much he was appreciated and how glad employees were to have him back.
‘‘Everybody came up and shook his hand,’’ Hite said.
The company also took up some donations to help out because his father and mother, Mary Bennett, have traveled to Walter Reed and will be going back when he has the additional operation.
Bennett, who recently reenlisted for another three years, isn’t letting the setback disturb his future.
‘‘We all know the risks involved in our job,’’ he said. ‘‘Every soldier prepares himself differently.’’
How does he?
‘‘I think about family, friends and can’t dwell on the idea of getting hurt or getting killed in a situation like that,’’ he said. ‘‘If you dwell on that thought, it is going to hinder your ability to do your job. It is something in the back of your mind. You have to have it there but you have to keep it there.’’
But Jolie is focusing on the operation, day-to-day living and the recovery process. Her outlook, so far, is positive.
‘‘I think it’s excellent considering two weeks ago he had 70 staples in his head, the blood was stuck all around him,’’ she said. ‘‘I can’t believe how good it looks.’’
Jolie said she continues to receive support from her family and friends.
As a couple, the battle scars have stitched together an even more loving relationship.
‘‘He’s just a great guy,’’ said Jolie, who is employed at Brodart Co. ‘‘He’s almost back to himself. After what has happened to him, it’s amazing. I feel horrible for him and all of the soldiers who are injured.
Ellie
Local Guardsman recovering after being shot in head during ambush in Ramadi
By MARK MARONEY-mmaroney@sungazette.com
National Guard Sgt. Michael S. Bennett heard a shot ring out in the streets of Ramadi, but never felt the pain or realized the severity of his wound until blood flowed down his face.
The 28-year-old Brady Township resident, a member of Co. B., 1st Battalion, 109th Mechanized Infantry of 1307 Grove St. was shot in the head in an insurgent-led ambush on American troops the afternoon of Feb. 15 in the embattled Iraqi city of Ramadi.
The soldiers with him, including a friend, Staff Sgt. Adam Detato of Montoursville, returned fire, aiming toward nearby rooftops.
“I never realized I was hit,” Bennett said last week during an interview at the Sun-Gazette offices.
The bullet had penetrated the helmet and the right side of his skull was gone. All that protected his brain was a thin layer of blood-soaked skin.
‘‘They believe the bullet shattered when it cracked his skull,’’ said Bennett’s wife, Jolie.
Part of the bullet ricocheted back through the helmet and struck Detato in the arm, where pieces remain, Bennett said. The helmet is being studied and may be returned to Bennett.
Marines retrieved a medic’s bag and attended to both men. They wrapped Bennett’s wound in gauze and took him to a field hospital at nearby Camp Ramadi. From there, he was flown to Balad in northern Iraq.
Bennett said he was conscious and able to contact his employer, Crest Homes of Milton.
He tried to speak to his father, Kenneth, who also works at the modular home manufacturer, but his father had received a call from superiors and went home to wait for additional news.
A neurosurgeon performed emergency surgery and repaired the majority of damage. Bennett said, Afterward, he was flown to Landsthul Airbase in Germany, where he remained in recovery for four days.
He was transferred to Walter Reed Army Hospital at Washington, D.C., where he is preparing to be fit with a titanium and polymer plate that would be implanted in May.
‘‘They wanted to make sure I was not passing out or having seizures,’’ Bennett said, admitting he lost some hearing in his right ear but felt pretty good otherwise. He pressed an index finger into the soft tissue of the skin, which normally is protected by the hardened skull. ‘‘That’s my brain matter,’’ he said.
Plans are to implant the manufactured skull piece in order to restore his natural look.
While Jolie is glad to see her husband, she is a nervous wreck about all that can go wrong with only bare skin protecting his brain.
‘‘I am excited that he is home, but at the same time a little nervous because he has no skull on the right side of his head,’’ she said.
Everyday chores or actions are potentially hazardous.
‘‘He has to watch everything he does,’’ she said.
He can ill-afford any kind of blow to the head. He is unable to run and is unable to jerk his head in any quick manner, she said.
‘‘I kind of find myself checking on him all the time,’’ she said. ‘‘It’s hard.’’
To protect his head, Bennett wears a type of helmet cushioned with foam.
Less than two weeks after getting shot, Bennett visited his employer and received a rousing ovation.
Employees made a sign welcoming him home.
‘‘We got wind he was coming in for lunch,’’ Crystal Hite, human resources coordinator at the company, said.
Yellow ribbons and American flag materials were hung, she said.
He was told how much he was appreciated and how glad employees were to have him back.
‘‘Everybody came up and shook his hand,’’ Hite said.
The company also took up some donations to help out because his father and mother, Mary Bennett, have traveled to Walter Reed and will be going back when he has the additional operation.
Bennett, who recently reenlisted for another three years, isn’t letting the setback disturb his future.
‘‘We all know the risks involved in our job,’’ he said. ‘‘Every soldier prepares himself differently.’’
How does he?
‘‘I think about family, friends and can’t dwell on the idea of getting hurt or getting killed in a situation like that,’’ he said. ‘‘If you dwell on that thought, it is going to hinder your ability to do your job. It is something in the back of your mind. You have to have it there but you have to keep it there.’’
But Jolie is focusing on the operation, day-to-day living and the recovery process. Her outlook, so far, is positive.
‘‘I think it’s excellent considering two weeks ago he had 70 staples in his head, the blood was stuck all around him,’’ she said. ‘‘I can’t believe how good it looks.’’
Jolie said she continues to receive support from her family and friends.
As a couple, the battle scars have stitched together an even more loving relationship.
‘‘He’s just a great guy,’’ said Jolie, who is employed at Brodart Co. ‘‘He’s almost back to himself. After what has happened to him, it’s amazing. I feel horrible for him and all of the soldiers who are injured.
Ellie