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thedrifter
01-20-07, 07:51 AM
For Marine, long list of wounds - and friends
Fundraisers planned to aid Saline reservist
Saturday, January 20, 2007
BY AMALIE NASH
News Staff Reporter

When Marine Cpl. John Lockwood of Saline awoke in a hospital in Balad, Iraq, he couldn't see out of his left eye.

He asked someone nearby if his eye was gone.

Yes, it's gone, he was told.

It would be several more days before the 26-year-old reservist would learn the exact extent of his injuries.

Broken feet. Severely broken legs. Fractured pelvis. Two cracked vertebrae. Broken thumb. Broken nose. And the lost eye.

He listed his injuries from the bottom of his body to the top, he wryly explained to a reporter this week, as he underwent physical therapy at a facility in Tampa, Fla. His body was broken, but his spirit intact.

Lockwood doesn't remember the blast from the improvised explosive device (IED), buried below his Humvee that day. His unit was clearing warehouses in Fallujah on Nov. 19. He was manning the machine gun.

Lockwood, on leave as a rookie deputy for the Wash-tenaw County Sheriff's Department, had been in Iraq for only two months.

Before several members of the crew made it back to the Humvee, the IED detonated. The driver of the Humvee, Lance Cpl. Jeremy Shock, 22, of Tiffin, Ohio, was killed. Three other Marines suffered minor wounds.

Lockwood's protective gear almost certainly saved his life. His mid-section was guarded by a Kevlar vest with hard plates. His helmet covered his head. And his goggles slowed the piece of shrapnel that destroyed his eye enough to stop it from lodging in his brain and killing him.

Lisa Lockwood, who met her future husband at the police academy, was at her in-laws' Saline home when the call came on her cell phone that Sunday. She was told her husband had shrapnel injuries and a broken leg. Although the initial injuries didn't sound that bad, she immediately felt physically ill and ran to the bathroom.

"They couldn't tell me much,'' Lisa said. "I was crying, my mother-in-law was crying. We were just devastated.''

Lockwood was quickly transferred to Germany and then to the Naval Base in Bethesda, Md. His wife and his parents - Roger and Ruth Lockwood - have been with him every day since.

Lisa Lockwood said she was worried she wouldn't even recognize her husband when she arrived in Bethesda on Thanksgiving morning. She brought pictures of him in case a plastic surgeon needed to reconstruct his face - a measure not needed.

"He looked great,'' she said. "He looked like John, just a little swollen and hooked up to machines.''

Lockwood was sedated and underwent surgery every 24 to 48 hours - more than 10 surgeries in all. Some for his eye, some for his legs and back, some to clean the wounds.

"I've had many painful days,'' Lockwood said. "But I felt blessed. I have all my limbs. I have my mind. It was never, 'Why did this happen to me?' I joined after 9/11 and I knew there was a good chance I would go. People get hurt in wartime.''

Earlier this month, Lockwood and his family flew to a rehabilitation center in Tampa, where he'll remain until the beginning of February. He spends his days in occupational and physical therapy - learning to cope with the injuries, healing and attempting to strengthen his muscles.

Lockwood will return to Maryland for another surgery in February. He uses a wheelchair to get around, but he said doctors are confident he'll be able to walk and will nearly fully recover.

Lockwood said he's adjusted to having sight in one eye, and although he has lost some of his field of vision, his balance and depth perception have not been greatly impacted.

"It's hard work, but I have to do it to heal,'' Lockwood said. "This is a life-changing event, and either you change and do good things or you don't get back into life. I've had a lot of support from my family. I'm going to do what I need to do to go home.''

Back home, friends of Lockwood - who worked at the Saline Police Department before joining the Sheriff's Department - have launched an effort they dubbed "Operation Lockwood.'' They're trying to raise funds for the couple to cover their expenses during his long-term recovery.

On Sunday, organizers are hosting a spaghetti dinner for Lockwood and hope to raise $30,000. An auction includes many high-ticket items, from sports memorabilia like a signed Steve Yzerman jersey to a complete wet bar.

Saline Police Sgt. Jay Basso, one of the organizers of the effort, said he's been amazed by the support in the community. An earlier raffle and donations raised $12,000 for the Lockwoods. In the spring, they hope to have a golf outing.

"It's been overwhelming - people just come in with things and say, 'Can you use this?,''' Basso said. "My office is so packed I couldn't even list all the things we've received.''

John and Lisa Lockwood said they've been overwhelmed - and humbled - by the outpouring. In their down time, they read cards and letters from friends, fellow Marines and perfect strangers.

"One of us will read a letter aloud and finish it and say, 'Who it's from?' We'll ask if anyone in the room knows that person, and a lot of times, no one does. It's just someone who cared to send a letter,'' Lisa Lockwood said.

Lisa said she's been amazed by her husband's spirit, despite his injuries. She hopes they'll be back in Saline by March 5 - their second wedding anniversary - although it may take longer.

"He's been his normal humorous self, and it makes it a lot easier on us to see him laugh and cope well,'' she said.

Lockwood wants to return to police work, a goal doctors say is attainable.

He never wanted to be anything other than a cop. He graduated from Saline High in 1998, joined the Marine Corps Reserves, earned a degree in computer information systems from Eastern Michigan University and attended the police academy.

"I've been immensely surprised and am so thankful,'' Lockwood said of the support he has received. "I'm almost speechless. All I want to do is get back into things and be able to give back and help others.''

Amalie Nash can be reached at anash@annarbornews.com or 734-994-6832.

Ellie