thedrifter
09-12-08, 09:41 PM
Marine recovering from injuries
By Paula Vogler
Thu Sep 11, 2008, 04:54 PM EDT
Easton -
After his son had been in Afghanistan for just three months, Jim Walsh of Easton received a phone call. It was from his son, Corporal Ryan Walsh, 21, in the late afternoon at 4:20 on July 8.
“You remember those things,” Walsh said. “He usually called in the morning our time. I immediately knew something was up.”
Ryan had broken two legs, had a serious injury to his left hand, and was heading into surgery.
“We only talked for probably two minutes,” Walsh said.
Walsh found out from an official phone call shortly thereafter that his son had been injured by small arms fire and a fragmentation grenade while on patrol.
It was a long evening, according to Walsh, but Ryan did call again at 2:05 in the morning and sounded very alert.
Walsh would later find out that Ryan would undergo four surgeries before being flown to Bethesda Naval Medical Facility in Maryland on July 15.
He then underwent surgery on July 16 to set both legs and put a plate in his right leg because of the amount of bone shattered by shrapnel.
On July 17, Ryan had the fingers on his left hand moved over to fill the gap left when he lost his middle finger.
“When you have a son in the service you kind of know something could happen,” Walsh said. “We consider ourselves fortunate and the injuries he did get, although serious, he’ll be okay in the long run.”
Ryan, a 2005 graduate of Oliver Ames High School and the youngest of six children, left for boot camp at Paris Island in September 2005.
“We were hoping Ryan was going on to college; he’s certainly scholastically capable,” Walsh said. “(Joining the Marines) wasn’t Mom and Dad’s favorite thing but it was what he wanted to do.”
Like all other Marines Ryan was trained as a rifleman but Walsh said he was also trained as a mortarman.
Just before he was given his assignment, Ryan was interviewed and selected as one of the few Marines to serve in the honor guard at the Marine Barracks in Washington, DC, from April, 2006 until October, 2007.
Walsh said the honor guard participates at funerals, parades during the year, and also at ceremonies when dignitaries come from around the world.
“It was eye opening for us,” Walsh said. “There is a lot of training so they keep them there two parade seasons; they are there anywhere from 18 months to two years.”
Ryan was then assigned to the 2nd battalion, 7th regiment, and 1st Marine division, and sent to Afghanistan in April 2008.
Walsh said the Marines were in a lot of heavy fighting. Out of an original 12-man platoon, Ryan and five others were injured and two were killed.
“To be honest with you we certainly have a greater appreciation for (those serving in the military) when one of your own is in it,” Walsh said. “We always had a tremendous respect for anybody in the service.”
Walsh and his wife, Cathleen, were not able to visit Ryan until July 22 because Walsh was seriously injured in a car accident on July 14 and their daughter, Shannon, was going to be married on July 19.
Walsh put off surgery until Aug. 8 in order to walk Shannon down the aisle, even though he was in a neck brace, and then spend two weeks with Ryan.
“It wasn’t a pretty picture (walking her down the aisle) but it was better than not doing it,” Walsh said. “It’s a sobering experience to spend two weeks down at Bethesda. You see a lot of young men and women injured.”
While Walsh had two discs removed in his neck and cadaver bones put in during his surgery, he said Ryan has now been fitted with a walking cast on his left leg. Because the wounds to his right leg were so serious, Ryan never had a cast on it.
Ryan recently was able to walk 300 feet with a walker and he also has an electric wheel chair that gives him a lot more mobility.
“There was nerve damage in his right leg; that’s the main concern right now,” Walsh said.
Walsh said Ryan is doing terrific but still has 9-12 months of rehabilitation therapy ahead of him.
He’s hoping Ryan will be home for 30 days of leave in late September or early October although exact date will not be known for a few more weeks.
“He will take (the leave) as soon as he’s well enough to come home and be able to take care of himself reasonably well,” Walsh said. “He’ll need long term therapy to walk 100 percent on his own and hopefully be running; we’ll see. We’re very optimistic.”
Walsh also said the outpouring of support from Easton has been encouraging.
“He’s received well over 100 cards and letters from people in Easton,” Walsh said.
Ryan was recently promoted from Lance Corporal to Corporal Sept. 1, something Walsh said the family is very proud of.
Those wishing to send a note to Ryan can do so at the following address: Marine Corporal Ryan Walsh; McGuire VA Medical Center; 1201 Broad Rock Blvd; Richmond, VA 23249.
Paula Vogler can be reached at 508-967-3510 or by email at writedesk84@comcast.net.
Ellie
By Paula Vogler
Thu Sep 11, 2008, 04:54 PM EDT
Easton -
After his son had been in Afghanistan for just three months, Jim Walsh of Easton received a phone call. It was from his son, Corporal Ryan Walsh, 21, in the late afternoon at 4:20 on July 8.
“You remember those things,” Walsh said. “He usually called in the morning our time. I immediately knew something was up.”
Ryan had broken two legs, had a serious injury to his left hand, and was heading into surgery.
“We only talked for probably two minutes,” Walsh said.
Walsh found out from an official phone call shortly thereafter that his son had been injured by small arms fire and a fragmentation grenade while on patrol.
It was a long evening, according to Walsh, but Ryan did call again at 2:05 in the morning and sounded very alert.
Walsh would later find out that Ryan would undergo four surgeries before being flown to Bethesda Naval Medical Facility in Maryland on July 15.
He then underwent surgery on July 16 to set both legs and put a plate in his right leg because of the amount of bone shattered by shrapnel.
On July 17, Ryan had the fingers on his left hand moved over to fill the gap left when he lost his middle finger.
“When you have a son in the service you kind of know something could happen,” Walsh said. “We consider ourselves fortunate and the injuries he did get, although serious, he’ll be okay in the long run.”
Ryan, a 2005 graduate of Oliver Ames High School and the youngest of six children, left for boot camp at Paris Island in September 2005.
“We were hoping Ryan was going on to college; he’s certainly scholastically capable,” Walsh said. “(Joining the Marines) wasn’t Mom and Dad’s favorite thing but it was what he wanted to do.”
Like all other Marines Ryan was trained as a rifleman but Walsh said he was also trained as a mortarman.
Just before he was given his assignment, Ryan was interviewed and selected as one of the few Marines to serve in the honor guard at the Marine Barracks in Washington, DC, from April, 2006 until October, 2007.
Walsh said the honor guard participates at funerals, parades during the year, and also at ceremonies when dignitaries come from around the world.
“It was eye opening for us,” Walsh said. “There is a lot of training so they keep them there two parade seasons; they are there anywhere from 18 months to two years.”
Ryan was then assigned to the 2nd battalion, 7th regiment, and 1st Marine division, and sent to Afghanistan in April 2008.
Walsh said the Marines were in a lot of heavy fighting. Out of an original 12-man platoon, Ryan and five others were injured and two were killed.
“To be honest with you we certainly have a greater appreciation for (those serving in the military) when one of your own is in it,” Walsh said. “We always had a tremendous respect for anybody in the service.”
Walsh and his wife, Cathleen, were not able to visit Ryan until July 22 because Walsh was seriously injured in a car accident on July 14 and their daughter, Shannon, was going to be married on July 19.
Walsh put off surgery until Aug. 8 in order to walk Shannon down the aisle, even though he was in a neck brace, and then spend two weeks with Ryan.
“It wasn’t a pretty picture (walking her down the aisle) but it was better than not doing it,” Walsh said. “It’s a sobering experience to spend two weeks down at Bethesda. You see a lot of young men and women injured.”
While Walsh had two discs removed in his neck and cadaver bones put in during his surgery, he said Ryan has now been fitted with a walking cast on his left leg. Because the wounds to his right leg were so serious, Ryan never had a cast on it.
Ryan recently was able to walk 300 feet with a walker and he also has an electric wheel chair that gives him a lot more mobility.
“There was nerve damage in his right leg; that’s the main concern right now,” Walsh said.
Walsh said Ryan is doing terrific but still has 9-12 months of rehabilitation therapy ahead of him.
He’s hoping Ryan will be home for 30 days of leave in late September or early October although exact date will not be known for a few more weeks.
“He will take (the leave) as soon as he’s well enough to come home and be able to take care of himself reasonably well,” Walsh said. “He’ll need long term therapy to walk 100 percent on his own and hopefully be running; we’ll see. We’re very optimistic.”
Walsh also said the outpouring of support from Easton has been encouraging.
“He’s received well over 100 cards and letters from people in Easton,” Walsh said.
Ryan was recently promoted from Lance Corporal to Corporal Sept. 1, something Walsh said the family is very proud of.
Those wishing to send a note to Ryan can do so at the following address: Marine Corporal Ryan Walsh; McGuire VA Medical Center; 1201 Broad Rock Blvd; Richmond, VA 23249.
Paula Vogler can be reached at 508-967-3510 or by email at writedesk84@comcast.net.
Ellie