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thedrifter
09-29-09, 08:10 AM
Volunteers band together to help Saline Marine injured in Afghanistan

Kenny Bowen loves the outdoors.

His experiences hunting, fishing and camping were part of the reason he joined the U.S. Marines. And it's part of why he voluntarily extended his deployment in some of the most rugged and unforgiving terrain on the planet after a successful stint as a squad leader.

But it wasn’t long into his second tour in Afghanistan when Cprl. Bowen was seriously injured by a roadside bomb on Jan. 24. He was hurled from the passenger seat of the armored vehicle by the explosion and suffered second- and third-degree burns on more than 40 percent of his body.

“He was the lucky one,” his mother, Wendy, said recently from her Saline home, noting that two of his fellow U.S. Marines died from their injuries. “But he’s got a long road ahead of him.”

Bowen, 25, has spent much of the year at the Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas - renowned as the military’s top critical burn care center - rehabbing from multiple skin grafts and other surgeries.

Bowen is expected to recover, but the severity of the burns and delicate treatments needed to repair his skin prohibits him from being in direct sunlight. He’s also at severe risk for infection, making the outdoors and the potential for bug bites a deadly hazard.

That’s why last weekend, dozens of professional builders, tradesmen and residents from around Washtenaw County volunteered to help to ease Bowen’s recovery by building a screened sun porch adjoined to the deck at the family's home off Judd Road.

The effort, organized by the Builders and Remodelers Association of Greater Ann Arbor, culminates seven months of planning and earnest fund-raising, said chairman David Haig of Ann-Arbor based D.A. Haig Construction.

Haig said his committee looked through several nominated projects - from room remodeling to reconstructing an entire house - but Bowen’s project resonated immediately.

“We really wanted a project that was special and everybody felt good about doing something good for a returning veteran,” Haig said. “Especially one who had been wounded.”

Nearly two dozen local companies and service organizations either donated materials, labor or funds toward construction of the 14-foot by 18-foot cedar porch. It was designed by KSF Architects, and Fingerle Lumber and Allied Roofing provided most of the building materials.

Haig said the project was expected to be complete within a few days. But they're still several thousand dollars short of their fund-raising goal and will continue to collect donations for Bowen’s homecoming.

The Saline High School graduate will be evaluated by a panel of doctors in two weeks. Depending on his progress, they’ll decide whether he stays in Texas for an additional six to 12 months, Bowen’s mother said.

On doctors' advice, Wendy Bowen expects her son to be living at their home for at least another two years after his return.

In the meantime, she said her son is working hard on his recovery and is enjoying spending time with his younger brother, Goeffrey, who also enlisted in the U.S. Marines and was transferred to San Antonio to assist.

Kenny Bowen is humbled by the outpouring of support and effort from the community, especially from many people he’s never met, his mother said.

“He’s really, really grateful,” she said. “Just being able to be outside again, protected from the elements will mean a lot to him.”

Donations can be made by check to the Washtenaw Home Builders Association Foundation with Corporal Bowen in the memo line. The mailing address is 179 Little Lake Dr., Ann Arbor MI 48103, or call 734-996-0100.

Art Aisner is a freelance writer for AnnArbor.com. Reach the news desk at news@annarbor.com or 734-623-2530.

Ellie