Saturday's Internet Edition, May 17, 2008.
Jeff Walton Injured By Roadside Bomb In Iraq
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| Jeff Walton, recovering from wounds suffered in a roadside bomb attack in Iraq, is shown at Ft. Bragg with wife Beverly and a horse quilt made by a 79-year-old woman in Cary who makes them for wounded soldiers. He chose that pattern because his daughter loves horses. |
Walton, 35, is in the hospital at Fort Bragg with injuries to his right arm, but is expected to make a full recovery.
Walton said that the ball bearing in the bomb impacted his triceps and cut the radial nerve. He underwent surgery last Wednesday to repair the damage. "So far it looks good," Walton said. He will have to undergo additional surgeries and several months of rehabilitation to regain full use of his arm and hand.
Walton said that he remembers the day of the incident clearly. "It was one of those days when everything that could go wrong did."
Part of his job as a member of the 1132nd military police company is to transport army captains where they need to go safely.
That Saturday there were two missions.
The first was a ribbon cutting ceremony for a new park in Baghdad. Walton said, "Our truck wasn't ready yet." Another truck was used that did not have the Duke system, which jams radio controlled devices used to set off explosives.
Walton said he's normally a gunner for the front vehicle but his team was pushed back to third so the two vehicles in front could protect them.
The first mission was completed and Walton's company returned to base for a short time before heading back out.
As they began the night mission, Walton said that they were out approximately 15 minutes when the bomb went off.
After the hit squad members turned around. Walton's staff sergeants performed first aid to stop the bleeding. "I was conscious the whole time," Walton said. "It was the longest 15 minutes of my life to get back to base."
No one else in Walton's company was injured.
Walton was airlifted to a hospital in Baghdad. "They took real good care of me."
After being taken to Germany Walton was returned to the States.
He was able to spend Christmas with his wife, Beverly, and their ... subscribe to the Davie County Enterprise Record, P.O. Box 99, Mocksville, N.C. 27028.