JOE INJURED 6/25/04
Hello WWWs, and Wolfhound family,
*HHC and Alpha Company sustained injuries last week from 2 different incidents. I was unable to report the incidents to you until all PNOK (Primary Next of Kin) were notified. They have been notified, and I am now able to report. I do not have the specific dates or times of the incidents, but do know that both happened during the week of June 20th.
Both incidents involved vehicles hitting an IED (Improvised Explosive Device)

1st incident involved *Wolfhounds from HHC :
SPC McGrath: (bumps and scratches)
SPC O'Neil: (chest wound).

2nd incident involved *Wolfhounds from Alpha Co :
1. Godwin David PV2: Shrapnel wounds to right leg and right arm
2. Herndon Joseph PFC: Major shrapnel wounds to right shoulder and minor shrapnel wounds to right side of body/ left eardrum ruptured
3. Goede Ryan SPC: (Only Serious injury of the 5) Shrapnel to face, left arm, both legs, neck, and possibly in both eyes (His prognosis for his eyes is looking better...he has already had surgery on his eyelids)
4. Walker Andrew PFC: Shrapnel to Right shoulder and ruptured left eardrum
5. Parker David SGT: Ruptured right eardrum, shrapnel to right and left leg, large shrapnel wounds in his right arm, possible fracture to right collar bone

WWWs, and Wolfhound family, I know that our Wolfhounds are very busy right now. When my husband is able to, he will write a note to you all. I know that he wishes he had more time in the day to not only take care of business in Iraq, but to keep us as informed as possible about what and how our Wolfhounds are doing in Iraq. However, I, along with Lt. Torres, will do our best to keep you as informed as possible with any information that is passed our way about our Wolfhounds. I thank-you all for your never ending support for our Wolfhounds! They are incredible men, doing incredible things and making incredible sacrifices for our country and for the Iraqi people. Please keep the prayers and good thoughts coming for our soldiers! God bless, Lynn M. Leith


OKAY - SO THIS WAS KINDA A LONG WEEKEND. LET ME FIRST TELL YOU ALL THAT JOE IS FINE. HE HAS ALLREADY BEEN BACK TO WORK AND BEEN ON A FEW MISSIONS SO FAR. THEY WERE ON A PATROL FRIDAY MORNING AND AN IED (IMPROVISED EXPLOSIVE DEVISE) WENT OFF ON THE OTHER SIDE OF A WALL THEY DRIVING PAST. THE WALL WAS BLOWN INTO THE GUYS ON THE HUMVEE. THERE WERE MORE THAN JUST THE 5 GUYS ON THIS HUMVEE SO WE ARE LUCKY MORE WERENT HURT. JOE HAS LOTS OF LITTLE CUTS AND ALL ALONG HIS ENTIRE BODY BUT HIS MAJOR INJURY WAS TO THE BACK OF HIS ARM. HE DIDNT FEEL ANY MAJOR WOUNDS AND CONTINUED ON AFTER ANYONE RUNNING AWAY FROM THE SCENE BUT WHEN HE AND WALKER HAD THE CHANCE TO STOP THEY NOTICED THEY WERE BLEEDING PUT ON PRESSURE DRESSINGS TO STOP IT AND WERE SENT BACK TO THEIR FORWARD OPERATING BASE (FOB) FROM THERE THEY WERE UNABLE TO SEE WHAT HAD HIT JOE, THEY WERE ABLE TO SEE WHAT HIT WALKER AND PULL IT OUT OF HIS ARM THERE. THEY MEDIVACED THE 5 GUYS TO TIKRIT FOR ADDITIONAL MEDICAL ATTENTION. JOE HAD XRAYS DONE TO FIND THE PIECES IN HIS ARM AND THEY WERE ABLE TO REMOVE THEM ALL. THEY PULLED OUT A SLUG AND A FEW PIECES OF ROCK. HE HAS 4 OR 5 STITCHES AND A PRETTY DEEP WOUND. SINCE THEN HE HAS HAD THE STITCHES REMOVED (IN THAT PART OF HIS ARM IT WAS DOING MORE DAMAGE BECAUSE THE KEPT RIPPING OUT) AND IS BANDAGED AND BACK TO WORK. HE IS SORE AND TIRED BUT READY TO GET BACK OUT THERE. WALKER IS BACK TO WORK AS WELL. AS FOR THEIR EARDRUMS THEY WILL HAVE TO JUST HEAL ON THEIR OWN WHICH WILL TAKE ABOUT 2-3 WEEKS, AND HE HAS BLOWN AT LEAST ONE OF HIS EARDRUMS BEFORE. I HAVE BEEN ASSURED THAT UNTIL HE HAS FULL HEARING BACK HE WILL NOT BE OUT ON MISSIONS WITH A SMALL GROUP OF PEOPLE SO HE CAN RELY ON THEIR HEARING AS WELL. THERE IS NOT MUCH THEY CAN DO TO HELP HIM HEAL FASTER. BUT HIS HEARING WILL COME BACK GRADUALLY. I HAVE NOT GOT TO TALK TO WALKER YET BUT I HAVE SPOKEN WITH HIS MOM AND HE HAS BEEN ABLE TO CONTACT HER. I ACTUALLY RECEIVED A PHONE CALL FORM JOE BEFORE I GOT THE OFFICIAL NOTIFICATION FROM HIS REAR DETACHMENT COMMAND. HE CALLED ME FROM TIKRIT AFTER HE WAS RELEASED FROM THE HOSPITAL AND I GOT TO TALK TO HIM THERE AND A FEW TIMES FROM HIS FOB MC HENRY THIS WEEKEND OVER THE COMPUTER. NOW AS FOR WHAT I KNOW ABOUT THE OTHER SOLDIERS. WHEN I SPOKE WITH JOE YESTERDAY GODWIN AND PARKER WERE NOT YET BACK TO THE FOB. GODWIN HAD A DEEP WOUND TO THE BACK OF HIS THIGH AND HE WAS NOT SURE WHAT ALL HAPPENED TO PARKER. GOEDE IS ON HIS WAY HERE TO THE STATES, BUT MAY STOP IN GERMANY FOR SURGERY IF HE IS NOT ALLREADY THERE. GOEDE ALSO LIVES IN JOES CONNEX AND HE IS A GOOD FRIEND OF OURS. JOE SAID WHEN HE SAW HIM LAST HE WAS ABLE TO SEE OUT OF ONE OF HIS EYES, BUT WAS GONNA NEED A LOT OF WORK DONE, IT LOOKED LIKE HE HAD A LOT OF BROKEN NONES IN HIS FACE. HE TOOK THE BRUNT OF IT STRAIGHT TO THE FACE, BUT NO MAJOR INJURIES TO HIS NECK WHICH COULD HAVE MADE THINGS A LOT WORSE. GOEDE, GODWIN AND JOE ARE ALL RECEIVING THEIR SECOND PURPLE HEART FOR THEIR INJURIES. JOE WAS THE ONLY MARRIED SOLDIER THAT I KNOW OF (PARKER MIGHT BE MARRIED, I AM NOT SURE). THE NOTIFICATION TEAM WAS VERY HELPFUL, EVEN THOUGH AFTER SPEAKING TO JOE I PROBLY KNEW MORE THAN THEY DID. BUT REST ASSURED JOE IS BACK TO BEING JOE AND INVOLVED IN IT ALL. HE WILL HAVE A PRETTY NASTY SCAR, SO I GUESS HE WILL GET TO BRAG, BUT HE DESERVES IT. I WILL UPDATE YOU ALL AS TO THE STATUS OF THE OTHER SOLDIERS AS SOON AS I KNOW ANYTHING.