[Peace-discuss] Parkland student maimed in Iraq War

[Regina Cassidy]

This was a student of mine a few semesters ago at Parkland.  He was quite =
impressed with the talk Doug Rokke gave.  If anyone knows Doug's whereabout=
s, please let him know about it.

Gina


Bellflower native loses arm in roadside blast=20

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     By PAUL WOOD
* 2005 THE NEWS-GAZETTE
Published Online October 26, 2005


   URBANA =96 An Urbana National Guard soldier was severely injured by a =
roadside bomb in Iraq, but is undergoing reconstructive surgery and in =
good spirits.
   Champaign attorney Sheryl Fitzjarrald, mother of Garrett Anderson's =
wife, Sam, just came back from visiting Anderson, who lost his right arm =
and suffered a broken jaw when the bomb exploded.
   Anderson, a native of Bellflower and graduate of Blue Ridge High =
School, is in the 2nd Battalion, 130th Infantry National Guard unit =
headquartered in Urbana. The unit left Urbana for Fort Stewart, Ga. in =
January, then moved on to Iraq.
   On Oct. 15, Anderson was in a truck with another Urbana National Guard =
soldier when an improvised explosive device tore through it. He was flown =
first to Germany, then to Walter Reed Hospital in Washington, D.C., last =
Tuesday. The other soldier did not suffer significant injuries.
   Fitzjarrald said Anderson was in surgery Monday.
   "He's conscious and doing well on the orthopedic floor," she said. =
"There's surgery scheduled every couple of days."
   She said her son-in-law is "very encouraging, laughing and joking."
   In one heart-wrenching moment, she asked him if he was right or =
left-handed.
   "I'm left-handed now," he told her.
   Anderson graduated from Blue Ridge High School about 1996, said one of =
his teachers, Pam Givens.
   Anderson competed in track and cross country and was a "very dedicated" =
student.
   The son of Tanya and David Vaughn, he has a twin brother Cary, she =
said.
   He visited Givens' class in January before heading off for training.
   "He mesmerized my students," she said. "I was very proud of him, =
because he was not super-outgoing in high school. Being in the service =
gave him a lot of confidence."
   He got leave to marry Sam Fitzjarrald on March 22 in Michigan, where =
she studies law. She was at the Urbana Armory in January to see him off to =
Fort Stewart, Ga.
   His mother-in-law said there are many amputees in Anderson's ward.
   "The New York City Fire Department came with 15 firefighters, T-shirts =
and a letter for Garrett. They said he's our hero," Fitzjarrald said.
   Until his stint in Iraq, Anderson was a student at Parkland and a =
longtime grocery store employee. His job is waiting for him, said =
Champaign Meijer's manager Jason Harden.



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Other stories appearing in today's online edition:=20

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Development won't be delayed=20
New cold medicine restrictions proposed=20
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