Deer Park man injured in Iraq
Joe Winter, Hudson Star Observer (via New Richmond News)
05/26/2006
An area man who graduated from New Richmond High School in 2001 had his leg crushed while saving the life of a colleague during a freak accident in Iraq.
Three doctors recently gave Phil Erickson, 23, three different opinions on whether he could ever walk again without crutches.
“The foot and leg are pretty much shattered,” said Erickson, who right now is between surgeries. “Sixty percent of the cartilage in my knee is shredded.”
Erickson’s colleague could have been beheaded when a big equipment trailer collapsed. The bottom of the unit was sitting about chest high when a safety leg gave way, and Erickson pulled him from harm, but his leg became caught. He immediately yelled to be taken to a hospital, but things didn’t go quite that fast.
Because there had been bombings in the area, and there was only one surgeon at the post, Erickson had to wait his turn while being given Motrin and a quick medical fix-up, he said. For a short period of time he was sent back to the base.
It was almost two days before a doctor determined that he needed immediate emergency care, and even for a part of his transport had to man a gunner position, Erickson said. He initially was transported to a hospital in South Iraq, then to Kuwait, and then to Germany.
However, his injuries proved so severe that he needed to be airlifted to Walter Reed Hospital in the United States, then to Fort Hood, Texas, for what would be multiple surgeries. Erickson’s leg would swell to the size of his torso and turn purple.
One part of the leg needed to be operated on in an initial procedure so that the upper part of the leg could be repaired in succession. Complicating matters was a kneecap with all the bones crushed.
Erickson volunteered to go to Iraq as part of an engineering company out of Fort Hood. He declined to give the exact place where the accident took place about a month ago, but called it a “hot spot” near the Syrian border.
Erickson, who has many family members who have served in the Armed Forces and often tried on his dad Carl’s uniform when he was young, has already used much of the 30 days of convalescent leave that he initially was granted.
Until last Saturday, he had spent time healing at home in Deer Park, where he was mostly confined to a wheelchair, as well as at the family’s cabin up north. He’s needed to adjust to his new surroundings while in recovery, and as part of that has trouble dealing with crowds, his mother Roseann said.
He is now back at Fort Hood waiting for the first of two or three knee surgeries which Roseann anticipates will happen soon.
“We are very optimistic and truly believe in the word hope,” she said.
Erickson was only two or three months away from finishing his second tour of duty when the accident happened, so instead of going home with his assignment finished, he needed to come back on medical leave. He still is looking forward to the possibility of finishing a bit of that tour of duty, in some manner, provided that he makes a partial recovery that quickly.
Roseann had planned to meet with him and help transport him home after he was flown back to the United States and wound up in Texas. After having heard what happened, she immediately rented a car at 5 a.m. and hit the road.
However, that reunion became complicated when there was virtually no one in an official capacity waiting to greet him outside the plane, and there were delays for a number of reasons in getting home.
Erickson and his mother started driving away from a Texas hospital to an airport, but Erickson developed significant pain in his leg and after 20 miles they had to turn around.
This was a far different scenario than when an entire unit comes back home at once, and there are huge celebrations. However, Erickson said that there were many displays of touching kindness once he was out of emergency care. He made jokes about probably receiving gifts of his favorite ravioli once he made it back to Deer Park.
A few months ago he became engaged to a woman from Des Moines, Iowa. Danielle Francis also is in the military, and they have been communicating via e-mail since Erickson used that means to propose to her. He plans to redo it the traditional way when both are back in the States.
Erickson says that he worries about her being in a war zone, especially since she is only 5-foot-1 and 110 pounds. “We just have one more to get back here,” he said.
Erickson was active in sports, especially hockey, while at Hudson Middle School. The family moved to Deer Park when his father, Carl, had to relocate because of job considerations.
The family is no stranger to tragedy, as one of the brothers, Matt, was killed in a different accident involving an all-terrain vehicle about three years ago.
“Family is No. 1,” said Erickson, who adds that family traits that have helped them through the crisis are optimism and humor. “If we can make it through this we can make it through anything.”
Erickson said that through all his time in the Armed Forces, it is a friend of the family, Meghan Erickson, who is no relation but lives in Hudson, who has been a big help with pen-pal letters. The little girl was born with only one leg because of a birth defect.
