Axtell recovers after combat attack
Staff reporter
The measure of a man is not how tall he stands but how he faces adversity.
U.S. Army Pfc. Donald Reas Axtell III is facing an adverse time in his young life.
The 24-year-old soldier was wounded Aug. 28, in Kirkuk, Iraq, when a rocket-powered grenade exploded.
According to his mother, Bonnie Axtell of rural Burns, it was 8 or 9 p.m. when Reas had returned to the base camp after working a shift as a gunner in the 977th M.P. (Military Police) Unit of the 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley.
"He was opening the door of a supply building when the RPG went off," she said. One soldier was killed and two others were injured.
Fellow soldiers responded to the blast which caused half of the building to collapse, partially on the wounded soldiers.
"The only way they knew there were four soldiers in the building was because there were four pairs of boots," Bonnie said.
Debris had to be removed to reach Reas.
"He was conscious and remained conscious during the whole ordeal," Bonnie said.
As part of the soldiers' training prior to deployment, members of the company were trained in emergency medicine. Reas was thankful that his fellow comrades had the training.
A tourniquet was made to stop bleeding in Reas' legs. Within 30 minutes, he was stabilized and transported to a medical unit in Iraq where he underwent surgery.
Reas was transported to Germany, had another surgery, and then on Aug. 30, he was transferred to Walter Reed Army Medical Center at Washington, D.C., where he remains hospitalized.
As a result of the attack, both of Reas' legs were amputated to his hips. He had shrapnel burns on his arms, fingers, and chest.
After he arrived at Walter Reed, he was kept in a drug-induced coma for two weeks.
Just how serious were his injuries?
"The doctors lost him four times before he arrived in Germany," Bonnie said. "The doctors say Reas is one of only two or three people to survive this type of injury and subsequent surgery."
Doctors are so impressed with the young man's survival that a medical study is planned which will appear in a medical journal.
"Reas has surprised doctors with his progress," Bonnie said.
Well, after all, he has a lot of people supporting him.
Reas is married to Sarah, and they have two children. Kira, nearly four years old, and Drake who is almost three.
Many Peabody people know Bonnie, who has been a longtime Peabody resident. Reas attended Peabody schools in the mid-1980s before moving to Texas to live with his father.
Reas joined the U.S. Army more than two years ago as a means to provide for his young family.
"He's always wanted to be a chef," Bonnie said, so he joined as a cook.
Reas then was moved to the military police company.
"He volunteered to be a gunner," Bonnie said, when a soldier was killed a month earlier. Reas was coming off duty as a gunner the night of the grenade explosion.
Reas' progress
The young soldier continues to amaze the doctors at the Army hospital.
"The doctors are impressed with Reas' spirit and the way he attacks everything — full force," his mother said.
Within three weeks, Reas is able to move himself from his bed to a wheelchair. Surgeries have become a common occurrence — about every three days.
Surgeons perform a "wash out" where the wounds are cleaned and checked for infection.
A prosthetic team will be fitting Reas for artificial legs.
"We'll know in a couple of months if he can be," Bonnie said.
With no femur or thigh bone, Bonnie said the prosthetic team said it was looking forward to the challenge.
It is obvious that Bonnie is proud of her son but she also is proud of his wife.
"Sarah is doing well. She's a very strong young lady," Bonnie said, adding Sarah comes from a family of medical professionals. Her father is an emergency medical technician.
It is anticipated that Reas will remain at Walter Reed for at least a year.
It may be too soon to make long range plans but Bonnie said her son may not remain in the military.
"He may take advantage of his benefits and return to school to become a chef," she said. "That is what he really loves doing."
For now, Reas is thankful to be alive and doing his best to keep his spirits high.
Bonnie has been spending her time traveling to and from Washington, D.C., to spend time with Reas. She returned for another visit Thursday and plans to stay until mid-October.
It helps Bonnie and her family to know people in Marion County care.
"We appreciate everything that's been done for us," she said, particularly the Peabody women who made and sent a quilt of honor to Reas.
Anyone who would like to send encouraging words and well wishes to Reas may do so at the following address:
Attn.: Pfc. Axtell, Donald R. III
Walter Reed Army Med. Ctr.
6900 Georgia Ave.
Bldg. 2 Ward 57 Room 17
NW Washington, D.C. 20307
Martin Luther King Jr. once said "The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy."
In the eyes of his family and those who know him, Reas Axtell is a giant.
