A 22-year-old Morgan Hill man who was injured by a roadside bomb
in Iraq Dec. 28 is scheduled for more surgery today to remove a
piece of shrapnel from his chin.
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Morgan Hill – A 22-year-old Morgan Hill man who was injured by a roadside bomb in Iraq Dec. 28 is scheduled for more surgery today to remove a piece of shrapnel from his chin.Â
U.S. Army medic David Shebib, a 2002 graduate of Central High School, will undergo the procedure at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., where he is recovering from injuries.
Shebib’s father, George, a Vietnam veteran, said his son’s condition is improving and the family is grateful for prayers and support.
“We’re quite pleased with his progress so far,” the father said, speaking in a phone interview from Washington, D.C. “He’s off the feeding tube and able to move around.”
Shebib was injured on a road south of Baghdad when an explosive went off near his platoon. Bomb fragments covered 80 percent of his face below the nose. He suffered multiple fractures and a severed artery that caused a mild stroke. He suffered a concussion and possible brain damage from the blast. All he remembers, his father said, is a flash of light. He has limited vision in his right eye and may need an operation to restore his sight. He’s also struggled to beat pneumonia and a stomach infection.
Nevertheless, he seems to be on the road to recovery, his father said, as the Iraq war continues to produce the highest wounded-to-fatality ratio of any war in U.S. history, thanks in part to advancements in medical science.
Shebib joined the Army in 2004. He was trained as a paratrooper and a medic.
About 3,020 U.S. soldiers have been killed in Iraq since the U.S.-led invasion began in March 2003. A study released Jan. 5 said for every U.S. fatality in Iraq as many as 16 soldiers are injured. The ratio is the highest in U.S. history, according to the study’s author, Harvard University researcher Linda Bilmes.
In comparison, 2.6 soldiers were injured for every one who died in Vietnam and less than two soldiers were wounded for each death in World Wars I and II.
