RodneyNeff's Blog

Please credit to Cuba Free Press..And the writer

Local soldier injured by roadside explosion




Written by Erin Stubblefield    Wednesday, 05 December 2007 Carl Lindell spent two weeks in ICU suffering from internal injuries, post traumatic stress syndrome, brain damage and memory loss. He is blessed to be alive this holiday season.

The Cuba-born soldier Lindell was completing his second tour in Iraq when his military vehicle triggered a double staggered landmine on September 15th.

Insurgents planted the IED on Tampa, a military service road. Once his Palletized Load System (PLS) vehicle tripped the roadside bomb, the explosion punctured the motor and catapulted the truck into the air. Lindell blacked out on impact.

“I was running off of pure adrenaline,” he said, “and many of the details were relayed to me after the incident.”

Fire filled the PLS as Lindell made his first escape, but he quickly reentered to rescue his gunner out of the flames. Flares were launched to signal their location, and Sergeant Woody, who had been following close behind, escorted the injured soldiers to safety.

Lindell was given immediate medical attention in Tikrit’s Intensive Care Unit, but family members weren’t notified until four days after the incident.

During his two week stay in ICU, Carl experienced horrific flashbacks which precipitated sleep deprivation and excessive vomiting.

“I was extremely worried about my son’s condition. Those were the worst two weeks of my life,” said his mom, Cindy Boyer.

Lindell joined the United States Army after graduating from Cuba High School. At the age of 22, he had spent nearly 17 months in the sands of Iraq and confronted three detonated IEDs prior to the most recent accident.

“Ever since I was a kid, I’ve wanted to serve my country,” he explained. “It’s a pride issue. I am proud to be a U.S. soldier and serve my country, but it’s hard to be proud when your buddies are still in Iraq and you are stationed back home.”

Lindell’s medical condition led to a stateside relocation, but the transport back to base in Fort Riley, KS was no direct flight. Initially airlifted to Germany, the doctors discovered that he suffered from brain injury and Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome. San Antonio, Texas was Lindell’s next destination, where he retrained his memory and underwent treatments for PTSS.

“On October 8th, I drove down and stayed with Carl the entire two weeks he was in Texas,” his wife Dawn added. “It was the first time to see my husband since he left for the sands in April.”

Before heading back to Fort Riley, Lindell stopped in Cuba to visit his mother and children and watch a CHS Wildcats football game.

Lindell continues to suffer from headaches and vomiting, permitting him to work only four hours a day and attend a minimum of 10 doctor appointments each week.

Private Carl Lindell has made a remarkable recovery, going from bed bound in a Tikrit ICU to actively working on Fort Riley Base, and regardless of his physical condition, he will continue to valiantly serve his country.