t o y M ^ M i k e MuUen, chairman
A traum atic
brain injury
on the job
in Iraq
turned
journalist
Bob Woodruff
into an
advocate fo r
veterans
experiencing
homelessness
<* ^ f i k e r c e m m u n ic a ^
7 en route to Afghanistan,
BY ROSETTE ROY ALE
a q u e stio n . T h e n h e slip p ed back in to
a ta lk an d a p a n e l d isc u ssio n e n title d “A re
unconsciousness.
We Serving O u r Veterans?” O f p a rtic u la r
ii 2006, journalist Bob Woodruff went
He and the cameraman underwent
focus that evening, which was sponsored
to cover the war in Iraq. But when he
emergency surgery in a U.S, Air Force
by Seattle University’s Project on Family
suffered a brain injury caused by an
Homelessness, was a topic he speaks
hospital near Balad, Iraq. From there,
IED, he became part of a different story. both were airlifted to a hospital in
about with eloquence: homeless veterans.
The Marines knew Taji, Iraq, was a bad
Germany. In serious condition, Woodruff
Prior to his arrival, Woodruff talked by
area. The city, roughly 12 miles north of
was flown to the
phone about his
Baghdad, housed lots of insurgents. But
recovery from brain
Bethesda Naval
the information didn’t stop the military
injury, what service
Hospital, where he
convoy that rolled through the city on Jan. stayed in a
members suffering
"For the ones who've been
29,2006.
brain trauma can
medically induced
Injured in these wars —
Standing up in the back hatch of a light- coma for more than
teach others, how
again, in how extensive and vets from Iraq and
armored tank, the lead vehicle in the
a month. Finally
how bad your injury is —
convoy, TV journalist Bob Woodruff
Afghanistan differ
awake, he required
prepared to tape a segment for ABC. He
from those from
months of therapy
you certainly go into
and his cameraman wore body arm or and
for brain-related
moments of depression and Vietnam and, with a
protective helmets. Without warning, an
tad bit of humor,
trauma. (The
frustration. It depends on
improvised explosive device blew up near
the explosion itself.
cameraman fully
the tank..
what happens to you. And a
recovered.)
Rosette Royale:
There was a BANG. Everything shook.
More than five
lot of it depends on who
Before you went to
Then it all came to a standstill. And
years after that
you've got around you as
Iraq in 2006, what
Woodruff, who had succeeded Peter
explosion, Woodruff w ell." ’
were your experiences
Jennings as ABC World News Tonight
has become a
with people in
co-host only weeks before, fell over in the
spokesperson of
military service?
tank.
sorts for others
Shrapnel tore a hole in Woodruff’s
who have suffered
Bob Woodruff:
neck. Another piece sliced into the left
brain injuries, particularly service
Well, I’d covered a couple wars. I was also
hemisphere of his brain. Convulsions
members. The accident and injuries he
embedded with the 1st LAR (Light
shook his body. Trying to stanch the flow
suffered led to the creation of the Bob
Armored Reconnaissance Battalion) of
of blood, a soldier pressed his hand over
Woodruff Foundation, which offers
the Marines for the first invasion of Iraq
Woodruffs neck. “Come back!” the
support to injured service members, vets
— that was the first embedding that I ever
Marines yelled at him. “Come back!”
and their families.
Indeed, for a brief moment, Woodruff
In mid-July, Woodruff visited Seattle for
See LOST, page 11
came back and opened his eyes. He asked
C O N T R IB U T IN G W R IT E R
I
Read more about
traumatic brain injury
and its relationship
with homelessness in
a special Street Roots
series, available at
www.streetroots.
wordpress.com,
searchword “TBI.”
Setting new
sights on the city
But then the vets
came to town
Local union struggle
dismissed by media
A n interview with
City Council
candidate Steve
Novick
A reflection on the
Veterans for Peace
National Convention
by Martha Gies
Commentary by
Portland author
Michael Monk on the
Longview dispute
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