Sgt. Roy Mitchell wounded near Pakistani border
Wanda English Burnett - Editor

"I knew something serious had happened...I was in a lot of pain..." were words the audience heard from Staff Sgt. Roy Mitchell on Sunday, September 19, as he told of his experience of being wounded in combat. He was being honored at a special service at the Washington Baptist Church at Elrod.

A sign, prominently displayed at the front of the church read, "Welcome Roy Mitchell, A True American Hero!"

Sgt. Mitchell, who is a Sunman native, was injured when the convoy he was in near the Pakistani border struck an anti-tank mine on November 23, 2003, changing his life forever.

The soldier, who was with the 1st Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment, sustained numerous injuries including: multiple fractures to his face, a large laceration to his mouth and jaw area, broken chin bone, missing teeth, shrapnel to the facial area, severe burns to both legs, and his left leg amputated.

"All in all, I knew I was going to make it home," he told the crowd on Sunday. But, coming home would be a long process as the soldier first spent months at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center, where he would undergo about 35 surgeries, mostly on the leg areas. He's battled infection and still has a bone infection in his left leg. While at the hospital, President Bush personally awarded him the purple heart.

The service honored Sgt. Mitchell through the singing of patriotic music and poem along with a letter read from the soldier who was in the truck with him when the incident occurred - Sgt. 1st Class Michael Eichner. His left arm was injured by shrapnel and he sustained a back injury. According to Pastor Bruce Fitzsimmons, the two were friends and Eichner had planned on being in the service on Sunday, but due to a
conflict he could not.

Sgt. Mitchell and Eichner were in the third truck in the convoy - the same convoy that news reporter Geraldo Rivera was riding in. A clip of the incident was played at the church and what people didn't know at the time was the wounded soldier being carried out on the stretcher was from Ripley County, a member of the church community at Washington Baptist.
After the National Anthem was sung, prayer was offered for Sgt. Mitchell, his family, and all those serving in combat, as well as the president. Anyone who had been injured in combat or in the military service was honored as the pastor said, "These are our true heroes!" Pastor Fitzsimmons concluded the service with a message entitled, "What Makes a Hero?"

Sgt. Mitchell will return to Fort Drum this week and he fully intends to stay in the military. He has served 12 years in the Army, having enlisted when he was 17-years-old, and says he wants to continue his career for eight more years.

Family was at Sgt. Mitchell's side on Sunday, his wife Michelle and sons Zac and Jerrect. The soldier is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Roy Mitchell of Sunman.

GARA BURNETT PHOTO

Staff Sgt. Roy Mitchell shakes hands with parishioner John Maxwell, as he is greeted by members of the Washington Baptist Church and members of the local community for a homecoming service on Sunday, September 19. The soldier was injured in a land mine incident on November 23, 2003, near the Pakistani border while on patrol.