ORIGINALLY WRITTEN DON RATZLAFF
A Hillsboro man wounded by a roadside bomb in Iraq last week was still recuperating Monday from his injuries in a military hospital in Germany.
Peter Richert, a specialist with the National Guard, was traveling with 12 other soldiers either Wednesday or Thursday when the bomb exploded in the vicinity of their vehicle.
According to Roger Sinclair, a National Guard recruiter who lives in Hillsboro and has been in contact with officers in Richert’s battalion since the attack, one soldier was killed by the blast and 12 others, including Richert, were wounded to varying degrees.
But details of the incident, including the identities of the injured, have not been released yet. Sinclair did confirm that a second member of the group was also from Marion County. He was only lightly wounded and has since returned to active duty.
As of Monday night, the extent of Richert’s injuries were not fully known by his parents, Ed and Phyllis Richert of Hillsboro, even though they have been in contact with their son since the incident.
“What I do know is that one leg was amputated,” said Phyllis Richert. “I don’t know exactly what point along the leg. We were told, verbally, below the knee, but the paperwork says above the knee.”
She added that Peter apparently sustained other injuries as well, but doctors were most concerned about the leg.
Initially, Richert was expected to be flown from the military hospital in Germany to Washington, D.C., on Sunday, but the transfer was delayed until at least Tuesday (Feb. 27).
Once he returns to the United States, his wife, Krista, will fly to join him, Phyllis Richert said. The Army will pay for three people to fly out one time.
“Ed and I trying to figure out when and how we’ll go,” she said. “Nobody has talked to us personally, but he does want us to come.”
Sinclair said the military released has not released much information about the incident so far.
“Officially they can’t say anything just yet,” he said. “They have to be careful about tactical situations and personal identification.”
Based on his conversation with officers in the battalion, Sinclair did say, “Overall, Pete was pretty lucky, The guy next to him wasn’t.”
He added, “I do know this about Peter: Maybe more than any other guy in my unit, or any of the 300 people I’ve enlisted in the National Guard, he’s one of the nicest kids I know. He’s got a good heart and he’s a competitor.”
How long Richert might remain in Washington, D.C.,will depend on the progress of his recovery.
“What Krista told me yesterday is that he can be there for 30 days, then he’ll be evaluated and it could be extended in periods of 15 days. Or he could leave sooner if he’s ready,” his mother said.
