Marine tells tales of Afghanistan, recovery

Can you still play video games? Are your fingers inside the flesh on your hand? How do you get out of the pool with no legs? What does your stump look like? How does that wheelchair work?

Third-graders at Ruder Elementary School asked wounded Marine Tomy Parker about the intimate details of his life last week during the veteran’s visit to the school.

Parker, of Ronan, lost both legs and four fingers on his left hand after he stepped on an improvised explosive device while on patrol in Afghanistan on Dec. 11, 2010.

Today, Lance Cpl. Parker gets around in a specialized wheelchair that he can power with his one complete hand. He swims regularly to keep in shape, is working on being fitted with prosthetic legs and plays hockey in a specialized sled. He also finished a marathon in his wheelchair, and after he finishes his duty obligations with the Marines, he plans on getting a doctorate degree and running for governor of Montana — no joke.

Students weren’t as interested in his political career as much as how he copes with his injuries. His left hand has just a thumb. But Parker held it up, wiggled it and showed it to the students.

“But I can still play video games,” he said.

Parker didn’t shy away from the sometimes graphic questions the curious eight-and nine-year-olds asked.

He told the details of how he survived the bomb. He was the last person on patrol of 20 men. The bomb must have been there a long time, as the area had been walked over numerous times by soldiers. Parker just happened to step on it the wrong way. The blast was big enough to destroy a car. He said he never lost consciousness and, yes, it was difficult to cope at first.

“It’s OK now,” he said. “At first, it was hard to understand. I spent 21 years of my life with legs.”

Parker was back in the U.S. in three days and spent seven weeks in a hospital bed. He continues to go through therapy, but he keeps up his humor.

One student asked him if he wore a helmet.

“I did,” he said with a smile. “But I didn’t like it. I have beautiful hair. It shouldn’t be covered by a hat.”

He told students about the hardships of duty in Afghanistan, where he saw other soldiers die. He also lived in cramped quarters with five other men. He went 93 days without a shower.

“It smelled horrible,” he said.

They asked him about his gun.

“I carried a SAW,” he said.

That brought ooohs from the video game players in the room. A SAW is a machine gun that weighs more than 20 pounds, unloaded.

Parker didn’t glorify the experience. He noted his injury has had a lot of impact on other people besides himself — not just his family, but fellow soldiers who had to go on with their duty without him.

Parker also spoke with fourth- and fifth-graders as well as junior high students. He said the speaking engagement came at the request of some cousins who attend school here, but then school staffers asked if he would be willing to talk to more students and Parker agreed.

And when he runs for governor, will it be as a Democrat or Republican?

“I’m straddling the fence,” he said with a smile.