A portrait in perseverance, soldier slips away

[frogcycle]

Injured war veteran never woke up after surgery
By Mark Emmons, MEDIANEWS STAFF

PALO ALTO — He touched the hearts of Bay Area residents with his story of perseverance and courage after being severely wounded by a roadside bomb in Iraq.

But on Monday, Sgt. Frank Sandoval was declared brain-dead from complications following surgery last week at the Palo Alto Veterans Affairs hospital.



http://www.insidebayarea.com/dailyreview/localnews/ci_6184600


http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_6180700?nclick_check=1

[ThomCat]

1. How many more?

Will he be counted as a casualty of Bush's illegal war?
:cry:

[SeattleGirl]

2. Doubtful, ThomCat. I don't think they count anyone who doesn't

die on the battlefield, even though the war is just as responsible for this young man's death as if he had died right after the bomb hit.

I hate this fucking war, and the waste of so many lives. :cry:

[frogcycle]

4. they do count deaths stateside

in Walter reed, Bethesda, various other hospitals. One was just removed from life support in Indiana a few weeks ago a year after injury, and listed by DoD. I suspect their rule is if they've been released from hospital and then die it doesn't count.

[SeattleGirl]

6. Thanks for that info. n/t

[frogcycle]

3. He's not listed by DoD as a KIA casualty

Here is an updated article.

http://www.yumasun.com/articles/sandoval_34755___article.html/frank_monday.html

He was quite a hero in his hometown. Many, many newspaper articles over the past couple of years about his progress.

[frogcycle]

5. Local paper has video history chronicling his two years

of therapy.

This is worth watching.


http://www.mercurynewsphoto.com/frank/