EVEN CMYK 4 June 30, 2010 SUBSCRIBE TODAY - 325.648.2244 or www.goldthwaiteeagle.com The Goldthwaite Eagle Mike’s Minutes .... by Mike Lee Spend a While on the nile! In just a few weeks, we’re taking a journey back to ancient Egypt ... without leaving our church! Find out what happened to Joseph as he went from Pharaoh’s prison to the palace. Location: Zion Lutheran Church, Priddy, TX The adventure will last: July 5-9 Celebration begins at: 5:30 The day’s journey ends at 8:30 For more information, call: 325-451-4522 Gary Daniel has survived two brushes with death 37 years apart. The first oc- curred in Vietnam in 1969. The second occurred four years ago halfway around the globe in Mil ls County. Coincidentally, a man named Hal was among the medical personnel who cared for Daniel both times. "I never knew him by anything other than Hal. If I knew his last name, I'd t ell you," said the 61-year-old Daniel, who has lived in Mills County for 19 years. "I think about them (near- death experiences) all the time. I usually go off some- where in the pasture by my- self when I do. Sometimes, I still wake up in the middle Gary Daniel, relaxing at his home near Lake Merritt, has survived two near-death experiences with the medical assistance of a man named Hal. Common Denominator - Gary Daniel’s two brushes with death - of the night." Daniel, who spent much of his first six years living with his grandparents on their place just northeast of Lake Merritt, eventually moved to Fort Worth and attended school there. He left for Colorado and Wyo- ming to work on ranches at age 16, and two years later, he joined the U. S. Marine Corps. After 20 weeks of basic training and more training to be a machine gunner, Daniel was sent to the Vietnam War in 1969. He spent most of his nine months there in the "bush," the soldiers' name for the jungle. "We were looking for Charlie (the general name U. S. military used for the communist forces)," Daniel said. "We didn't fight every day, but you never relaxed. We were al- ways looking out for them. Sometimes, they found us first." Such was the case one day in 1969. Daniel had been back in the "bush" about three months after his first medical evacuation, or medevac, helicopter ride that was required to treat his malaria and 106-degree fever. "We were on a place called Mother's Ridge, and they dropped mortars on us," Daniel said. "Those shells burst into a million pieces. Those pieces of shrapnel go into your body, and they can kill you." Daniel was hit by multi- ple pieces of shrapnel in his lower stomach and back. He still has the scars, although he has never counted them. He was one of the fortunate ones. Several in his group died during the attack. "I don't remember much about it. You know you're hit. I was conscious until they started digging that shrapnel out of me. They don't get it all the first time. I had pieces of it work- ing its way out of me until sometime in the 1980s," Daniel said. His second medevac he- licopter ride was to the USS Sanctuary, a hospital ship that served the U. S. Navy during the World War II and the Vietnam War. The Ma- rines had no separate medi- cal personnel and facilities, and were cared for by Navy personnel. One of the Navy Hospital Corpsman who was assigned to Daniel's battalion was Hal. After the attack, Hal patched up Dan- iel and prepared him for the medevac flight to the USS Sanctuary. "They do what they call battle dressing," Daniel said. "They stop the bleed- ing and give you morphine and put you on the helicop- ter and send you on." Daniel spent four months recovering in Japan, and later served out his duty in the Marines by training other soldiers before they were deployed to Vietnam. After returning to the U. S., Daniel lived briefly in Colorado and then was a truck driver while liv- ing for 18 years in Spring- town, 30 miles northwest of Fort Worth. In 1991, he returned to Mills County and purchased a piece of his grandparents' land near Lake Merritt. "It's just home," Dan- iel said of Mills County. "When they hauled me from here up to Fort Worth when I was 6, I didn't like it. After that, every time I had a chance to get loose for a few days, I'd run back down here. This is home." Daniel worked for Mills County Precinct 3 (the Mul- lin/Lake Merritt precinct) grading roads, welding or whatever needed done. On June 8, 2006, he was driv- ing a tractor on County Road 108. The tractor's engine died and wouldn't start. Daniel got out of the seat and on the ground and began working on the en- gine. "It was an older tractor, and when I got it started, I guess it was in gear," Dan- iel said. "It ran over me. That big tire just grabbed hold of me and pulled me under." Daniel suffered a crushed pelvis, several broken ribs, a punctured lung and a punctured heart. Most of his internal organs were flattened. His injuries were much more severe than those suffered during the Vietnam War. "I knew I was dead," Daniel said. "I said, 'Lord, don't let me die down here in the dirt by myself.' It crushed my cell phone, but I was able to make one call to 9-1-1. I tried to make an- other call, but it wouldn't work." Ed Sanders of a local EMS service answered Daniel's call. Sanders drove Daniel by ambulance to Brownwood Regional Medical Center in 31 min- utes. From there, Daniel was flown by helicopter first to Abilene and then to Harris Methodist Hospital in Fort Worth. It was the third and fourth medevac rides of his life. "All I remember is the tractor pulling me under, talking to Ed and not be- ing able to breathe," Daniel said. He didn't remember the medical personnel at Har- ris Methodist Hospital that helped unload him and get him into the emergency room. After waking from a 28-day coma, Daniel had a surprise visitor to his hospital room. It was Hal, the former Navy Hospital Corpsman who had pre- pared him for his medevac ride after the Vietnam War injuries in 1969. "Hal said he recognized me when I came off the helicopter by my (U.S. Ma- rine Corps) tattoo on my left arm," Daniel said. "He told me he had been part of the crew that took me off the helicopter in Vietnam. It was hard to believe. What are the chances of that hap- pening again -- of bump- ing into somebody like that again? "I told him he was my guardian angel." Daniel underwent seven surgeries and was either hospitalized or in a reha- bilitation program for five months in Fort Worth. He walks with a limp and has to use a cane to get around. But all the crushed, flat- tened and broken body parts have mended. "They said I died on them three times that day. I don't remember any of it," Daniel said. "I feel very fortunate. The good Lord answered that prayer that day. I thought I'd die. I just didn't want to die down there in the dirt by myself." Hal visited Daniel a few times in the hospital, but frankly, Daniel wasn't well enough for long talks. After he was moved to begin re- hab, Daniel didn't see Hal. Daniel talks of someday going to Fort Worth and finding Hal. Now that Dan- iel is doing OK, it would seem the two would have plenty to talk about. "I'd like to meet up with him again," Daniel said, "just so it's somewhere else besides on a helicopter."
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EVEN CMYK
EVEN
4 June 30, 2010 SUBSCRIBE TODAY - 325.648.2244 or www.goldthwaiteeagle.com The Goldthwaite Eagle
Mike’s Minutes .... by Mike Lee
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Spend a While on the nile!In just a few weeks, we’re taking a journey back to
ancient Egypt ... without leaving our church! Find
out what happened to Joseph as he went from
Pharaoh’s prison to the palace.
Location: Zion Lutheran Church,Priddy, TX
The adventure will last: July 5-9Celebration begins at: 5:30
The day’s journey ends at 8:30For more information, call: 325-451-4522
Gary Daniel has survivedtwo brushes with death 37years apart. The first oc-curred in Vietnam in 1969.The second occurred fouryears ago halfway aroundthe globe in Mills County.
Coincidentally, a mannamed Hal was amongthe medical personnelwho cared for Daniel bothtimes.
"I never knew him byanything other than Hal. If I knew his last name, I'd tellyou," said the 61-year-oldDaniel, who has lived inMills County for 19 years.
"I think about them (near-death experiences) all thetime. I usually go off some-where in the pasture by my-self when I do. Sometimes,I still wake up in the middle
Gary Daniel, relaxing at his home near Lake Merritt, has survived two near-deathexperiences with the medical assistance of a man named Hal.
Common Denominator- Gary Daniel’s two brushes with death -
of the night."Daniel, who spent much
of his first six years livingwith his grandparents ontheir place just northeastof Lake Merritt, eventuallymoved to Fort Worth andattended school there. Heleft for Colorado and Wyo-ming to work on ranches atage 16, and two years later,he joined the U. S. MarineCorps. After 20 weeks of basic training and moretraining to be a machinegunner, Daniel was sent tothe Vietnam War in 1969.
He spent most of his ninemonths there in the "bush,"the soldiers' name for the
jungle. "We were lookingfor Charlie (the generalname U. S. military usedfor the communist forces),"Daniel said. "We didn't
fight every day, but younever relaxed. We were al-ways looking out for them.Sometimes, they found usfirst."
Such was the case oneday in 1969. Daniel hadbeen back in the "bush"about three months after hisfirst medical evacuation, ormedevac, helicopter ridethat was required to treathis malaria and 106-degreefever.
"We were on a placecalled Mother's Ridge, andthey dropped mortars onus," Daniel said. "Those
shells burst into a millionpieces. Those pieces of shrapnel go into your body,and they can kill you."
Daniel was hit by multi-ple pieces of shrapnel in hislower stomach and back. Hestill has the scars, althoughhe has never counted them.He was one of the fortunateones. Several in his groupdied during the attack.
"I don't remember muchabout it. You know you'rehit. I was conscious untilthey started digging thatshrapnel out of me. Theydon't get it all the first time.I had pieces of it work-
ing its way out of me untilsometime in the 1980s,"Daniel said.
His second medevac he-licopter ride was to the USSSanctuary, a hospital shipthat served the U. S. Navyduring the World War II andthe Vietnam War. The Ma-rines had no separate medi-cal personnel and facilities,and were cared for by Navypersonnel. One of the NavyHospital Corpsman whowas assigned to Daniel'sbattalion was Hal. After theattack, Hal patched up Dan-iel and prepared him for themedevac flight to the USS
Sanctuary."They do what they call
battle dressing," Danielsaid. "They stop the bleed-ing and give you morphineand put you on the helicop-ter and send you on."
Daniel spent four monthsrecovering in Japan, andlater served out his dutyin the Marines by trainingother soldiers before theywere deployed to Vietnam.
After returning to theU. S., Daniel lived brieflyin Colorado and then wasa truck driver while liv-ing for 18 years in Spring-town, 30 miles northwestof Fort Worth. In 1991, hereturned to Mills Countyand purchased a piece of his grandparents' land nearLake Merritt.
"It's just home," Dan-iel said of Mills County."When they hauled mefrom here up to Fort Worthwhen I was 6, I didn't likeit. After that, every time Ihad a chance to get loosefor a few days, I'd run backdown here. This is home."
Daniel worked for MillsCounty Precinct 3 (the Mul-lin/Lake Merritt precinct)grading roads, welding orwhatever needed done. OnJune 8, 2006, he was driv-
ing a tractor on CountyRoad 108. The tractor'sengine died and wouldn'tstart. Daniel got out of theseat and on the ground andbegan working on the en-gine.
"It was an older tractor,and when I got it started, Iguess it was in gear," Dan-iel said. "It ran over me.That big tire just grabbedhold of me and pulled meunder."
Daniel suffered a crushedpelvis, several broken ribs,a punctured lung and apunctured heart. Most of his internal organs wereflattened. His injuries weremuch more severe thanthose suffered during theVietnam War.
"I knew I was dead,"Daniel said. "I said, 'Lord,don't let me die down herein the dirt by myself.' Itcrushed my cell phone, butI was able to make one callto 9-1-1. I tried to make an-other call, but it wouldn'twork."
Ed Sanders of a localEMS service answeredDaniel's call. Sanders droveDaniel by ambulance toBrownwood RegionalMedical Center in 31 min-utes. From there, Danielwas flown by helicopterfirst to Abilene and then toHarris Methodist Hospitalin Fort Worth. It was thethird and fourth medevacrides of his life.
"All I remember is thetractor pulling me under,talking to Ed and not be-ing able to breathe," Danielsaid.
He didn't remember themedical personnel at Har-ris Methodist Hospital thathelped unload him and gethim into the emergencyroom. After waking froma 28-day coma, Danielhad a surprise visitor to hishospital room. It was Hal,the former Navy HospitalCorpsman who had pre-pared him for his medevacride after the Vietnam Warinjuries in 1969.
"Hal said he recognizedme when I came off thehelicopter by my (U.S. Ma-rine Corps) tattoo on myleft arm," Daniel said. "Hetold me he had been part of the crew that took me off the helicopter in Vietnam.It was hard to believe. Whatare the chances of that hap-pening again -- of bump-ing into somebody like thatagain?
"I told him he was myguardian angel."
Daniel underwent sevensurgeries and was eitherhospitalized or in a reha-bilitation program for fivemonths in Fort Worth. Hewalks with a limp and hasto use a cane to get around.But all the crushed, flat-tened and broken bodyparts have mended.
"They said I died onthem three times that day.I don't remember any of it," Daniel said. "I feel veryfortunate. The good Lordanswered that prayer thatday. I thought I'd die. I justdidn't want to die downthere in the dirt by myself."
Hal visited Daniel a fewtimes in the hospital, butfrankly, Daniel wasn't well
enough for long talks. Afterhe was moved to begin re-hab, Daniel didn't see Hal.Daniel talks of somedaygoing to Fort Worth andfinding Hal. Now that Dan-iel is doing OK, it wouldseem the two would haveplenty to talk about.
"I'd like to meet up withhim again," Daniel said,"just so it's somewhere elsebesides on a helicopter."
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