Wounded Ft. Lewis soldier comes home to a financial battle
THURSTON COUNTY - A Fort Lewis soldier injured during a firefight in Iraq is reaching out for support as he tries to heal from the wounds of war.
Sgt. Chess Johnson is one of tens of thousands facing a future scarred by war.
Johnson still vividly remembers the gunfire when his Fort Lewis Stryker unit came under attack in Mosul on December 3rd.
"One went into my eye, one went right above my eye," he said.
Johnson tried to get back up after being shot until a fellow soldier told him how badly he was hit.
He remembers that soldier asking him, "Sgt. you don't understand the 'catastrophicness' of the situation?"
"Who talks like that in the middle of a firefight?" Johnson said.
Johnson's wife Amanda remembers the call that woke her up.
"All they knew at the time was he was shot in the head. I felt like I was going to throw up," she said.
Johnson ended up losing his right eye.
Now, Johnson is struggling with a different battle - a financial fight with mounting bills to pay. The family is living off of Johnson's military pay and benefits. His wife has her hands full looking after Johnson and driving him to medical appointments, and cannot work.
So the family put together a Mexican dinner fundraiser to raise money and some hope as well.
"No matter where you come down on this story, this war, these are out children. They're our babies, our guys our girls," said Pat Williams, the organizer.
The money raised from the dinner will benefit Johnson, who has done his part to serve his country. His even earned a Purple Heart from the president, but he declined.
"He choose not to receive the Purple Heart from the president, because he wanted to receive it from his own soldiers, his own commanders," Amanda said.
"I want to go back. I want to go back with my boys," Johnson said.
If you wish to donate, they're accepting donations at TwinStar Credit Union branches, the Chess Johnson fund is under account number 48087.
Sgt. Chess Johnson is one of tens of thousands facing a future scarred by war.
Johnson still vividly remembers the gunfire when his Fort Lewis Stryker unit came under attack in Mosul on December 3rd.
"One went into my eye, one went right above my eye," he said.
Johnson tried to get back up after being shot until a fellow soldier told him how badly he was hit.
He remembers that soldier asking him, "Sgt. you don't understand the 'catastrophicness' of the situation?"
"Who talks like that in the middle of a firefight?" Johnson said.
Johnson's wife Amanda remembers the call that woke her up.
"All they knew at the time was he was shot in the head. I felt like I was going to throw up," she said.
Johnson ended up losing his right eye.
Now, Johnson is struggling with a different battle - a financial fight with mounting bills to pay. The family is living off of Johnson's military pay and benefits. His wife has her hands full looking after Johnson and driving him to medical appointments, and cannot work.
So the family put together a Mexican dinner fundraiser to raise money and some hope as well.
"No matter where you come down on this story, this war, these are out children. They're our babies, our guys our girls," said Pat Williams, the organizer.
The money raised from the dinner will benefit Johnson, who has done his part to serve his country. His even earned a Purple Heart from the president, but he declined.
"He choose not to receive the Purple Heart from the president, because he wanted to receive it from his own soldiers, his own commanders," Amanda said.
"I want to go back. I want to go back with my boys," Johnson said.
If you wish to donate, they're accepting donations at TwinStar Credit Union branches, the Chess Johnson fund is under account number 48087.