Photo By Capt. Nathan Braden | Mike Bullian's letter to H. Iad Abed came as a token of gratitude and encouragement,...... read more read more
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By 1st Lt. Nathan Braden
1st Marine Division
CAMP FALLUJAH, Iraq -- The thin blue line, it seems, extends from the United States to right here in Fallujah, Iraq.
A California man who spent a career serving and protecting the citizens of his country breached an ocean and a culture to extend a helping hand to a fellow police officer wounded in the line of duty.
When Mike Bullian learned about the story of H. Iad Abed, a 25-year-old police officer from Fallujah, he felt compelled to help.
"I have always felt that a good cop anywhere in the world is a brother cop," said Bullian, a recently retired special agent supervisor for the California Department of Justice. "In law enforcement, we feel as if we are a family, especially when one of us is hurt or killed."
Bullian told the story of his efforts to help Abed in an e-mail exchange.
Bullian collected $532, roughly equivalent to an Iraqi police officer's monthly salary, in donations to assist the wounded man. The money was presented to Abed Aug. 2 at Camp Fallujah's surgical facility.
Abed was severely injured by an improvised explosive device during a patrol through the streets of Fallujah June 15. His right hand and right foot bore the brunt of the blast and he was taken to the city's Fallujah General Hospital for initial treatment.
Two days later he was brought to Camp Fallujah to be seen by the Navy doctors of Field Resuscitative Surgical System 3.
"His right leg was amputated above the knee and his right hand was heavily damaged," said Navy Capt. James Schneider, a 49-year-old from Norfolk, Va. and the officer-in-charge of FRSS 3. "And, his wounds were grossly infected."
Abed was admitted into Schneider's care the evening of June 17. An hour and a half surgery on the following day resulted in the complete amputation of Abed's right hand and the removal of dirt and debris from his other wounds. He was then stabilized for evacuation to Baghdad for further treatment.
Although the unit has treated many Iraqi soldiers, it was the first time the doctors of FRSS 3 operated on an Iraqi police officer.
"The staff really bent over backwards to help him," said Lt. Col. Frank Charlonis, Regimental Combat Team 5's Police Implementation Officer, who was present the night Abed was brought to Fallujah Surgical.
| Date Taken: | 08.07.2006 |
| Date Posted: | 08.07.2006 11:02 |
| Story ID: | 7413 |
| Location: | FALLUJAH, IQ |
| Web Views: | 137 |
| Downloads: | 50 |
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