Regaining His Strength

Mid-afternoon Nov. 18, 2007, near Baghdad, Army Sgt. Robbie Laux along with his team were traveling on foot looking for the graves of two missing American soldiers.

Based on "intel," Laux's team along with crews with metal detectors and dogs were carefully scanning the terrain. After a thorough search at one location, they carefully moved on.

"I wanted to stay on the path because it was the most walked area," Laux said. "Even if it was longer, I thought it was the safest route."

With Laux at the lead, his team carefully followed behind.

That's when another soldier walking about 30 feet and to the right of Laux stepped on an unnoticed improvised explosive device.

"It felt like a big metal ball hit me in the back of the head," Laux said. He explained that the underground IED was so small and so old that no one noticed it.

Laux's friend and fellow soldier received the brunt of the blast, losing his left leg and severely injuring his left arm.

Laux's left arm was also mangled by a fall in the explosion, he sustained a fractured wrist and elbow, and dislocated his shoulder.

"We're both lucky to be alive," he said. "It still boggles my mind how I was hit on my left side when the blast was on the right."

He was quickly whisked away by medics who decided to keep the arm because of a strong pulse found in his wrist.

Laux ended up at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington D.C., where he underwent extensive surgeries to repair his arm for about a year.

He now has a metal plate in the radius of his forearm, scars underneath his arm show where a skin graft from his thigh was attached.

The most uncomfortable part of the surgeries, according to Laux, was when surgeons cut open his side and surgically attached his wounded arm just above his left hip to help the tissue in his arm grow.

A piece of fatty tissue from his side was later attached to the arm and now a tennis ball sized bulge can be seen on his arm.

Because of several infections, about a 7-inch piece of infected bone also was removed.

For now, Laux fills his days with numerous physical and occupational therapy sessions to regain the strength in his arm and to lengthen the nerves and tendons in his hand.

Being left-handed, Laux said he's had to learn how to write all over again.

"It's like going back to kindergarten," said Laux, adding that he's gained a little flexibility with his index and middle finger as well as his thumb to grip a pencil.

The 2000 Vacaville High School graduate is now relaxing at home for about a month to visit friends and family.

Besides several dozen scars and minimal use of his arm, Laux is in good spirits and said he is definitely glad to be home.

Laux's family is thrilled he is doing so well since the phone call in November wasn't good news.

"It's the kind of call that makes your heart stop," said Joan Mumaugh, Laux's aunt. "Now it's time for him to relax and share his time with friends and family, it's good for the long-term healing."

The family has been able to keep in touch with Laux and his recovery across the country electronically with the help of the computer and video messaging.

"He's looking a lot better now than he has," said Jim Mumaugh, Laux's uncle.

Sandy Laux, Robbie's sister, agreed.

"It's nice to know he's on his way to recovery," she said. "He's in a lot better mood now that he knows the path he has to take."

Family and friends, some of which Laux had not met before, came to a welcome home party last weekend. Laux said he was surprised at how many people supported him.

"I never really thought that many people cared," he said. "Every American soldier should get this much attention, they're all sacrificing their lives for the country."