Afghanistan blast injures Marine

RONAN — A Ronan Marine is at an East Coast military hospital after being severely injured in Afghanistan.

Lance Cpl. Thomas Parker was en route from Germany to a Bethesda, Md. military hospital Tuesday morning after stepping on an improvised explosive device (IED) while on foot patrol in the Sangin area, Helmand province, Afghanistan, his mother’s partner Tim Corbett said.

“We talked to him before he got hurt and he said ‘I’m not in a very nice place,’” Corbett said. “We’re pretty fortunate Tomy’s alive, he sustained heavy damage but he’s alive.”

The 21-year-old Marine had his left leg amputated at the hip, his right leg amputated just above the knee and lost his fingers on his left hand in the blast, Corbett said, but his vital signs and motor skills are good and he is responding to stimulus and some questions.

“Tomy’s always had a high threshold for pain,” Corbett said.

Lisa Jennison, Tomy’s mother, along with her brother, Rick, and Tomy’s biological father, Chris Parker, flew to Maryland Tuesday morning to be with their wounded son and nephew. Corbett admits it’s been a whirlwind few days since they received the phone call Saturday, but the outpouring of support, he said, has been incredible. Business reader boards around Ronan have been changed to read “Pray for our hero Tomy” and hundreds have stopped by Lucky Strike Lanes, the Main Street bowling alley the family owns, to drop off a card or lend support.

“It’s been humbling,” Corbett said.

Tomy deployed to Afghanistan in mid-September after training at Camp Pendleton, Calif., as a member of the 3rd Battalion, Fifth Marine Regiment.

A fund has been set up at Community Bank in Ronan and more than 300 members have joined the “Facebook” group “Keeping the FAITH for Tomy Parker,” which has more than 100 messages of support, thoughts and prayers for Tomy and his family.