Soldier's act brings sight to girl blinded in attack in Iraq

Knight Ridder ^ | Sunday, May 4, 2003 | S. THORNE HARPER

[gramho12]

BAGHDAD, IRAQ

[gramho12]

I am continually amazed at these wonderful young men that serve in our military.

[Vigilanteman]

Yeah, but they still hate us. There was a demonstration against the U.S. in some dump of a hamlet where 16 people showed up. </ sarcasm>

[basil]

16 doesn't sound like many. I confronted several thousand American American haters yesterday at the state capitol in Austin TX.

[basil]

OOPS! I didn't see your sarcasm slash---

[TomGuy]

Amazing and inspiring story. Just one of many.

The general Iraqi populace has received more humane and better treatment from the "occupying forces" than they ever received from Saddam and his henchmen.

[capt. norm]

This story will become a part of local folk-lore in that neighborhood and, perhaps, farther by word of mouth. The major news media will avoid it like the pplague.

[chainsaw]

James Mattwig you deserve a metal. Another tear jerker comes out of the Iraqi conflict. Nice going son, your a credit to your country.

[RJL]

Well done Staff Sergeant James Mattwig.

[rangermedicswife]

This is truly awesome. Rest assured that these miracles are happening all over Iraq and continue to take place in Afghanistan. Countless children have been saved by our soldiers ... children with legs and arms blown off by land mines ... terrible sicknesses ... burns ... you name it.

It's nice to see that this story is getting a bit of media coverage. There are hundreds of heroes just like this soldier who will never be publicly recognized for their efforts. (I'm honored to be married to one of these amazing men.)

[cgk]

THANK you for posting this! I had to put a call into Harper's office to make sure he followed up the original story with an update on Aya's condition. (Harper was out of the country, and his contact assured me he'd get one for "free republic fans." LOL)

PING to the original Aya-update list! (from this article: Wounded Girl Moves Ft. Benning Soldier (Baby Killers? I think Not!)

[cgk]

Strange - this is the article as Harper's paper printed it - slightly different and much more personal ending:

Article link: Benning Soldier Finds 'Shining Gem' in Iraq

BAGHDAD, Iraq - James Mattwig hoped there would be a happy ending to the story of the injured Iraqi girl he'd tried to help, and Saturday he found the answer.

Two weeks ago, the U.S. Army staff sergeant met Aya, a 3-year-old Iraqi girl with a patch over her left eye. Mattwig was told an artillery round had landed outside her family's home, shattering windows and sending a shard of glass into her eye.

A local doctor had told her she was permanently blinded. That wasn't good enough for Mattwig, a 31-year-old D-Troop scout with the 3rd Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division from Fort Benning. He assembled a medical team the following day, Easter Sunday, and returned to her house.

Aya was taken to a U.S. Army hospital, where doctors said she would have to be taken to the U.S.N.S. Comfort in the Persian Gulf for treatment.

And that was the last Mattwig heard of Aya.

Until Saturday.

Once again, Mattwig assembled a convoy to Aya's home in downtown Baghdad.

It was a bright, warm morning and the D-troop scouts were feeling good in the knowledge that they'll soon be going home.

They arrived outside Aya's home almost as celebrities; neighbors gathered around the two Humvees as soon as they stopped.

Wading through the crowd, Mattwig popped his head over the covered metal gate outside Aya's house. A member of one of the five families living there recognized him, grinned and disappeared inside the small flat.

Moments later, Aya Nahi and her smiling mother, Akhlas, emerged from behind the gate. Aya's eye remained nearly closed, but Akhlas delivered some good news in broken English.

"They fixed her in American hospital," Akhlas Nahi said. "She's not blind anymore."

Then, speaking through an interpreter, Akhlas Nahi explained that her daughter had not been taken to the Comfort after all, but somewhere near Kuwait -- that was all she knew. She said Aya's eye was expected to open up soon.

"This is my God -- He sends you," Akhlas Nahi said. "Thank you very much."

She served orange juice in ice to Mattwig and the soldiers and told him he had to visit again before he left because she was making a gift for him. "Something to remember," she said.

"You don't need to give me nothing," said Mattwig, a married father of three from Ashtabula, Ohio.

But Akhlas would not be swayed, and Mattwig agreed to return.

Then shy Aya walked to him and kissed him softly on the cheek. He beamed and picked her up.

Uncertainty remains. Life in Iraq remains tough, especially for children. Even so, Mattwig took solace from knowing that he had helped restore hope to one young girl's life.

"I feel like I've fulfilled something," he said after returning to camp. "I feel like I've done something very good. At least there's a shining gem in the middle of this devastation, and maybe these people will remember that Americans did something good."

[nicmarlo]

This story will become a part of local folk-lore in that neighborhood and, perhaps, farther by word of mouth.

Yep, it sure will (and has already):

They arrived outside Aya's home almost as celebrities; neighbors gathered around the two Humvees as soon as they stopped.

A member of one of the five families living there saw him, grinned and disappeared inside the small flat. Moments later, Aya Nahi and her smiling mother, Akhlas, emerged...

Brought tears to my eyes.....thanks for the ping, cgk. This is quite a touching story and I do enjoy reading about these kinds of actions and reactions.

[cgk]

Here's a picture of Aya - before the surgery I believe:

[cgk]

(I'm honored to be married to one of these amazing men.)

And we are honored that your husband fights for all of our freedoms. :)

[gramho12]

Thank you for getting more info on this story. Amazing isn't it how even a good story needs to be edited by the mainstream press in order to omit even further proof of how wonderful our military is.

And what a great picture of a precious little girl.

[green team 1999]

thank you for the update,good ending,
i wonder how many more stories like this,that we will never know about.

[Arpege92]

You are married to one of America's heros! Well, congratulations to your spouse and a big THANK YOU as well!

[browardchad]

"This is my God -- He sends you," Akhlas Nahi said.

He sure did.

Great story -- thanks for posting.

[demosthenes the elder]

same here. and I am continually appalled by the media blackout of such stories.

[No Truce With Kings]

"She told Mattwig that he had to visit again because she was making him a gift. "Something to remember," she said."

I *hope* he is able to bring that gift home without running afoul of the "no souveniers" policy the Army has instituted.