Injured soldier recovering from shrapnel wounds

RANGELY I Kasey Huff is glad to be back with her fellow soldiers.
More than that, she’s glad to be alive.
Huff, granddaughter of Carl and Peggy Rector of Rangely, was wounded Oct. 11 during a bomb attack in Iraq.
In an e-mail to a friend, Johnathan Thompson of Rangely, Huff described what happened.
“An Iraqi threw an RKG-3 (armor piercing grenade) at my truck, and my driver and squad leader got shrapnel in their arms. I, however, got it all down my side, because I am the gunner and was standing up. They had to fly me to a hospital in a different part of Iraq.
“I almost bled to death, so I’m just happy to be alive,” Huff said. “I got out of the hospital yesterday (Oct. 15), and hopefully I’ll be back with my squad tomorrow. I’m doing a lot better.”
Thompson said he has received a follow-up message from Huff.
“She was very upbeat and very much herself,” Thompson said. “I am thankful for that. She has done so well … and I’m honored to call her a friend. She is a great person and very resilient. She has responded so well to the unfortunate situation. I, like her friends and family, am proud of her and all the others who have and are currently serving this great nation. I just hope this can be a little glimpse for some of us into what it’s like to be a soldier over there right now. Furthermore, her outlook on the whole situation since she joined the armed forces has been very positive. Even after her incident (on Oct. 11), she continues to be very optimistic.”