Hammond soldier the lone survivor of Afghanistan explosion

HAMMOND | As the families of four Indiana soldiers prepare to say their final goodbyes, one local family is preparing for a long road toward recovery.

Pvt. Doug Rachowicz was the only survivor of Friday's explosion that killed four Indiana National Guardsmen in the Kandahar Province of Afghanistan.

Gerald Rachowicz knows his son faces a long and painful challenge.

Doug Rachowicz, 29, of Hammond, was driving a van clearing a combat route for the U.S. Army when an explosion blew the vehicle apart.

His fiancee's brother and the company's medic were in the van behind his, Gerald Rachowicz said.

"When they saw him trying to climb out, that's when they jumped out of the truck to help him," he said. "That's probably what saved his life."

The medic attended to him, and he was rushed to a military hospital before being airlifted to Landstuhl, Germany.

He arrived Sunday at a hospital in Virginia to be re-evaluated and prepare for multiple surgeries, his father said.

Although the soldier's 6-year-old daughter, Jenna Rachowicz, and son, 12-year-old Dylan Rachowicz, won't be able to fly out to see their father yet, other family members are being rushed to his bedside.

The soldier's father and his mother, Kathy Rachowicz, are leaving Monday to be with him as he faces the reality of what happened.

A drug-induced coma is shielding him from finding out four of his comrades died, his father said.

"But they were able to let him come to and check to see if he had brain damage," Gerald Rachowicz said. "He was able to answer questions and move his feet and hands, but he is still in serious condition. ... I don't know if he will remember the explosion."

His son's jaw and sinus cavity are broken. His front teeth were knocked out, and pins will be needed to repair his pelvis. He has ruptured and broken discs in his back, and both of his lungs were damaged. One has blood in it, and the other is bruised, his father said.

"You know, teeth missing and broken bones — that can all be fixed," he said. "I think I'll be happy to see him no matter what he looks like."

Doug Rachowicz had just spoken to his family the day before the explosion.

"He liked the friends he made there," Gerald Rachowicz said. "He liked the Army."

After news of the fatal explosion came, Gerald Rachowicz said he can't help but be sad for the families in mourning.

Spc. Brian Leonhardt, 21; Spc. Christopher A. Patterson, 20; Staff Sgt. Jonathan M. Metzger, 32; and Spc. Robert J. Tauteris Jr., 44; were killed in the explosion.

"I thought my son was dead, too, but he was the survivor," Gerald Rachowicz said. "If I could talk to the other parents, I would apologize and tell them that I knew their sons. They were good kids."

He instantly recognized Leonhardt, of Merrillville, when he saw his photo and saw news stories about the casualties. He had met him before the men were deployed a little more than a month ago, he said.

Rachowicz and Patterson, a Valparaiso University student from Aurora, Ill., were members of the Valparaiso-based 713th Engineer Company of the Indiana National Guard along with Metzger, of Indianapolis; Tauteris, of Hamlet, Ind.; and Leonhardt.

Rachowicz grew up in Lynwood, attended Thornton Fractional South High School and worked in Cedar Lake as a jailer before becoming active duty, his father said.

The bodies of the four fallen soldiers were expected to arrive at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware on Sunday and were expected to be brought back to Illinois and Indiana within the next two weeks, according to the Indiana National Guard.

In the past 10 years, 23 Indiana National Guard soldiers have died in combat operations overseas.