Posted on 02/05/2005 7:45:39 PM PST by NormsRevenge
McKINLEYVILLE -- Alex Nicoll scored his biggest touchdown Friday.
A former football player and wrestler at McKinleyville High School, Nicoll returned home after being severely wounded almost three months ago in Iraq.
Nicoll securely planted himself inside the gate at the Eureka/Arcata Airport, waved to friends and then smiled.
Like he always does.
"I may not have made it back in one piece, but I made it back," he said after embracing his younger brother Will and several friends.
An infantry and urban warfare specialist in the 3rd Battalion of the 1st Marine Division, Lance Cpl. Nicoll lost the lower portion of his left leg in November while backing up a unit trying to clear some insurgents out of a building in Fallujah.
He laughed at the thought of receiving "a leg for swimming, a leg for running and a leg for golfing" after his next visit to the Walter Reed Medical Center in Washington, D.C.
"There's nothing I won't be able to do," he said, his arm around his brother.
Nicoll and a first sergeant took several bullets in their legs and a grenade exploded at Nicoll's back during the attack.
Nicoll and his father Larry were on board a Horizon Airlines flight from Portland that touched down at the airport.
"I see the paparazzi are here," Nicoll said of a friend who had brought along a camera.
His arrival home ended a trip that began a little more than four years ago when he enlisted in the Marine Corps.
"To see him here, in Humboldt County, after everything he went through is ... beyond words," said Larry Nicoll, who has been with his son for more than 2 1/2 months.
"And there he is, standing with his friends, walking. He's an extraordinary example to all of us."
Alex Nicoll, walking with a cane, said he wanted a couple of days to get himself comfortable again, "but right now, I want to relax with the boys."
Ted Henry and Brian Reininger, friends from high school, were there, giving the thumbs-up sign.
A few people on hand to meet other passengers also joined in welcoming Nicoll, one saying, "We owe you a good round of thanks."
"Believe me, he feels great, he's happy to be here," said Larry Nicoll. "He has his whole future ahead of him."
After spending a couple of weeks at home, Nicoll will return to the East Coast for additional rehabilitation and the fitting of one (or several) prosthesis. He plans to attend school in Phoenix to become a motorcycle mechanic, his father said.
"This is cool," said Will Nicoll. "It's really neat seeing him walk around."
Earlier, Doug Johnson, the varsity football coach at McKinleyville High who was Nicoll's junior varsity coach, said he was not surprised Nicoll had demonstrated leadership qualities in his battalion.
"I remember one time, during two-a-days, when the varsity and junior varsity players were lined up and one of our coaches screamed, 'Where are the bags? Where are the bags?'" Johnson recalled earlier in the day.
"This coach put the fear of God in those players and then he screamed, at the top of his lungs, 'You got one minute to get all the bags.' Of course, that was impossible, but, you know, Alex Nicoll led the charge to get the bags. No questions asked. He just went for it.
"What a kid. What a great kid."
Larry Nicoll said his son was going to be the subject of a National Public Radio program, a book and "possibly" a movie on his experience in what is known as "The Battle of Fallujah."
"His rehabilitation has been incredible, he's on what they call the fast track," said Larry Nicoll. "He's got such an awesome attitude, such a positive approach to life. What he went through was pretty brutal. I can't even imagine what it was like."
Johnson said "there are few people with a better disposition, few people who radiated more" than Nicoll.
"Even today, I have a picture of (Nicoll's) junior varsity team in my classroom," said Johnson. "He was not the biggest or the most gifted player we had, but he's someone you could never forget. He has a great family, he has the respect and admiration of everyone who knows him."
That was obvious Friday.
Here ye be!
God Bless this fine young man and United States Marine.
Thank ya Norm. I don't think I will ever over come my posting fears.
Welcome home Alex!!!!!
Thank you for your service !
I think this is the rest of the story. Sounds like he had some help getting out of there.
Yup. Thanks for the link.
Glad you are here with us, Tubebender! What a great story :)
Mr. Alex Nicoll, you are a fine man and an amazing credit to your family and your country.
Thank you for your service to our country.
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