Menomonie (WQOW) - A Menomonie couple has heard from their son, who was severely injured in Afghanistan.
A roadside bomb went off this week, leaving Second Lieutenant Jason Church with very serious injuries. Church is an Army Airborne Ranger and 2007 graduate of Menomonie High School.
Military life is no stranger to the church household. Dad Dave is a colonel in the army, serving for 28 years.
"You see it, but when it's this personal, it really hurts," says Colonel Dave Church.
This week, the family received two phone calls they'll never forget. The first, a phone call which every military family fears.
"Barb received a call Wednesday from Fort Knox, Kentucky, through the medical hotline saying that our son had suffered a serious injury," says Colonel Church. "We returned the call and found out that Jason had been in an I-E-D explosion."
Second Lieutenant Jason Church had lost both his legs below the knee, and had injured his arm. The Menomonie High School graduate has been in Afghanistan since May. This was his first deployment.
"The first, you're heart just is torn out, and it takes a few minutes, and after some hugs and some tears, you realize that there are a lot of parents that would probably gladly switch places with you," Colonel Church says.
The second phone call, was one that not every military family gets to receive.
"About midnight or so, we just laid down in the bed, couldn't sleep, and about 2:30 in the morning, the phone rang, and you look on the numbers and it's obvious it's not a U.S. call, and on the other end was a voice, very raspy and very hard to understand, and it just said "dad"," Colonel Church describes.
Jason is currently recovering in a hospital in Germany, and the church family is getting updates every eight hours on his condition.
"We were able to talk for a little bit, still kind of hard to understand, but he was coherent and he knew what had happened to him and was very positive, and wanted us to stay positive," Colonel Church says.
As soon as he's able to fly, he'll be heading to a hospital in Maryland, where his family will be waiting.
"We want to go see him. As soon as he gets stateside, we'll be on our way," says Barb Church, Jason's mom.
'He's a very caring individual, a very Christian young man, and that's what will get Jason through this is he's a man of great faith, he's a very determined young man, a very mentally strong man, and that's what will get him through this," says Menomonie Head Football Coach Joe LaBuda, who coached Jason for two years.
"We've got a great support network, between the Army and our church family, Oakridge Lutheran brethren," says Colonel Church.
But the Church family is remaining positive. "While it's difficult, you can certainly count your blessings," Colonel Church says.
Jason was an all-state lineman at Menomonie High School. We wish Jason the best in his recovery.
