Beckley native injured while on duty in Iraq

By Cassie M. O'Dell/REGISTER-HERALD REPORTER

One of Beckley's own was injured in Iraq Thursday night while trying to save eight Iraqi policemen, his father said Saturday.

Pfc. David "Nick" Deaconson, 20, was hurt around 9:30 p.m. Thursday, said his father, former Army Lt. Col. Dr. Tim Deaconson.

"He was on patrol and he and one other American soldier were advisers for an eight-main Iraqi police patrol. They were going out to investigate a report of a suspicious box that had been dropped off in a neighborhood that was supposedly a booby trap or a bomb.

"When they arrived on the scene, the Iraqis were getting too close and Nick was trying to get them to get away from the box. All of them cleared away except one and Nick tried to run in and get him before he tripped the device."

Pfc. Deaconson's attempt failed, according to his father. "The Iraqi exploded the device accidentally when Nick was trying to get him away."

Deaconson, a Woodrow Wilson High School graduate, was hurt, his father said, but lucky - the Iraqi man was killed.

"He's doing OK," Deaconson said of his son. "When he approached the Iraqi, he kept the man between him and the booby trap," he added, explaining why his son was not hurt more severely.

"He caught some fragments in his ankles, right leg and both feet," Dr. Deaconson said. "They flew him to Germany (Friday) for surgery."

Although Deaconson couldn't be there to see his son, he almost felt as though he was taking care of him himself. Dr. Deaconson, former commander of the medical unit with the 173rd Airborne, said his son was treated in the field by the same unit he'd been in charge of during his Army career. He taught the orthopedic surgeon operating on his son from his own time stationed in Germany - where he met his wife, Capt. Sheryl (Salon) Deaconson, who was an Army nurse in Germany for four years.

The commander at the hospital his son is now in, Landstuhl Army Regional Medical Center, was once his commander, he added.

Knowing the people taking care of his son and being a doctor himself helps Deaconson stay calmer than most fathers probably would upon hearing that their son had been injured overseas.

"I've taken care of many grenade injuries myself. I taught the ones that are taking care of him and commanded the ones that took care of him in the field," Dr. Deaconson said, adding it was the next best thing to taking care of him himself.

He said his son is doing well physically and as well as can be expected emotionally. "He sounds in good spirits. He's disappointed that he got hurt. He's worried that his absence has let his unit down."

Dr. Deaconson said the doctors treating his son expect recuperation time to be about 18 weeks - typical for that type of injury.

At this time, he and his wife are staying put in America, but a possible trip to Germany depends on when their wounded soldier gets to take his convalescent leave. His commander has already granted him 30 days, his father said, but when he takes it depends on his physical condition.

Dr. Deaconson is proud of his son, saying he had been on many successful raids. The soldier's commander called Dr. Deaconson about two hours after his son was wounded, explaining what had happened.

"He said Nick volunteered for just about every dangerous mission that he could and they're going to miss him."