Bigfork hosts wounded soldier retreat

Last week was the first week Shane Gandy and his wife Carrie Anne vacationed together. They’ve been married for a year and a half and dated for almost two years before that.

“I’ve had opportunities like this before, but it depended on my surgical schedule,” Shane said. “This is the first time I’ve pushed a surgery back.”

The surgery he pushed back is number 26 since November. Shane was blown up by a roadside bomb, 160 pounds of explosives, in the Helmund Province of Afghanistan during March of 2010.

He spent seven months at Walter Reed Hospital in Washington D.C., four of those months he was on his back.

Half of his right hand was amputated, a 15-inch rod now inhabits his right femur, he has three screws holding his right patella together and a bone infection in his left leg caused four inches of his tibia to be removed.

The Gandys live in Fort Lewis, Wash. just south of Seattle. They came to the Flathead as part of a retreat for active soldiers and their wives organized by Special Forces Association Chapter 28. Shane was nominated for this trip by his commanders in Fort Lewis.

Four Bigfork families and one Lakeside family opened up their homes to wounded soldiers and their families last week, from Aug. 19-25. Flathead Lake Lodge hosted their activities and dining. Kalispell Toyota donated brand new cars for the soldiers to drive while visiting the Flathead. Glacier Park Inc. provided a Red Bus Tour of the park and American Airlines arranged for their flights to and from Kalispell.

Soldiers came from Washington, Kentucky and North Carolina.

Kim Crowley, director of the Flathead County Library, hosted the Gandy couple at her home on Echo Lake.

She said she was both flattered and honored to be able to do something like that.

“It’s nice to give back something for all you’ve done,” Crowley told Shane on Saturday, the last day of the couple’s trip. “You know we live in this beautiful place and have so much space, it’s nice to be able to share it.”

“I’m not used to random acts of kindness,” Shane responded to Crowley. “When a community opens itself up and a community member opens their home, it’s touching.”

“We take a lot of risk, we’re asked to do a lot, on the backside to know that if something goes wrong, there are communities out there willing to support you, it’s huge,” Shane said.

In addition to lodge activities Carrie Anne and Shane went on a fly fishing trip on the Swan River and a lake trout fishing excursion on Flathead Lake. Carrie Anne caught a 34-inch lake trout in the lake and two fish while on the Swan River.

“I think we’ve picked up a few expensive habits to take back with us,” Shane said with a laugh. “It’s been a true vacation.”

Although Shane had four inches taken off his left leg, medical technology has helped Shane grow that lost bone back. He said the procedure is extremely painful and took almost a year. He now walks with a scaffolding brace attached to his leg and a slight limp.

“I was like the fourth or fifth guy they tried it on,” Shane said. “I was the only guy who got to keep his leg.”

Shane said both his legs are still in pretty bad shape and eventually he will probably have to have to get one of them amputated.

“I’ve got zero regrets,” Shane said.

He’s served in the special forces since 1994. As a Chief Warrant Officer Three with 18 years of experience and training, he is looking forward to sharing his knowledge as an instructor in the Special Forces Unit.

“My action days are over,” Shane said. “But it didn’t kill me, and if I can do something to continue to serve their (friends that have been lost to war) memory then why not.”