NORTHRIDGE MAN TREATED FOR BURNS SUFFERED AS CIVILIAN WORKER IN IRAQ.Byline: LISA The first personal computer to include integrated software and use a graphical interface. Modeled after the Xerox Star and introduced in 1983 by Apple, it was ahead of its time, but never caught on due to its $10,000 price and slow speed. M. SODDERS Staff Writer SHERMAN OAKS -- For truck driver Richard Bader Richard F. W. Bader is a quantum chemist, noted for his work on the Atoms in Molecules approach. This approach explains chemistry, particularly established chemical models such as the Lewis model, in terms of the topology of the electron density function in three-dimensional space. , signing on to haul supplies in war-torn Iraq was a way to see the world and boost his savings for retirement. So in January, Bader left the security of his Northridge home and headed for the Middle East, one of 400 Californians working for a subsidiary of the contractor Halliburton. The 62-year-old civilian transported supplies to U.S. military bases -- dangerous work under extraordinarily hostile circumstances -- but also traveled the world in his time off. ``It was a great opportunity to put some money toward retirement, and he had the opportunities to see some other countries'' when he would get 10 days off after working several months straight, said Bader's 55-year-old brother, Paul, who also lives in Northridge. ``He had been to Thailand and wanted to see Australia.'' But Bader's adventure took a dark turn on Aug. 2, when Bader's tanker hit a roadside bomb. Suffering second- and third-degree burns third-degree burns npl → brûlures fpl au troisième degré third-degree burns third npl → Verbrennungen pl dritten Grades to his face, ears, scalp, arms and hands, he was transported to a military hospital in Baghdad, then air-lifted to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center The Landstuhl Regional Medical Center (LRMC) is an overseas military hospital operated by the U.S. Army and the Department of Defense. LRMC is the largest military hospital outside of the continental US. in Germany. He arrived Wednesday at the Grossman Burn Center at Sherman Oaks Hospital Sherman Oaks Hopital (SOH) is an 153 bed acute care facility in Sherman Oaks, California, USA and is home of world renowned the Grossman Burn Center. SOH is owned and operated by Prime Healthcare Services, Inc. , the renowned facility where he underwent surgery Friday. Dr. Richard Grossman Richard Grossman is the former co-director of the Program on Corporations, Law and Democracy (POCLAD). He is co-author of Taking Care of Business: Citizenship and the Charter of Incorporation. He lectures widely on issues of corporate power, law and democracy. , the center's founder and medical director, said he and two other plastic surgeons operated on Bader for about 90 minutes, cutting away the dead tissue and replacing it with a temporary cover of cadaver cadaver /ca·dav·er/ (kah-dav´er) a dead body; generally applied to a human body preserved for anatomical study.cadav´ericcadav´erous ca·dav·er n. skin. Within 10 minutes of the surgery, Bader was awake and talking to Noun 1. talking to - a lengthy rebuke; "a good lecture was my father's idea of discipline"; "the teacher gave him a talking to" lecture, speech rebuke, reprehension, reprimand, reproof, reproval - an act or expression of criticism and censure; "he had to his brother, Grossman said. If all goes well, Bader will have more surgery on Tuesday, replacing the cadaver skin with skin grafts from his thighs. ``We've seen a lot worse, but it's still a big deal for him,'' Grossman said. Paul Bader said that as soon as he learned of Richard's injuries, he knew he wanted his brother to get treatment at the Grossman Burn Center. Grossman even gave Paul Bader his personal cell phone number to facilitate his brother's transfer from Germany. ``I couldn't be happier to have a family member here,'' Paul Bader said. Paul Bader also had high praise for KBR KBR Kellogg, Brown and Root KBr Potassium Bromide KBR Key-Based Routing KBR Kota Bharu, Malaysia - Sultan Ismail Petra (Airport Code) KBR Koninklijke Bibliotheek van België / Bibliothèque royale de Belgique , the Halliburton subsidiary, saying the company made sure the family was kept fully informed of every move. Paul Bader said he was always concerned about Richard, particularly when his brother's roommate in Iraq was burned in the explosion of a roadside bomb. And while Richard's injuries are serious, his brother is thankful that he still has his hearing, his sight and all his limbs, as well as his life, thanks in part to the body armor he wore. Richard Bader, who moved to Northridge from Minnesota six years ago, has always had a taste for adventure and thrilled to the excitement of the rides at Six Flags California's Magic Mountain. And Richard Bader has said he wants to return to Iraq because he still has some goals to accomplish -- although Paul noted his brother was sedated when he made that statement. ``Let's get him off the medication and see what he says,'' Bader said, grinning. lisa.sodders(at)dailynews.com (818) 713-3663 CAPTION(S): photo Photo: Richard Bader, 62, is resting after surgery this week to repair injuries he suffered in Iraq. |
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