Warden family needs help returning home

Marine son injured while serving in Afghanistan

WARDEN - The Warden parents and adult sister of a wounded Marine are accepting help to pay for their return flight home from a California Naval hospital.

George and Dianna Phillips arrived in San Diego Saturday with their daughter Lisa Gibbons to visit their wounded son Marine Lance Corporal Allen Phillips, said Gibbons.

Their flight to California was paid for by Allen Phillips' wife Heather, who lives in San Diego, Gibbons said.

But the family doesn't have plane tickets to return home to Warden and is accepting donations, she said.

"We really thank the community for all their prayers and support and for all the help we've got so far," Gibbons said.

Her brother Allen Phillips, 21, was wounded in southern Afghanistan during patrols on Aug. 30 with the 27 Echo Company, based out of Twentynine Palms, Calif., Gibbons said.

A soldier walking in front of Phillips stepped on a land mine, she said. The soldier lost his leg. From 50 meters away, Phillips took shrapnel in his face and left arm, Gibbons added.

"He's seen a lot of wounded, he's seen children wounded," she said. "They see a lot over there."

Phillips isn't able to see and e-stints were placed in his tear ducts because they were blown out, she said.

He also received other eye injuries and a CT scan is planned for his right eye to search for shrapnel, she said.

He arrived at Balboa Naval Medical Center in San Diego on Sunday after having stints placed in his eyes in Germany, she said.

Her parents learned of their son's injuries over a week ago, but the extent of his wounds weren't known, Gibbons said.

She claims her parents spoke to different military members who first said the military would pay for the family's flight, lodging and meals in California.

They were later told their expenses would not be covered, she alleged.

Pentagon spokesperson Gunnery Sgt. Fred Zimmerman said if a marine is wounded in combat, three family members are flown to the injured solider and their travel expenses are paid for by the military.

He said he wasn't aware of specifics about Phillips' case and refered questions to Marine staff members at Balboa.

A Marine source at Balboa added other factors affect the timelines of the execution of the family assistance guideline, such as the soldier's severity of injuries and if the military established a permanent place of rehabilitation.

He said he understands family members are anxious, but added the guidelines are in place to avoid more problems.

Gibbons said it was "really hard" for her family to accept the military wasn't going to help.

She said people with her father's work at an irrigation district donated money to assist the family.

Grant County Fire District No. 4 established an account at US Bank in the Phillips name, she said. The account is to help the family with traveling and lodging expenses while they're visiting their son.

US Bank has branches in Moses Lake at 203 E. Third Ave., Warden at 116 S. Main St., Othello at 401 E. Main St., and Ephrata at 121 Basin St. NW.