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Shelley Osterloh reporting Lance Corporal Roger Anderson of Clearfield, Corporal Wayne Broberg of Midvale, and Corporal Scott Lee of Ogden were among those members of the military injured in Iraq.
The three friends are sure to return home to Utah as heroes.
A sigh of relief from a soldier's wife. Melanie Lee says, "Right now, I'm just thankful that he's safe."
Melanie's husband Scott was one of nine Marine reservists wounded in Iraq during a firefight on Tuesday.
"My whole family was pretty traumatized about the whole thing. Everyone was crying and nervous," Melanie says.
Corporal Scott Lee was wounded by shrapnel from a rocket propelled grenade. Lee told his wife a piece of it barely missed his eye. In fact, he said his helmet, flak jacket and a fellow Utah marine standing near him helped save his life.
"He said, 'I'm okay. I'm okay. I just want to let you know I'm okay. Ive had some shrapnel wounds. One hit me above the eye. One hit me above the neck, and one hit me in my arm,'" Melanie says.
Another Utah marine, Corporal Wayde Broberg, also suffered shrapnel wounds. He has a concussion and blurred vision.
Corporal Broberg was among the first U.S. soldiers to enter Baghdad. His wife, Tonja Broberg, says his unit was under fire. He told her he saw two of his buddies injured -- Lance Corporal Roger Anderson and Corporal Scott Lee-- and went to help.
"All of a sudden enemy fire started coming again. He said he started shooting rounds off to them, and then he was thrown ten feet. He doesn't remember much after that other than that he was in a lot of pain," Tonja says. "He was unconscious a little bit and that's why they initially said shrapnel to the face and spinal injuries, just becauset they didn't know."
It turned out his injuries were not that severe. But the family didn't know that, until Wayde managed to call his brother, Ron, at 3 am Wednesday.
"Is it really you?" he asked. "'Yeah, it's me. Tell everybody I'm okay. Tell my wife I'm okay. I can't talk on the phone long. I'm not supposed to be on the phone. Tell my wife I'm okay. I can't remember her number."
Wayde was likely disoriented from his concussion, but he got her number and called Tonya that night.
"He said, 'Babe, it's me,'" she says. "I was crying. 'Are you okay, are you hurt?' He said, 'No, I'm okay, but I'm hurt.'"
Wayde suffered burns to his face, blurred vision, and shrapnel wounds to his hands.
The 25-year-old general contractor from Midvale left his family and business to serve his country a year ago as a marine reservist. He is an avid hunter, who loves the outdoors, and enjoys playing with his two-year-old son.
Family and friends are grateful he'll be okay and that it won't be long before this soldier comes home.
"We got a motor for a duck boat, and we want Wayde to come home and go duck hunting with us," says his friend, Kody Sheffield.
Wayde's cousin, Simmonie Broberg, says, "We are extremely proud of him for doing what he's done for our country."
Melanie Lee also can't wait to see her husband, but she may have to wait. Corporal Lee has been medically cleared, but has decided to stay in Kuwait until the war is over. He told her it was his duty.
"To protect those buddies that he's with over there. That's why he's there, and to protect us. He said, too, that 'If I could protect you and my family and our future family, that we're going to be a little safer in America. I'm proud to be here.'"
Melanie says she feels bad her husband can't fight, but is glad he's in a camp where he can sleep in a bed again, eat hot meals, and have a shower.
