Update on PFC Joshua Sparling

Joshua Sparling
Published January 2, 2006

Some 20,000 well-wishers pen soldier who got hate mail

Mich. paratrooper recovering from Iraq War injuries

By Shannon Murphy
Special to the State Journal

PORT HURON - Pfc. Joshua Sparling is a little overwhelmed by all the support he's been getting.

Sparling, 24, a paratrooper with the Army's 82nd Airborne Division, was wounded Nov. 18 in Iraq. Since then, he's been undergoing surgeries for an injured leg at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C.

Sparling, a graduate of Yale High School, has received thousands of letters from people across the nation after it was reported he received hate mail shortly after being taken to the hospital.

The letter, addressed to "Any Soldier" was written in what looked like child's handwriting and told Sparling to have "great time dieing (sic) in the war." It ended with a postscript that said in big letters "DIE."

"It made me angry at first," Sparling said Thursday of his thoughts when he first opened the letter. "Then I said, 'I'll get better just to spite this person.'"

Sparling was injured when a bomb exploded near him while he was on foot patrol in Ramadi, Iraq. As Sparling went to inspect a large hole, he noticed a mortar round with wires sticking out.

"I turned to warn everyone and the trigger man hit the button and blew me up," he said.

Sparling said when he tried to get up to run, he saw his leg "just hanging there."

He underwent surgery about two weeks ago to try and save the leg and hopes to know in the next week if the surgery was successful.

Since being in the hospital, Sparling has received thousands of letters from well-wishers, although a few duds were in the bunch.

"It's nice to see that there are so many people (who) support us," he said.

Sparling's brother, Jacob, 18, of Greenwood Township went to visit him about two weeks ago.

Jacob said he heard his brother had gotten more than 20,000 letters.

Jacob said he was mad when he heard about the hate mail, but is impressed with the number of people that wrote his brother.

"(I thought) 'Wow,'" he said. "I'm glad to see that so many people care."

Joshua Sparling said he's doing a lot better, although he has at least a few more surgeries to come. He wants to get well enough to rejoin his unit.

"I wanted to join an infantry unit where I could help most," he said. "I'm not one for sitting behind a desk."

Contact Shannon Murphy of the Port Huron Times Herald at (810) 989-6258 or semurphy@gannett.com