Memory loss haunts injured Iraq War veteran

Memory loss haunts injured Iraq War veteran


By TUCKER McQUEEN
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Published on: 08/10/08

Scott MacKenzie recalls little of his past. His parents remember every detail.

The young Marine corporal relies on Robert and Nan MacKenzie to fill in the gaps in his memory. His mother made a scrapbook of baby pictures and tells him about his childhood. Bits and pieces come back, he said, in a slide show of flashbacks.

"I remember my younger sister Savannah was born at 6:29 p.m. and weighed 6 pounds 3 ounces, " he said at his Canton home on a recent furlough. "But I met someone I grew up with and I didn't know his name."

MacKenzie, 23, will retire from the Marines this month with 40 percent disability.

Two years ago in October, he was injured by a roadside bomb in Iraq. A traumatic brain injury wiped away memories of his high school graduation, boot camp and the trip to Iraq.

Six weeks into his tour, he was on foot patrol when an explosion threw him into the air. The lieutenant walking next to him lost both legs.

MacKenzie had three surgeries to repair a fractured jaw and shrapnel injuries.

"When I woke up, I didn't know my last name, my rank or what a square was," he said.

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