Defendant Thomas Caldwell says he served in the Philippines during the Marcos era; he tells jurors he cannot discuss his classified missions there. Caldwell's injury was sustained during this time. He says he was a paper-pusher to start, later trained as a command duty officer.
Caldwell describes doing patrols during his time in the Navy, dealing w/New People's Army in the Philippines. He was injured in an explosion but unsure if it was a short round or a booby trap, like an IED. He had his back badly hurt after this. "I got pretty well wrecked," he says.
He had just turned 22 when this incident happened, he was able to recover and continue his service at this time. He was collecting disability until a few months ago...There's an objection. Caldwell visibly sighs and lifts his eyebrows to jurors.
His face is very expressive as he waits during a sidebar. His eyes dart around the courtroom a bit, he often seems to be chewing on gum that isn't there.
Sidebar over. Defense attorney David Fischer asks him about his condition since his injury at 22. Discs in his back "began to collapse," he says. Its caused him to have tremendous shooting pains in his back as he aged. Other problems cropped up too.
His gait has changed because of the slipping discs, other vertebrae has autofused and they're worried there's going to be more damage including to his neck. He could lose the ability to use his hands, he says.
Lower lumbar fusion surgery was one of the worst decisions he ever made, Caldwell says. It left him worse for wear and he says he was awake for part of his operation. "It was a ghastly thing."He was recovering and doing fairly well until Jan. 6 rolled around, he says