WOODBURN, Ore. -- After months of rehabilitation, Woodburn's police chief is home.

His recovery from a bomb explosion is a miracle to those who cheered him on at a Woodburn park Tuesday evening.

Though he can't remember the December bank explosion that killed two other law enforcement figures, Chief Scott Russell lives with the aftermath every day.

"My right leg was severed to the point where it wasn't able to be saved; left leg was in pretty bad shape, broken tibia," explained Russell.

He has spent months recovering from numerous surgeries on his leg, his double broken jaw, his ear drums and a lung clot.

"I think we're at 28 surgeries," he said.

Photo courtesy: Woodburn Police Department

Woodburn Chief of Police Scott Russell, 46, was badly injured in the bank bomb explosion.

Russell's police department and other agencies were responding to a bomb threat at a local West Coast Bank December 12th.

The device a nearby crew tried to remove was real and exploded next to Russell.

A state bomb technician and a Woodburn police captain died.

Russell still mourns them and can only assume it wasn't his time to go.

"I think down deep inside my belief is that I believe I have a bigger mission to fulfill. I'm not sure what that is yet. That'll be my life's work to look for that."

A Marion County man and his son are accused of planting the bomb.

Russell hopes for justice but refuses to hold onto hatred.

He's enduring rigorous physical therapy, trying to get his remaining leg functional once again.

"My youngest last night said, 'Dad, it'll be great when we can get up and ride bikes and play ball again.' And I said," Yeah, I want it," said Russell

Back to being an active dad, back to being an active police chief; that's what motivates Scott Russell ever day.

That, and a valuable lesson.

"I think the biggest thing I've learned is just to value every moment, value every sunset, value every moment with your kids."

Officially, Russell is on long term disability.

But he is performing light duty -two hours a day- at police headquarters.