Memorial Day is a day to remember the fallen. Today we celebrated with the living. Our Employee Activities Committee was hosting a brunch so we asked if we could invite the wounded soldiers too. We did and 31 soldiers responded that they would come.
At 0930 I led a caravan of 5 vehicles over to pick up the soldiers and the medics who care for them. We told them we would be there at 0945 so we were a few minutes early. When we arrived they were gathered out front ready to go. The three soldiers who rode with me were all from the same unit but had arrived on different days. Two guys had their arms in slings and another’s injuries were on his leg. They all had a great sense of humor and spirit. When I was talking to the Sergeant (a medic who is much like their temporary mom) I told her how impressed I was with the strength of these soldiers. She said, “their stories will either make you laugh or cry, they choose to laugh.”
I was mesmerized listening to the stories. One soldier has been in infantry 7 years and between Iraq and here, he has had 59 concussions. 59! He had been in three explosions in the same week. He is being sent home and this father of three is ready to go. As for the others, many of them would rather get back in the fight. One soldier was shot in the arm by his elbow but the impact caused breaks lower on his arm too. Another guy fell off the top of MRAP. Another guy was shot in the eye. Another, shrapnel from an explosion.
The team did a fantastic job making brunch and the food looked amazing. I spent so much time chatting that by the time I got a plate all that was left was pancakes, but they were good and I heard the rest we good too. At the DFACs we eat on paper plates and eat with plastic silverware. Our MWR has real plates and silverware and two dishwashers. For a war zone, we live like royalty. Even the soldiers on KAF still have it pretty good. These soldiers that we had the pleasure of dining with, live way out. The three guys I drove live on a camp that doesn’t have any running water. We heard comments like “this is the first home cooked meal I’ve had in a long time” and “I didn’t even feel like I was in Afghanistan”. Hearing things like that and seeing the smiles on their faces, we knew it was a success.
The wounded soldiers were up early this morning to say their final goodbyes to a friend at his 0400 ramp ceremony so they were ready to go back and rest. For many of us, the day had just begun.
After dropping off our guests, we loaded up vehicles with volunteers, cleaning supplies and tools and headed to the mTBI tent. After a couple of hours we were proud of all that we had accomplished. While not yet ready for patients, we made significant progress cleaning and assembling. After the rest of the volunteers left, Rita and I stayed to talk to the Sergeant about some of the issues that still needed work. While we there, one of the married couples that was helping us in the tent had returned with a vehicle full of donations. She “went on a shopping spree” at the PX. We unloaded enough sheets, pillows and toiletries for an initial set of patients. Their generosity was amazing and definitely appreciated.
When I finally got back to my room I was hot and tired but felt completely reenergized. Somehow in the mess of everyday life I lost me. Joining the Air Force was the best decision I could have made and when I found Mike I struck gold. After getting out and having kids I started to get derailed and I didn’t even notice. Instead of bringing our kids into what I am passionate about, I tried to get involved in the world around them. The problem with that is that I don’t fit in that world with all of its drama and personal agendas. Today a large group of people rolled up their sleeves and just got it done. No one needed to be told what to do; we all just jumped in and did it. And that made for a pretty great day!
No comments:
Post a Comment