East Coast Wounded Warriors

On May 23, the East Coast Purple Heart Family Support Group served a burrito banquet from California Tortilla to the Wounded Warriors and their families on the 5th floor of the Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. Long term convalescent Wounded Warriors staying in Mercy Hall were also served. Several Wounded Warriors had already gathered in the common room of the barracks to watch a Sunday marathon of Star Wars movies. When the burritos and chips and salsa showed up, they turned it into a party!

Click here for California Tortilla website.

As PHFS volunteers arrived, one of the NNMC’s MedEvac buses was being readied to go to Andrews Air Force Base where a plane of wounded was scheduled to land. The wounded were coming from Afghanistan via Ramstein, Germany. A half a dozen corpsmen outfitted the bus like a well equipped hospital emergency room. Oxygen tanks, defibrillators, and first aid kits were loaded on the bus, and each corpsman boarded the bus wearing a backpack filled with equipment. Gurneys were assembled in the hospital’s lobby waiting to take their special patients up to their wards.

On the 5th floor, the PHFS volunteers immediately busied themselves by serving giant burritos, salads, and sodas to families. As the meals were brought in, a hospital aide said, “Oh, I am so glad you are here. The patient in #10 heard about the burritos and asked if he could have one.” After getting the okay from his nurse, a burrito was delivered to the hungry Wounded Warrior in ICU. The St. Mary’s County, Maryland Junior Girl Scouts sent boxes of Girl Scout cookies to the Wounded Warriors and their families again, and they came as a welcomed dessert. Meals were also served to patients in the PTSD/TBI ward, the families in the ICU waiting rooms, and the staff that was assembling to receive the newly arriving wounded. Once the Wounded Warriors arrived, the staff would be on duty all night so we were happy to serve them too. Extra meals were taken to the Marine Liaison’s office to be saved for the families of the arriving wounded who were expected later that evening.

PHFS volunteers will be returning to the National Naval Medical Center on June 27th. Thanks to all those who made our May 23 meal such a success. Without the donations and volunteer efforts of our supporters, our PHFS meals wouldn’t be possible! Everyone does such a wonderful job, and the Wounded Warriors and their families always appreciate the warm meal!