West Coast Wounded Warriors
August 18th Dinner (with Sgt Maj Barrett!):
The 17th Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps, Sergeant Major Micheal Barrett, attended our Wounded Warrior dinner Thursday night [August 18th]. The Sergeant Major was formerly the Sergeant Major of the 1st Marine Division stationed at Camp Pendleton. Because of this former posting and his long, distinguished service in the Marine Corps, many of those present at our dinner last night had previously met or been stationed with the Sergeant Major. Every Marine who could make it to the Liberty Center at Balboa Hosptital (approximately 250!) came to dinner to greet the Sergeant Major. Or, more accurately, he left the Marine Corps Headquarters in Washington DC to visit them.
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The Sergeant Major carries an address book in which he keeps track of thousands of Marines and their families. For every Marine, the moment he first shakes their hand and looks them in the eye, they realize he is totally focused on them and that he appreciates their service to the Corps. For each and every Wounded Warrior at Balboa Hospital, he inquires about their families, the medical care of their injuries and if there is anything he can help them with. His traveling staff keeps quite busy fulfilling promises he has made to these Wounded Warriors.
During dinner, the Sergeant Major presented the manager of West Coast Marine Parents volunteer group, Mrs. Joyce Orrell, a special book, "Marines and Others", The Paintings of Colonel Charles Waterhouse, USMC ret., signed by the author. Joyce and her husband Curtis are well known to the Sergeant Major for their tireless efforts on behalf of wounded Marines being cared for at Balboa Hospital (San Diego Regional Medical Center).
As for the dinner, the “Soup Plantation” (a regular and prominent meal provider) brought a cornucopia of dishes to satisfy everyone’s tastes. The food was delicious. The dining room was packed. The Sergeant Major was visiting each Marine and an NFL football game was on the big screen TV. Lots of laughter, lots of camaraderie and best of all...Marines being Marines. It was a night all the volunteers will never forget.
- Reported by Buck Ramsey
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Sgt Maj Barrett with PHFS West Coast manager Joyce Orrell
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Click here to view photos of the dinner taken by the Sergeant Major's professional photographer (you must scroll past other photos that were taken of the Sgt Maj that day).
August 11th Dinner:
Approximately 90 wounded warriors attended our August 11th dinner. Many of their friends who were more mobile and up to the trip were bussed to Qualcomm Stadium for the Chargers versus Seattle Seahawks NFL preseason game. At halftime, amidst a thunderous applause from the crowd, the wounded warriors moved onto the field to be publicly recognized for their service and sacrifice to our country. Each wounded warrior was presented with a Chargers jersey by a Chargers player. It was truly a heartfelt tribute to these wounded warriors by the Chargers organization and their fans.
Back at the Liberty Center at Balboa Hospital (San Diego Regional Medical Center), the volunteers had a special opportunity to spend more “one on one” time with a smaller-than-usual group of wounded warriors. It also gave Bob and Jan DiRomualdo (introduced to Marine Parents by our local volunteer Alan Fischer) an opportunity to meet and greet the warriors who are being served a restaurant meal in their barracks. Bob was a Navy pilot during Vietnam. Both he and his wife Jan are very generous donors to Marine Parents.
Jan, who spent much of the evening on the serving line next to Kimmee Rosengren and Lonnie, was particularly touched by the attention and compassion that both these young volunteers offered to all of the warriors who came through the serving line. Because Kimmee and Lonnie (and Skyler and Tiana who couldn’t make it that night) are closer in age to most of the warriors (mid-twenties), they relate to them on a different level than the majority of our over-50 volunteers. Whether it’s discussing music, clothes or rock stars, these ladies do a wonderful job of making the warriors feel at home.
Cpl Jason, a triple amputee who is confined to a wheelchair, spent much of the evening near the serving line chatting with Kimmee and Lonnie. From the joy in his eyes and the smile on his face, it was clear to Jan that Kimmee and Lonnie’s connection with the warriors, and in particular Jason, is more than that of a caring volunteer. They, as do many of the other volunteers, develop a lasting friendship with the wounded warriors.
- Reported by Buck Ramsey
East Coast Wounded Warriors
August 14th Dinner:
August 14th was a busy day for the East Coast Purple Heart Family Support volunteers at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (WRNMMC) in Bethesda, formerly the National Naval Medical Center. The merger of the two giant military medical facilities in the Nation’s Capital has begun. Fortunately there were lots of volunteers on deck to help serve the families there. California Tortilla delivered large quantities of burritos, salad, chips and salsa.
There were at least four families from the ICU (about 10 - 13 wives, children, siblings, moms and dads) who decided to come up to the 5th floor to eat. By the time volunteers Mary Jane and Rene returned to the 5th floor followed by the ICU group, there was a long line of family members already waiting for their suppers. At least three wheelchair-bound wounded warriors came to get their own meals, and as always the mood was one of cheer and gratitude.
Many of the ICU families ate their meals in the 5th floor patient family room and chatted before returning to the ICU. The sister of a wounded warrior brought her young daughter (less than one year old), and everyone smiled and watched as she played on the floor with a giant green frog.
As more Army patients are brought to the new tri-service WRNMMC, the hospital will soon have two separate ICU's: one for wounded warriors and a second for all others. This will allow care for the more specialized war-related injuries to be located in one area, which will no doubt improve care even more. It will also allow families of wounded warriors to be together to bond.
The PHFS volunteers brought dinners to seven service members in the Behavioral Health wing and to another three in the PTSD/TBI ward. As always, the wounded warriors in these wards were most appreciative.
Iden and Josh, the two service dogs from Veterans Moving Forward, were in attendance. They were a hit with many of our wounded warriors and their families. Two young toddlers got the chance to meet Josh. One wounded Cpl. (who is making great progress) asked to have Iden or another dog help him in physical therapy.
PHFS volunteers gave out six of the Wounded Warrior handbooks. Four went to families in the ICU. These included families or our newly arrived Army wounded warriors. All 145 of the over-sized burritos were distributed to grateful Marines and their supportive families.
- Reported by Peggy Densford
