As the tour comes up again, I very clearly remember visiting our friends at WRAMC. We visit the ER, the Fire Dept, and wounded troops at Mologne House.
The Mologne House visit is one that will stay with me for a long time. No, I didn't go in and see all of the soldiers, or do graphic photos of all of the horrid damages done to our troops. I went as a veteran and mother of a deployed troop. The camera was put away. The goal was to give any hometown troops we met, their hometown shirt during the visit, to spend time with them and give them a hug from home and let them know we had not forgotten them.
We met some amazing people who did not sit and pity their situation. They laughed, they told us what happened to get them there, they spoke of home and loved ones ... and they picked on one another. They were respectful, and thanked us for coming and sitting with them. We had planned on a half hour visit, but spent over an hour and a half as time just flew by.
As we were leaving and getting some really special hugs, one of the troops spoke words I have never forgotten. He said "You know, when we lose a soldier, it makes national news. But what they don't tell you is that for every Fallen Hero, there are about 15 of us. And we're coming to a corner near you soon ... without help."
As we drove that afternoon, through our nation's capital, past memorials to our past, and our heroes, past motorcycles that had driven cross country to pay their respect to Fallen comrades at the Vietnam Wall, his words stayed in my head. And I haven't forgotten them. I also wondered if and where there was the memorial that showed a wounded soldier. (Anyone?)
When the tour was over, I went to our local post office, and once again spent some time speaking with a friend I've known for about 3 years. His name is Ed, he's a Vietnam Vet in his fifties, confined to a wheelchair. He takes donations to help supplement his family income as he tries to raise his kids. He has very limited upper body mobility, and speech is a challenge.
The words spoken by that troop back at Mologne resonate when I speak to Ed, whose has been robbed three times, and actually tipped over and left. The biggest insult in this second action is that when I happened upon him that day, with his chair tipped back and his legs askew from the top, was how many people walked in and out of the post office.
When I approached to help, he had tears streaming down his face. At this point someone else came up to help me get him upright.
But how do we just walk on by? How do we not help. This was a strong young soldier who made an ultimate sacrifice for our country. He is not some slacker with an able body begging for cigarette or liquor money. He is out there nearly every day in unbearable heat and freezing cold. He is proud and has dreams of somehow saving enough to open a snack shop to earn income.
..."Coming to a corner near you ..."
One person CAN make a difference. YOU can make a difference. Don't just walk by. Whether you support the war or vehemently oppose it, this is one of the outcomes of war. Instead of buying a magnet for your car, or holding a sign for an hour on a street corner, (not that these are bad things to do) step it up, go find out about the wounded Heroes in your community. See what they need to help them. Talk to them, talk to their families, talk to the agencies helping them.
As I tell the kids in the Yellow Ribbon Club ... You can do nothing, or you can do something!
In that light we will be posting info sent to us about and from our wounded Heroes. Our first is ...
**Sadly there ARE people out there who will take advantage, or scam ... even on something as important as this. Before you give money to any individual/organization, be sure to check them out. There are very legit ways to help! lj
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