My Latest Visit to Walter Reed Army Medical Center to Visit Some of the 173rd Wounded Warriors

This post won't have any names or any photos out of respect for the privacy of our amazing Wounded Warriors.  What it will have is a story or two about some of the most incredible people I've ever met.  I've posted before about visits to WRAMC.  I look forward to the day when the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq are over and we don't have so many Wounded Warriors and Heroes who have given their all for this nation.  But that time won't be any too soon.  While much has been accomplished by our military and coalition partners in both war zones neither war can simply end on a specified date.  So I'll continue to find a way to get from mid America to WRAMC as often as I can.  Spending time with those men and women means more to me than just about anything in my life.  I can never thank them enough for allowing me to do so.

After spending a fabulous week at the U S Army War College National Security Seminar (post to come) I hopped in a vehicle for the two hour drive down to DC.  The drive through Pennsylvania and Maryland wasn't bad at all.  Even the traffic on the Beltway and in DC seemed to cooperate.  I love it when I plan comes together.  We arrived a couple of hours ahead of schedule.

I had invited an active duty officer to join me.  At first he was completely in favor of the idea since he'd never been to WRAMC to visit our Wounded Warriors.  He'd only been for medical check ups.  As the time began to draw near for the trip he tried to find one reason after another to back out.  I stood firm and practically coerced him into going.  The closer we got to WRAMC the antsier he seemed to get.  I asked him if he was OK.  He told me he was concerned about meeting "my" guys.  And then it hit me.  I remembered the first time I was invited to the Mologne House to visit.  My stomach was in knots.  I was literally nauseous at the thought.  But about 15 minutes after arriving it all went away.  I suppose we all (even an officer who has seen battle field casualties) have a sense of guilt and anxiety in anticipation of meeting so many great young Americans who have lifelong scars and injuries as a result of serving this great nation.

As we rolled on to WRAMC I began calling some of the guys to tell them we were there.  We parked at the Mologne House and made our way to the breezeway where I had agreed to wait for some of the guys.  Within minutes, one by one, they began to appear around the corner with huge smiles on their faces.  I couldn't get my arms around them fast enough.  Long and tight hugs.  Lots of "Gosh it's great to see yous".  I introduced each of these great Warriors to the officer.  For about two hours we moved between the breezeway and the lounge in the Mologne House - talking, laughing, sharing a few beers and lots of cigarettes.

Each of them looked better than the last time I had seen them.  One had just had his second ear drum replaced and his ear was packed with cotton.  But he could hear just fine and was in the middle of the fray.  He has eye surgery yet to go but is in great spirits and is just tons of fun.  Another is improving greatly from TBI and PSTD.  His memory is MUCH better than it was even two months ago and he is off of several of the powerful meds he had been on.  His mother had come for a visit recently from the West Coast.  That seemed to have been a great moral booster for him.  I'm ashamed to admit I don't recall the name of the organization that provided the airline ticket for his mother.  I do know that if they hadn't his mother would not have been able to visit.  There are so many great individuals and organizations out there providing wonderful support to our wounded.  Many do so quietly.  I like that!

There were two Sky Soldiers at WRAMC that I hadn't met yet but was able to on this visit.  One was shot in the gut at the Battle at the Ranch House.  He truly is a medical miracle to be alive.  He has one more surgery scheduled for November and is already planning where his next deployment will be.  He told me about his choices and I was surprised at them.  These men are unbelievable.  They inspire me in ways I can't begin to convey in words.  Another even more interesting aspect I learned about this young man is that he is an only child and his father passed way when he was ten years old.  I'm fairly certain my mouth dropped open when he told me that.  I cannot begin to know his mother's grief when she found out he had been wounded.  He was in a coma for a week after he was shot.  No one expected him to live.  Yet now that he is going to recovery fully he has chosen to continue to serve our nation.  It's been asked many times before but WHERE DO WE GET THESE MEN?  He has the most wonderful smile and a sparkle in his eye that lights up the room he is in and any room nearby.  I'm so happy I was finally able to meet him.  I asked him how long it had been since he had seen his mother.  It's been a couple of months.  She doesn't have much time off from work and the cost of airline tickets isn't in their budget.  So if anyone reading this wants to help out a great American Warrior let me know.  I told him I'd do what I can to get his mom to WRAMC sometime between now and November.

The other brave Warrior I met is a double amputee (both legs).  I'm going to call him Jake for the purpose of this post.  I had heard much about his great spirit and courage.  As we were sitting in the lounge at the Mologne House he came wheeling in wearing both of his fairly new prosthetics.  He was covered in perspiration.  It was a very hot and humid day.  His girl friend is staying with him at one of the Fisher Houses but she was at work and couldn't join us until later.  He wasn't as talkative to me as the others but I didn't mind.  I just sat back and listened to all of them chat about this and that and ran to the bar for beer and soft drinks when necessary.  Most of all it was great to meet him and to be able to deliver a message to him from his commander who had emailed me about him.

Around 18:00 we decided to go grab something to eat.  Jake couldn't leave yet because his girl friend wouldn't be back until around 18:30 or so.  We needed to make a couple of trips anyway because of the number of people going to dinner and the transportation we had available to us.  We offered to drive Jake back to the Fisher House but he said he'd be just fine.  So the rest of us loaded up and drove to a restaurant they had chosen.  I won't mention the restaurant because I don't want the loonies to show up there and be a$$holes to our guys.  Anyway...when we got to the restaurant the only table they had big enough to accommodate all of us was up two and a half flights of stairs.  When I mentioned we might have one person join us in a wheel chair they assured us he could use the service elevator.  Problem solved.  So we settled in with appetizers and beverages.  More talking and laughing.  Photos were taken.  We were just a bunch of friends out on a Friday night having a blast.  Even the active duty officer who had come along had become a part of the gang.  He and the guys were, at times, definitely talking "man talk" and on a couple of occasions my ears hurt from the things they said.  It was all good!

The LNO (Liaison Officer) excused himself to go pick up Jake and his crew.  Meanwhile the rest of us continue to enjoy the time together.  When the LNO, Jake, his girl friend and another Wounded Warrior joined us I noticed Jake was not in his wheel chair but on his prosthetics.  AND he had poo pooed the notion of using the service elevator choosing instead to walk up the stairs.  So we all continued to chat, eat, drink and be merry until the bewitching hour when I had to announce it was time for me to leave.  Nothing makes an old woman feel better than to hear the groans from these young men indicating they don’t want to hear that I’m leaving.  One of the first questions I heard was, “When will you be back?”  That question always makes me emotional.  It’s probably the ONLY question that makes me wish I lived in or near DC.  But I did promise I would be back as soon as possible.  And I WILL! 

Yankeemom, if you are reading this the next question was, “When do you think we can go back to Yankeemom’s house again?”

A couple of the guys were tired so we offered them a ride back to WRAMC.  Since it was Friday night the Freepers were on all four corners at the Main Gate as they have been for three years in counter protest to the Pinko dummies.  We stopped to say hello to them.  The Soldiers all thanked them for being there and for their support.

After the visit the officer told me several times how glad he was that he went and that he will go back as often as he can and will encourage other officers to do so.

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED ON ALL LEVELS.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again and again and again.  If you’ve never been to WRAMC to visit our Wounded Warriors you need to get off your fannies and do it.  It will change your life forever in the most wonderful, positive and amazing ways.  AND…it makes their day, too.

To the Sky Soldiers – thank you for allowing me to spend so much time with you.  I love you all and I think you know that.  You know where to find me if you need me.