Volunteers travel to D.C. to thank America’s Wounded Warriors

MILLERTON — Wouldn’t any American want to find a way to help and support wounded U.S. soldiers who return home from overseas? But what might not be clear (at least to anyone unaffiliated with the military) is the best way to do it. Fortunately, there are many veterans and citizens groups around the country finding ways, large and small, to make a difference in the lives of these injured men and women known as the Wounded Warriors.One such group is right here in Millerton, at American Legion Post 178, whose members sponsored a trip to Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., July 29 and 30.The trip was called Operation Thank You Wounded Warrior II. The first mission took place last year, in 2010. Both years, Legion Post members put together a barbecue at the army medical center for about 300 wounded men and women and their families. The bus trip this year was organized by Post 178 Commander Robert Jenks of Millerton (who is command sergeant major of the 42nd Infantry Division) and others from the Post. The effort included 56 volunteers from the Legion and the community at large.First stop: Arlington The bus left Post 178 at 6:30 a.m. June 29, and proceeded, with just a few stops, to a hotel in Frederick, Md., where the volunteers stopped to check in and have a quick lunch before proceeding to Arlington National Cemetery. The volunteers took a trip to the Tomb of the Unknowns, just in time for a moving and impressive changing of the guard. The next morning, the group rose early and traveled to Walter Reed to set up for the event.The Legion members had brought all the food and drink for the barbecue; $2,000 in gift cards for the wounded soldiers and their families and other useful donated items. There were also games for children, and supplies for face painting. A group of local volunteers, called Helping Hometown Heroes, set up the tents that would be used that day for cooking, a casino, a band and a raffle with prizes for the soldiers and their families.Last days of Walter ReedPeter Anderson, general manager at the Mologne House Hotel at Walter Reed (which houses injured soldiers during their recovery), said events such as these are important for many reasons but two that stand out: They give the American public a chance to thank the troops; and they give the troops a chance to meet the public and feel their support. This sense of support is always needed, but especially now, as Walter Reed Army Medical Center prepares to be closed for good by Sept. 15. While the center’s programs will continue at new facilities after that date, Anderson said that he and others who work there will no longer be in the employ of the government after the closing. “I’ve had 25 great years, and am very grateful to have had a career where I could make a difference in somebody’s life every single day,” he said. The wounded soldiers will remain at Walter Reed and Mologne House Hotel, receiving care and providing support for one another, until Aug. 15, when the facility will begin the process of closing down and moving all its patients to two other modernized medical facilities in the area.Meeting the soldiersThe injured soldiers arrived with their families for the barbecue, some missing limbs, one missing parts of all his limbs, some with new prosthetics, some who lost their sight, some with shrapnel wounds, all in different stages of their recovery. The volunteers split up tasks. Some cooked and served the food, some did face painting and played games with the children, some conversed with the soldiers and their families, listening to their stories and learning about them, their injuries, their progress in recovery, their goals for the future. They were diverse: very young and middle-aged, men and women, from all over the country, all with stories to tell that in some ways were the same but were also as unique as the people telling them.A recovering neighborOne young soldier, John Curtin of Dover Plains, lost both legs in February while serving with the Army in Afghanistan. Before leaving for a night out with his buddies Saturday, he was at the barbecue with his brother, Ben Curtin, who had been an intern at The Lakeville Journal in the months before John left for his tour of duty. John is on his second level with prosthetic legs that help him navigate without a wheelchair at times. Ben described the experience of greeting his brother upon his return from Afghanistan.“John arrived back in the United States Feb. 20, after having been treated in Germany for five days following his injury.“I met him as he came in on the Medevac and it was just ... epic.” Ben has been by his brother’s side ever since, living with him in his room at the Mologne House Hotel and helping him through every stage of his recovery as a nonmedical companion. “He’d do the same for me. I’m just so glad he’s alive,” Ben said.Their father sold his house and moved to an apartment just outside of Walter Reed’s grounds to be nearby for his sons. Such injuries are life-changing for the soldiers but also for their families.Ben spoke with gratitude about the support system provided by the community at Walter Reed. “We’re all in the same situation, soldiers and families alike. We understand what everyone is going through,” he said. “Here, John is one of so many who are recovering from the same kind of injuries. It will be different, we know, when we go home, when we leave this place.” He also said, however, that many from their community at home had been tremendously kind and had done so much for them already, before their arrival home, freely offering the needed help and support.“That’s the great part of coming from a small community,” he said.Supporting soldiers and familiesMolly Jenks, Robert’s wife and 1st vice president of the American Legion Post 178 Auxiliary, volunteered on the trip along with their daughters, Kelsey, 8, and Emma, 11. “Being a family member,” she said, “I know how important it is to support the families: kids, spouses, male and female, all those who get left behind. They’re dealing with so much. I want to help support them all.”While this was in some ways a challenging and emotional endeavor for the volunteers,they were also clearly uplifted and inspired by the courage and commitment of the soldiers who have been wounded and of their families.For more on American Legion Post 178, or to offer support, go to www.legionpost178.org. For more on Helping Hometown Heroes, go to www.helpinghometownheroes.org.Click here for stories from those who made the trip.