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"Angels
of Mercy" Program
Every
other day, a planeload of injured military personnel arrives at Walter
Reed Army Medical Center with little, if any, personal possessions.
Many of these wounded are amputees who will make Walter Reed their
home-away-from-home for the many months it takes to rehabilitate and
prepare to return to civilian or military life. The Veterans Affairs
and Rehabilitation Committee of American Legion Auxiliary Unit 270 has
undertaken a program to provide these combat casualties with clothing
and personal items suitable for rehabilitation (physical and occupational therapy), receiving
visitors, and venturing out of hospital rooms, such as:
- Clothing: Tear away pants,
zippered/hooded sweatshirts, warm jackets, flannel lounge pants, long
sleeve t-shirts, exercise shorts, matching colored/pocketed t-shirts,
boxer shorts – mostly large and extra large clothing sizes; and
– Personal items: DVDs, CDs, and
handheld games to help pass the time these wounded are temporarily
confined to bed; disposable cameras and electric razors are essential.
The Veterans Affairs and
Rehabilitation Committee is appealing for donations on behalf of our young
OIF/OEF Veterans. For health reasons, all clothing items must be
new; DVDs and CDs may be used.
Cash donations will be
converted to items on the current ‘wish list’ and delivered to Walter Reed
by an Auxiliary representative. 100% of all donations go to the wounded –
Auxiliary workers are volunteers.
Please make your check payable to
American Legion Auxiliary Unit 270, insert “For OIF/OEF” on the note line,
and mail to PO Box 3310, McLean, VA 22102. For additional information or
to arrange for a donation pick-up, contact Marian Chirichella, Veterans
Affairs & Rehabilitation Committee Chairwoman, at 703.938.3572 or at
Auxiliary270VAR@aol.com.
Thank you for your support!
"No
Soldier Left In Need" Project
Our
"Angels of Mercy" Program focuses on the current needs of
our OIF/OEF wounded and injured, and their families while at Walter Reed
Army Medical Center. Our “No Soldier Left In Need” Project focuses on
the long-term needs of our OIF/OEF wounded and injured, and their
families.
Initially,
the “No Soldier Left In Need” Project is working with our wounded and
injured military with three types of injuries: amputees, sight
impairments, and head trauma. We started here because these are the men
and women who will probably benefit most from our Project, and is a small
enough group that we can provide substantial and valuable assistance.
For
example, we are assisting a soldier who lost his sight in Iraq. We are
providing a Braille tutor, Braille games and learning devices from the Columbia
Lighthouse For The Blind, and a voice driven computer. We will be
available to this soldier for as long as he needs us to help with his
goals for his future.
As
members of the American Legion Family, we have substantial volunteer
resources available as we work with this special group of American Heroes.
There are nearly three million members of the American Legion and nearly
one million members of the American Legion Auxiliary. These are the
members of the approximately 15,000 American Legion facilities located in
almost every city and town in America. They stand ready to help veterans
returning to their communities.
This
substantial pool of veterans and family members is an invaluable asset for
the “No Soldier Left In Need” Project.
Cash donations may be made to “No Soldier Left In Need”
Project at Post Office Box 5447, McLean, VA 22102. Like the “Angels of
Mercy” Program, American Legion Auxiliary Unit 270, McLean, VA, sponsors
the “No Soldier Left In Need” Project and donations are
tax-deductible. Please feel free to call Jay Edwards, “Angels of
Mercy” co-founder and “No Soldier Left In Need” Project Director at
703-403-3933.
Thank you for helping this group of American Heroes!
Support
Fisher House I, II and III at Walter Reed
Background: Fisher Houses
have been built at major military and VA medical centers across the
United States and in Europe to provide housing to immediate family
members of military personnel undergoing critical medical treatment.
To date, there are 34 Fisher Houses in all; the 34th opened at
Walter Reed Army Medical Center (WRAMC) in March. The essence
of Fisher House is to provide a ‘sense of home and comfort’ in
time of need. Based on the design of the House, eight or
eleven families can be accommodated at any given time – each
family has a bedroom suite with private bath and sitting area –
the communal living areas include a formal living room, multi-family
dining room, and shared, fully equipped kitchen.
Fisher Houses at
Walter Reed: Three of the 34 facilities are located at Walter Reed
– two on campus and one just a few miles away. These Fisher Houses
have taken on a unique posture, as they are currently set-aside for
parents, spouses, and children of OIF/OEF combat casualties. These
are young families living on a military salary while staying at WRAMC and
are still supporting a permanent home elsewhere. The community can
help ease the burden and improve the quality of life of these families by
providing:
-
groceries and food staples: eggs, milk, bread, bagels, muffins, fruit
juices, breakfast bars, fresh fruit, fresh vegetables, sandwich meats,
cheese, cooked dinner entrees, and
-
personal items: in-season outerwear, inspirational books, stationery,
children’s and family videos.
Cash donations will
be used to purchase groceries and other needed items, and delivered to WR
Fisher Houses by an Auxiliary representative. 100% of all donations
go to the wounded – Auxiliary workers are volunteers.
Please make your
checks payable to American Legion Auxiliary Unit 270, insert “For
OIF/OEF Families” on the note line, and mail to PO Box 5447, McLean, VA
22102. For additional information or to arrange for a donation
pick-up, contact Marian Chirichella, Veterans Affairs & Rehabilitation
Committee Chairwoman, at 703.938.3572 or at Auxiliary270VAR@aol.com.
Check www.mcleanpost270.org/oifoef
for the most current information.
Thank you for your
support!
A
Day of Volunteering at Walter Reed Army Medical Center
Before “9-11,”
and the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, Americans had forgotten that Freedom
Is Not Free, and that many Americans had made enormous sacrifices
to sustain our Freedom. It took these recent events to again recognize
that America is blessed with men and women who are willing to put their
lives on the line to protect America’s future.
Even so, most
Americans do not really appreciate the sacrifices that our military,
emergency workers, and their families make. To get a better appreciation
of these sacrifices, every American should spend one day as a volunteer at
Walter Reed Army Medical Center.
The following
scenario is based on true events in the lives of two volunteers who are
currently serving at WRAMC. The day of volunteering would go as follows:
You start the
day serving breakfast at the Mologne House, a dormitory on the Walter Reed
campus for 200 wounded soldiers who no longer need the 24-hour care of
Walter Reed Army Medical Center Hospital as they are fitted for their
prostheses, recover from wounds, and undergo physical therapy.
When the
teenage soldier with one arm extends his tray, you thank him for his
service to his Country and tell him all of America appreciates the
sacrifice he has made to protect our freedom.
When a
concerned father pushes his son’s wheelchair up, you want to say
something. You know that the doctors at WRAMC will soon replace the lost
legs with state-of-the-art prostheses, but it is still hard to find the
right words to express your feelings.
After breakfast
you head to the hospital. As you get off the elevator, you see a soldier
who lost both arms. You walk up to him and give him a hug. Words are not
necessary. He knows you care.
You get the Red
Cross cart filled with clothing, reading material and snacks and go off to
the hospital wards, starting with Orthopedics. You take a deep breath as
you enter the ward, as you know you are about to visit 30-40 recently
wounded amputees.
At the first
room a family is visiting their soldier and a little girl is rubbing an
amputated leg. She looks up and says, “He is still my daddy.”
At the next
room an amputee tells you he just wants to be treated like a whole person
when he returns home.
The next
soldier shows you his Purple Heart that was pinned on him by President
Bush.
In the next
room the soldier tells you that when he saw the tourniquet go on his leg
after his Humvee was hit by an IED, he knew that his leg was gone.
Then you talk
to a soldier who is afraid to walk because his sneakers were left behind
in Iraq. You find the identical brand for him. A little later you see him
in the hallway, and when he spots you he runs up to give you a hug and
says, “Thank you.”
Next a big
surprise! You walk into a room of a recently wounded soldier, and before
you have a chance to say hello, he spots your American Legion logo shirt
and says, “I am a Life Member of the American legion, and so is my
dad.”
Another soldier
sees your American Legion shirt and says he wants to join the Legion back
home so he can serve his community. You have a tough time convincing him
that he has already served the whole Country.
During the day
you meet many veterans from prior wars who are staying with their wounded
sons.
In the next
room a wife tells you about calling home to tell her young daughter that
her dad lost his leg in Iraq. The child responded that ‘daddy better go
find his leg.”
Then you see a
wife holding the hand of her blinded soldier. And another is
rubbing what is left of her soldier’s arm.
In the hallway
you spot a soldier walking with his IV pole. You thank him for his
service, but he quickly responds, “No need to thank me; I have the best
job in the World.”
You spot a
soldier in a wheel chair sitting at a computer. You casually ask if he is
writing home. He says he is writing back to Iraq because he is worried
about the men in his unit. His 101st Airborne from Ft Campbell,
KY suffered 60 deaths and over 200 wounded during the war, the most of any
unit in the war.
Your final
mission of the day is to give an electric razor to a double arm amputee
with new prostheses. You are amazed to see him reach up to take off his
backpack, unzip it, take the razor from you, place it in the backpack, zip
it up, and put it back on. You get the feeling that this young man is
going to do just fine in the years ahead.
Your positive
thoughts about the future of the men and women you have visited are
reinforced when you see a double leg amputee with his new prostheses
pushing his wife in a wheel chair for exercise.
You give an
improvised in-room baby shower for an expectant wife; she is showered by
many presents given by members of the American Legion and the Auxiliary.
She is truly surprised and appreciative.
At the end of
the day you bump into the mother of the soldier with the new sneakers. She
is not quite sure how to say “thank you”, so he invites you to the
Fisher House where she is staying and serves you wontons.
Sunday you go
to church and thank God that America has young people like the ones you
met at the hospital. You also pray that there will be no more wounded. But
if there are, you ask for the strength to help them and their families.
Thank You From Corporal
Rednour
‘Angels of Mercy’ Program Update:
In late November, the VAR Committee contacted all the
Auxiliary Units in District 17 regarding a special Holiday Gift-Giving
project for the American Troops injured or wounded in Operation Iraqi
Freedom. Our goal was to
bring much needed joy to those who view Walter Reed as a
home-away-from-home while rehabilitating and preparing to return to
civilian or military life. Many Units graciously decided to co-sponsor gifts for the
soldiers. On December 15,
2003, Unit members and Post Legionnaires gathered at our Post Home in
McLean to wrap the 500 gifts – two per soldier purchased with Unit
donations. Jay and I created
a card to be included in each package that read:
Thank
You To The Brave Men and Women
Who
Are Defending America
Your
Sacrifices Will Never Be Forgotten.
When
History Is Written, You Will Be Called
“The
Greatest Generation of the 21st Century!”
With
Love and Respect,
American
Legion Auxiliary Units of
Northern
Virginia [District 17]
P.O.
Box 3310, McLean, VA 22102
We were invited to join the staff at Walter Reed to
go Christmas caroling in the wards and, at the same time, deliver the
packages. However, we were
pre-empted by President Bush who decided to visit the troops and Colin
Powell on that same day. The
gifts were distributed to all the soldiers the next day.
The Washington Post covered President Bush’s visit
to Walter Reed and many pictures appeared in the newspaper or on TV of the
President presenting the Purple Heart to the wounded soldiers. One of the soldiers pictured was Cpl. James Rednour, 101st
Army Airborne.
Cpl. Rednour was also one of the recipients of a
District 17 Holiday Gift package, and last Saturday, a letter of
appreciation arrived from the Corporal who is back home now and planning
to begin college in the fall. Cpl.
Rednour wrote:
 |
President
George W. Bush speaks to U.S. Army Corporal James Rednour, of Ft.
Campbell, Kentucky, after presenting him The Purple Heart for
injuries Cpl. Rednour sustained while serving in Iraq. President
Bush visited troops at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington,
D.C., Thursday, December 18, 2003. Cpl. Rednour’s parents, Chuck
and Cindy look on. White House photo by Eric Draper |
Dear Friend,
I wanted to take this moment to thank you for
your kind words sent to me through the Red Cross while I was in Walter
Reed Army Hospital in Washington, DC.
I was wounded in Iraq on December 7, 2003 by an IED and suffered
head trauma. My recovery has
been swift and while I still have some lingering effects, I feel that I
will make a complete recovery. Part
of that is due to your support and prayers and I appreciate them more than
you know. I am now home and will start college in the Fall.
I hope that your life is blessed with family and friends as is
mine.
Continue to pray for all of the soldiers who
still serve in Iraq as well as Afghanistan and everywhere else in the
world.
Sincerely,
Cpl. James Rednour
101st Army
Airborne 2/502
We achieved our goal!
Respectfully Submitted
Marian T. Chirichella
Chairwoman, Veterans Affairs and Rehabilitation Committee
A
Child’s Drawing – An Officer’s Badge
We
recently received a phone call from a woman who wanted her children to do
something to support the wounded soldiers at Walter Reed Army Medical
Center. It turned out to be an amazing story. The mother, her husband and
her father are all military veterans. She is an Air Force Academy graduate
and is currently a commercial airlines pilot. Her three brothers are all
New York City police officers.
Her
two daughters were each given a sum of money and taken to the Dollar Store
to buy things they thought the soldiers would like. When we met them at
our American Legion Post they gave us a number of very thoughtful gifts
that we did delivery to the wounded soldiers. But that was not the best
part.
The
older girl had also drawn a picture – obviously the work of someone her
age. There were figures in the front holding rifles; smaller, smiling figures in
the back, and a sun was in the sky. We asked her to explain the drawing,
and this is what she said:
The
figures in the front are the soldiers. They are protecting the children
who are standing behind them. The sun is in the sky and the figures are
smiling because the children
are happy that the soldiers are protecting them.
We
thought the best place for the picture was on the refrigerator door at
Fisher House II. It has now been there for many weeks, and each time we
meet a new Fisher House family we explain the picture just as the little
girl explained it to us. It has assumed great significance.
The
story does not stop there. The grandfather listened to us describe our
program at WRAMC and took the information back to his American Legion Post
in New York. A few days later we received a check from his Post. It was
signed by the mother of a police officer. The officer was the partner of
one of the three brothers. When President Bush held up a police
officer’s shield in New York after 9-11 in remembrance of those who lost
their lives, it was her son’s Port Authority Police Department badge --
No. 1012.
Associated
Press Photo. President
Bush says he carries the badge of New York Port Authority Police officer
George Howard as a reminder of the task ahead.
Fisher
House Foundation, Inc.
“Dedicated
to our greatest national treasure ...
our
military service men and women and their loved ones”
Presentation
Held in Pentagon on August 24, 2004
The
Honorable Charles S. Abell, Principal Deputy Under Secretary of
Defense (Personnel and Readiness), assisted in the presentation of
$50,000 in grants to 16 volunteer organizations for their
innovative programs to improve military quality of life.
Mr.
Abell joined Kenneth Fisher, Chairman, Fisher House Foundation; Tom
Indoe, Chief Operating Officer of Newman’s Own; and Dave Smith, Vice
President, Military Times Media Group, in a August 24, 2004 ceremony
at the Pentagon’s Hall of Heroes where recipients of “The
Newman’s Own Awards” were announced.
This
is the fifth year that Newman’s Own, Fisher House Foundation, and
Military Times Media Group have jointly sponsored the program which
seeks to reward ingenuity and innovation for volunteer organizations
working to improve military quality of life.
The challenge was straightforward:
“Present an
innovative plan to improve the quality of life for your military
community and receive funding to carry out the plans.”
A
total of 64 entries were received.
Six judges, two from each of the sponsoring organizations,
evaluated each entry based on the organization’s impact to the
respective communities, creativity and innovation.
To be eligible, each organization was required to certify
that it was a private or non-profit organization operating with
authority of a military installation commander.
Every organization submitting an entry will receive a
certificate of recognition from Paul Newman.
~~~~~~~~~~
OVERALL
WINNING ENTRY ($10,000 GRANT)
~~~~~~~~~~
“Angels
of Mercy,”
sponsored by the American Legion Auxiliary Unit 270 of McLean,
Virginia, is a program to support wounded and injured Operation
Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom (OIF/OEF) service
members and their families. Auxiliary
and Legion representatives visit patients at Walter Reed Army
Medical Center at least once a week, bringing them clothing and
comfort items, providing food and home cooked meals for OIF/OEF
families at the Walter Reed Fisher Houses, and hosting special
events. For further
information, contact Marian T. Chirichella at Auxiliary270VAR@aol.com.
or D. Jay Edwards at mcleanpost270@aol.com.
American
Legion Resolution No. 115:
Support For The Armed Forces and Their Families
WHEREAS,
The United States Armed Forces and allied forces are performing their
missions with great courage and distinction in carrying out air, land and
sea attacks against Iraqi military targets; and
WHEREAS,
The ability of the Armed Forces to successfully perform their mission
requires the support of their nation, community and families; now,
therefore, be it
RESOLVED,
By The American Legion in National Convention assembled in St. Louis,
Missouri, August 26, 27, 28, 2003, That The American Legion commends and
expresses the unequivocal support and appreciation of the Legionnaires
here assembled, to the members of the United States Armed Forces who are
carrying out their missions with excellence, patriotism, and bravery; and
to the families of the United States military personnel who are providing
support and prayers for their loved ones currently engaged in military
operations.
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