There won't be any photos in this post out of respect for the Wounded Warriors and their families. I didn't take any photos. As you read this post I hope you will understand why I didn't.
A few weeks ago I had the privilege of being at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center (LRMC) for a few days. One morning I witnessed the arrival of the Wounded Warriors from down range - Afghanistan and Iraq. I won't lie, I had a lot of trepidation about this. As it turned out it was one of the most difficult and poignant, yet heart warming events I've experienced.
The night before, while MaryAnn and I made her normal rounds in the hospital to visit the Wounded Warriors who were going out to the states the following day, word was that there weren't many casualties scheduled to arrive from down range the next day. I knew that was great news!
The following morning was about as beautiful a day as one could ask for. Blue skies. Crisp temperatures. Even for Germany that was a blessing in early July. MaryAnn and I were up at the crack of dawn, literally, in order to get to the hospital to meet some of the outpatient Wounded Warriors for breakfast. They ended up over sleeping but I got to spend a few minutes with them and say my good byes which was the point of breakfast anyway.
After leaving the Wounded men MaryAnn and I casually walked over towards the emergency room entrance and took a seat on a bench within eye shot of the emergency room but far away from where the ambulance buses, or ambuses for short, would come in and the staff would receive the wounded. MaryAnn began to explain to me what I could expect to see; who would be dressed in what way (staff from ICU, man power staff, etc). The man power staff are those who, in groups of eight, take the litters from the ambus and place them on the gurneys so the Wounded Warriors can be wheeled into the hospital. MaryAnn explained that they are required to have eight people from man power because the litters can weight up to 750 pounds with the Wounded Warrior and the medical equipment he/she has with them. I'm sure my jaw dropped open when she told me that.
We waited and waited and waited. MaryAnn commented that the flight seemed to be unusually late that day but that you never really know when the flight(s) will arrive. We noticed that several gurneys were rolled out from the emergency room exit and were placed under the awning where the ambulance(s) would arrive. They kept bringing more gurneys. Ugh! I began to realize that the "word" there weren't many casualties from down range may have changed.
Finally the LNOs, hospital medical staff, PAO staff, chaplains, etc began to gather; Army, Navy, Marine, Air Force, men in uniform from other nations. They were all talking but no one was talking in a loud voice. Many were comparing "notes" on clipboards. My assumption was that they were comparing names, degree of injury and where that patient would be taken, branch of the military, etc.
Long after we arrived an ambus (a bus sized ambulance) pulled up and everyone went into action. There was so much going on I couldn't keep up with it. A gurney was pulled to the ambulance. Four people from man power stood on each side of the gurney. The medical staff member who had attended the Wounded Warrior on the flight from Afghanistan or Iraq exited the ambus and came around to be with his patient. He'd been up for HOURS caring for his patient in flight but had no hesitation in quickly getting to his patient.
I made a very wide walk around the perimeter to watch as they removed the patient from the ambus - being extremely careful not to be in any one's way. The patient was moved to the door of the ambus. I realized what MaryAnn meant about the "up to 750 pounds" with all of the medical equipment. This Soldier was surrounded by and covered with so many machines I could barely see him/her. With great precision and extreme care the man power team began to pull the litter from the ambus and pass it gently down the line to the next person on the team. Once each of the eight member team had the litter in hand a muffled command was heard then the littler was placed on the gurney. Immediately those "dressed" as identifiable from the ICU moved to the gurney and they, along with the medical flight person, raced into the hospital.
The ambus door was closed and the vehicle drove off but the staff remained in place indicating more incoming. *sigh*
Sometime later a van pulled up at the emergency room. About 6 or so "ambulatory" military personnel exited the van and moved around to the back to retrieve back packs and/or small duffel bags. They were taken into the hospital by the LNOs via a different door than the emergency room. These troops may have any myriad of reasons for being sent to LRMC from down range. For example I met a Soldier a day or two before who was sent to LRMC for a biopsy on a suspicious growth. I'm thrilled to report that the day after I returned from my trip I learned that his biopsy came back negative. He was sent back down range.
The medical and other staff remained so we did, too. A little while later another ambus pulled up and the staff all timed and synchronized movements. It seemed so effortless. My emotions bounced between thinking how incredibly professional and intensely careful they were (and they WERE) to thinking about how often they have done this and why. The latter caused a huge knot in my stomach.
A gurney was moved in to place. A litter appeared at the door of the ambus. The man power team passed the litter down the line without so much as a bump or jerk. The litter was placed on the gurney. Someone with a clip board quickly moved forward but was finished with their task in mere seconds and the gurney was quickly rolled into the hospital via the emergency room door. Repeat, Repeat. Repeat.
On about the third repeat I noticed that once the litter was on the gurney the Chaplain would step forward, lean down and say something to the Wounded Warrior. Even the Chaplain didn't dawdle. As quickly as he stood up the gurney was whisked away into the hospital.
While I stood there waiting for the next ambus to pull up I reminded myself that on the other side of the hospital the same type of movement was taking place but in reverse. The only difference was that those Wounded Warriors were being loaded into ambuses to be taken to the airfield at Ramstein Air Base to begin their journey back to the USA where they would be reunited with their loved ones and friends. In way too many cases, they would begin the long journey, not only of healing but, of learning to live so differently. It was sobering.
The door was closed on the ambus but the remaining staff stayed in place. There were still more gurneys lined up. It's impossible to express in words what my emotions were at the sight of those remaining gurneys. I kept purposely distracting myself by looking at the unit patches of the LNOs still standing by - attempting to identify the units. Anything to keep my mind off of the fact that there were MORE Wounded Warriors coming.
I found myself feeling guilty that there were so many family members and friends thousands of miles away who would give most anything for the opportunity to lay their eyes on these men if only for a few seconds. But I had asked to be there and I wasn't going to run away. I wanted to be there to watch the staff. Not to "look at" the Wounded Warriors. As a matter of fact I made it a point NOT to look into the face of any of them. I just felt it would be disrespectful to do so.
In time the final ambus (or so we thought) pulled up. The same orchestrated movements began again with the same precision and ease. As the second patient was lowered to the gurney the Chaplain approached along with a Soldier from another nation. My guess is that he was there to translate for the Chaplain. What a huge confirmation that we are not in these wars alone.
It was well after lunch at this point. We had expected the first ambus to arrive around 8:30 AM but it didn't arrive until much later. We were hungry so we decided to grab some lunch in the hospital before heading back to the outpatient barracks to unpack boxes, inventory, re-stock the shelves, etc. After we finished lunch, and as we were walking down one of the long hallways in the hospital, we heard the public address system ask for all man power to make their way to the emergency room. That only means one thing - more inconming wounded. I felt my shoulders sink as we continued to walk to the outpatient barracks and I said a silent prayer for the Wounded Warriors and their families.
Here are some links that relate to this post. None of the photos were taken during the time I was in Landstuhl.
MaryAnn writes about what it is like inside the ambus upon arrival at Landstuhl
A photo taken during arrival one day during the past few years
A photo taken of Wounded Warriors departing LRMC for the USA
Showing posts with label Landstuhl. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Landstuhl. Show all posts
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Monday, July 11, 2011
Fourth of July Weekend in the Company of Heroes, Friends & Strangers - Part II
On Monday, July 4th, MaryAnn and I picked up Frank and Garrett and headed to Saint-Avold, Moselle, France to the Lorraine American Cemetery and Memorial. It was only about an hours' drive from Landstuhl. MaryAnn had attended a Memorial Day ceremony there this year and remarked about how incredibly well done it was and about how respectful the French are towards our fallen heroes.
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We stopped in Saint-Avold to pick up cheeses, bread, sausages, fruit, etc for a picnic. That, in itself, was a fun adventure. Thank goodness we only used a hand carried basket. I'm afraid if we had used a shopping cart we would have filled it to the top!
We had driven in what seemed like circles to find a supermarket. Thankfully one of our paratroopers was able to use his land nav skills to get us back to the cemetery.
From this document I found some history and facts about the cemetery:
Lorraine is the largest American WWII cemetery in Europe
There are 10,489 heroes buried at Lorraine
Most of those interred at Lorraine gave their lives in the spring of 1945
151 headstones mark the graves of "Unknowns"
26 sets of brothers are interred side by side
There are 3 Medal of Honor Recipients whose headstones are inscribed in gold leaf.
We parked, gathered our picnic items and a blanket and made our way towards the cemetery. We passed through an opening in an immaculately manicured hedge to the most breathtakingly beautify and peaceful sight. The cemetery is incredibly well maintained and respectful.
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We stopped at the Memorial Chapel first.
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Just outside the Memorial to the south and north are the Walls of the Missing. These walls contain the names of 444 men whose remains, at the time the walls were built, had not been recovered or identified.
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As time has passed a few of them have been identified and are now marked with a brass marker on the wall (see below)
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When we exited the Memorial building we were met by the deputy superintendent of the cemetery. He is retired from the Army. He gave us some history of the cemetery. He also spoke about how the French community there is both supportive and respectful of the cemetery and the heroes laid to rest. He spoke of an older gentleman from the village who comes to the cemetery most every day and walks completely around the grounds. We were fortunate to see that gentleman as we were leaving at the end of the day.
As we were talking I mentioned that MaryAnn had attended the Memorial Day ceremony at the cemetery. I also mentioned the work she does for Soldiers Angels Germany at Landstuhl. The director turned to MaryAnn and asked, "Did you leave coins here on Memorial Day?" MaryAnn replied, "Busted". Then the director asked if she had left three. MaryAnn replied, "You need to keep looking." I love it!
We slowly and quietly made our way through the cemetery stopping here and there to read the names of the fallen and pay our respects.
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A few of the graves had fresh flowers on them. The director had told us earlier that families order the flowers and ask them to place them.
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We made our way to the shade of a very large tree near the back of the cemetery and spread out our blanket and picnic lunch.
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After eating and without any discussion we each took some time to be quiet. Perhaps reflecting. Perhaps remembering fallen friends. From time to time one or more of us would take a walk to another part of the cemetery. All was done without planning and in complete reverence.
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MaryAnn took the picture below. It is one of my all time favorites.
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After a couple of hours of quiet discussion about the history of the cemetery, thoughts of the fallen and general chit chat about those we know who have served our nation we began to make our way back to the Memorial building for the playing of TAPS and the retiring of the colors. It was done so well.
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Just as TAPS began to play I spotted the older gentleman who makes his rounds most ever day. He stopped, leaned a bit on his cane and stood in silence as TAPS was played. So incredibly touching.
We made our way to the car and headed back to Landstuhl. MaryAnn and I walked over to the hospital to 1) get an idea of how many patients would be leaving on the medevac the following day and 2) check on the husband of a friend of ours who was brought in as a patient a few days ago. We were thrilled to find our friend, Stephanie, there with her husband John. We were equally as happy to learn that John's 2 friends who survived the blast were now in the same room with him and they were all alert and joking back and forth.
While on one of the wards I joked with one of the Wounded Warriors about him looking like the type who would want a pink blankets for his trip. He responded that pink was fine but he'd really like a little purple in it, too. Little did he know....
MaryAnn and I loaded up the cart and headed into the hospital to pass out hand made fleece blankets, travel pillows and duffel bags to the Wounded Warriors who would be on the flight. We looked a little like Lucy and Ethel on our first trip in.
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We finally made our way to the ward with mister "I'll take a pink and purple blanket" and I gave him his choice:
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He was such a good sport! Look at that cheesy grin! We let him off the hook though and gave him a very manly red, white and blue blanket for travel. NOTE: I have this Soldier's permission to both take and post this photo. However, I will not divulge who he is, where he was wounded or the details of his injuries so please do not ask.
After squaring away all of those on the Tuesday morning medevac to the USA, MaryAnn and I went back to the stock room in the Outpatient barracks and loaded up one more time. This time we had boxes sent from a group of nurses in the San Diego area (I hate that I didn't write down the name of the group). The boxes were to be distributed among the nursing staff at the hospital on July 4th as a "thank you" for taking such good care of the Wounded Warriors. We stopped by the ICU and all of the surgical wards as well as a couple of other places. All-in-all it took us about 4 hours but it was worth every second of the time it took.
MaryAnn and I headed back to the hotel with every intention of stopping in the restaurant and taking advantage of their late night menu. We were hungry! Alas, the hotel restaurant was closed. Hmmmmm.....they usually only close on Sunday nights. I stopped by my room for a few minutes then was going to meet MaryAnn and find someplace to grab a bite. It was around 10:30 PM.
MaryAnn came knocking on my door to tell me that the owner of the hotel was having a 4th of July party and cookout on the roof of the hotel. He, Gary, had thrown a couple of steaks on the grill for us and was expecting us. So up we went. Red, white and blue streamers, balloons, cups, plates, napkins, etc. American flags flying everywhere. Kegs of beer. Wine. Sparkling wine. Soft drinks. Steaks. Brats. Potato salad. Slaw. Bread. Make your own ice cream sundaes. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! Absolutely delicious!
So, just to review....I spent my 4th of July at an American War Cemetery in France with OEF XIII and X Veterans followed by the opportunity to meet incredible American Wounded Warriors at a hospital in Germany topped of with a traditional 4th of July style cookout on the roof top of a hotel owned by a Canadian with some of the greatest friends. Does it get any better?
I remind myself every day of how fortunate and blessed I am.
We stopped in Saint-Avold to pick up cheeses, bread, sausages, fruit, etc for a picnic. That, in itself, was a fun adventure. Thank goodness we only used a hand carried basket. I'm afraid if we had used a shopping cart we would have filled it to the top!
We had driven in what seemed like circles to find a supermarket. Thankfully one of our paratroopers was able to use his land nav skills to get us back to the cemetery.
From this document I found some history and facts about the cemetery:
Lorraine is the largest American WWII cemetery in Europe
There are 10,489 heroes buried at Lorraine
Most of those interred at Lorraine gave their lives in the spring of 1945
151 headstones mark the graves of "Unknowns"
26 sets of brothers are interred side by side
There are 3 Medal of Honor Recipients whose headstones are inscribed in gold leaf.
We parked, gathered our picnic items and a blanket and made our way towards the cemetery. We passed through an opening in an immaculately manicured hedge to the most breathtakingly beautify and peaceful sight. The cemetery is incredibly well maintained and respectful.
We stopped at the Memorial Chapel first.
Inside the Chapel
Inside the Chapel
Just outside the Memorial to the south and north are the Walls of the Missing. These walls contain the names of 444 men whose remains, at the time the walls were built, had not been recovered or identified.
One of the Walls of the Missing
One of the Walls of the Missing
As time has passed a few of them have been identified and are now marked with a brass marker on the wall (see below)
The brass indicator that this hero has been identified. What a blessing!
When we exited the Memorial building we were met by the deputy superintendent of the cemetery. He is retired from the Army. He gave us some history of the cemetery. He also spoke about how the French community there is both supportive and respectful of the cemetery and the heroes laid to rest. He spoke of an older gentleman from the village who comes to the cemetery most every day and walks completely around the grounds. We were fortunate to see that gentleman as we were leaving at the end of the day.
As we were talking I mentioned that MaryAnn had attended the Memorial Day ceremony at the cemetery. I also mentioned the work she does for Soldiers Angels Germany at Landstuhl. The director turned to MaryAnn and asked, "Did you leave coins here on Memorial Day?" MaryAnn replied, "Busted". Then the director asked if she had left three. MaryAnn replied, "You need to keep looking." I love it!
We slowly and quietly made our way through the cemetery stopping here and there to read the names of the fallen and pay our respects.
MaryAnn, Garrett & Frank
The grounds
So respecful and well kept
In remembrance of the Unknowns
A few of the graves had fresh flowers on them. The director had told us earlier that families order the flowers and ask them to place them.
We made our way to the shade of a very large tree near the back of the cemetery and spread out our blanket and picnic lunch.
LUNCH!
After eating and without any discussion we each took some time to be quiet. Perhaps reflecting. Perhaps remembering fallen friends. From time to time one or more of us would take a walk to another part of the cemetery. All was done without planning and in complete reverence.
MaryAnn took the picture below. It is one of my all time favorites.
After a couple of hours of quiet discussion about the history of the cemetery, thoughts of the fallen and general chit chat about those we know who have served our nation we began to make our way back to the Memorial building for the playing of TAPS and the retiring of the colors. It was done so well.
Just as TAPS began to play I spotted the older gentleman who makes his rounds most ever day. He stopped, leaned a bit on his cane and stood in silence as TAPS was played. So incredibly touching.
We made our way to the car and headed back to Landstuhl. MaryAnn and I walked over to the hospital to 1) get an idea of how many patients would be leaving on the medevac the following day and 2) check on the husband of a friend of ours who was brought in as a patient a few days ago. We were thrilled to find our friend, Stephanie, there with her husband John. We were equally as happy to learn that John's 2 friends who survived the blast were now in the same room with him and they were all alert and joking back and forth.
While on one of the wards I joked with one of the Wounded Warriors about him looking like the type who would want a pink blankets for his trip. He responded that pink was fine but he'd really like a little purple in it, too. Little did he know....
MaryAnn and I loaded up the cart and headed into the hospital to pass out hand made fleece blankets, travel pillows and duffel bags to the Wounded Warriors who would be on the flight. We looked a little like Lucy and Ethel on our first trip in.
Ethel & Lucy
We finally made our way to the ward with mister "I'll take a pink and purple blanket" and I gave him his choice:
He was such a good sport! Look at that cheesy grin! We let him off the hook though and gave him a very manly red, white and blue blanket for travel. NOTE: I have this Soldier's permission to both take and post this photo. However, I will not divulge who he is, where he was wounded or the details of his injuries so please do not ask.
After squaring away all of those on the Tuesday morning medevac to the USA, MaryAnn and I went back to the stock room in the Outpatient barracks and loaded up one more time. This time we had boxes sent from a group of nurses in the San Diego area (I hate that I didn't write down the name of the group). The boxes were to be distributed among the nursing staff at the hospital on July 4th as a "thank you" for taking such good care of the Wounded Warriors. We stopped by the ICU and all of the surgical wards as well as a couple of other places. All-in-all it took us about 4 hours but it was worth every second of the time it took.
MaryAnn and I headed back to the hotel with every intention of stopping in the restaurant and taking advantage of their late night menu. We were hungry! Alas, the hotel restaurant was closed. Hmmmmm.....they usually only close on Sunday nights. I stopped by my room for a few minutes then was going to meet MaryAnn and find someplace to grab a bite. It was around 10:30 PM.
MaryAnn came knocking on my door to tell me that the owner of the hotel was having a 4th of July party and cookout on the roof of the hotel. He, Gary, had thrown a couple of steaks on the grill for us and was expecting us. So up we went. Red, white and blue streamers, balloons, cups, plates, napkins, etc. American flags flying everywhere. Kegs of beer. Wine. Sparkling wine. Soft drinks. Steaks. Brats. Potato salad. Slaw. Bread. Make your own ice cream sundaes. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! Absolutely delicious!
So, just to review....I spent my 4th of July at an American War Cemetery in France with OEF XIII and X Veterans followed by the opportunity to meet incredible American Wounded Warriors at a hospital in Germany topped of with a traditional 4th of July style cookout on the roof top of a hotel owned by a Canadian with some of the greatest friends. Does it get any better?
I remind myself every day of how fortunate and blessed I am.
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Fourth of July Weekend in the Company of Heroes, Friends & Strangers - Part I
On the Wednesday before 4th of July I got one of my wild ideas and decided to hop a flight to German for the holiday weekend. I had a buddy pass (thanks to my awesome friends at Delta Air Lines) that was about to expire so I decided to take advantage of it.
My dear friend MaryAnn of Soldiers Angels Germany and I had been tossing the idea around for a couple of weeks but on Wednesday I emailed her that I was coming. MaryAnn has an excellent group of volunteers who help out at Landstuhl but extra hands are always needed. Plus, I love spending time with MaryAnn.
With bags packed and hopeful that I would make it, I left work at noon on Friday and headed to the airport. There are no guarantees with a buddy pass. One only gets a seat if there is one available after all those who pay a fare for their tickets are accommodated. Made the first flight to Detroit. Flight from there to Frankfurt was "iffy". I strolled the airport for 2 1/2 hours. At one point I decided to go to the ticket counter to see if they could let me know where I stood on the "stand by" list. While there I witnessed quite a comical event. Some lady had been dropped off at the airport with FOURTEEN bags and a tropical bird in a small dog carrier. I got to witness the "show" as the airline employees attempted to explain to this lady that she could NOT check 14 bags and that birds are never allowed to fly.
I made the flight from Detroit to Frankfurt and in International Business Class! YAY! Bonus! Alas, just as we began to board the gate agent announced that we would be delayed due to mechanical problems. No worries for me. I knew I was lucky to have such a great seat and would, eventually, get to Germany.
We finally got underway. I enjoyed a delicious 5 course meal then laid my seat flat for a 6 hour "nap" while wearing the noise reducing headphones provided. Not sure if I snored like a bear and kept others awake but I slept well.
Once in Frankfurt I found the shuttle service and was on my way to Landstuhl - excited as heck to see MaryAnn and get to the hospital to do whatever needed to be done. After the hour's drive we were in the town of Landstuhl and I began to notice landmarks near the hotel where I would be staying. I started to gather my purse, book, etc then...............whizzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.................the driver drove right by the hotel. What? The driver took a couple to their home first. As we were leaving their home the driver got a call. I don't speak German but I understood "five minutes." I laughed. Yep, MaryAnn had called the shuttle service wanting to know if I was en route.
We pulled up to the hotel and MaryAnn was sitting on a rock retaining wall waiting. What a wonderful welcome! She came walking over and gave me a big hug then asked why I was so late? I explained. We got me checked in and made a call to a couple of ROCK Paratroopers who are at the hospital for pain management, etc. They loaded up and drove over to the hotel so that we could go for a late lunch. Another wonderful bonus to the trip. I knew they were at the hospital but I wasn't sure if they would be around for the weekend. If you've read this blog much at all you know how much I love "my" ROCK Paratroopers!
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After a wonderful lunch and many laughs we all headed to the hospital. The guys went there way and MaryAnn and I began opening boxes of mail, taking inventory then heading to the stock rooms to place the items on the shelves.
As I entered the stock room that holds mostly blankets, sweat pants and hoodies I gasped as I saw this:
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Those shelves need to be stocked with sweat pants and hoodies. I figured there must be some boxes somewhere that just had not been unpacked yet but when I asked MaryAnn about that she said there were no boxes, that they are out of size XL and critically low on all other sizes. Donations are down and casualties are up. So PLEASE, if you can spare a few dollars, go to this link from my prior blog post and help. ANY help is good.
MaryAnn and I then straightened up one of the rooms in the Wounded Warrior barracks where the out patients and family members of all of the Wounded Warriors can go to take any items they may need. We restocked with a few t shirts (very low stock on those, too), socks, toiletries, blankets, etc. MaryAnn went over to the other barracks to take stock of what was needed there while I continued to open boxes of mail.
Since it was Saturday night and the medevac from Landstuhl Regional Medical Center to the USA leaves on Sundays (as well as 2 others days a week), MaryAnn and I loaded up the cart with blankets, travel pillows and duffel bags to head to the wards to pass those out to anyone needing them for the flight the next morning. I wrote about this involved process in a prior post here. And in that same post (link to the left) I also wrote about (towards the bottom) and posted a photo of me with SGT Stephanie McCulley. I had planned to look Stephanie up on this trip. Little did I know the circumstances under which that would happen on this trip. Just a day or two before I left I got a message from Stephanie that her husband, John, who is a former Marine and currently working for a contractor in Iraq, had been blown up. He was in surgery in Baghdad at the time. I had very few details. By the time I got to Landstuhl John and the Soldiers who were with him that day and survived had made it to Landstuhl. So on our rounds I stopped by John's room. Stephanie wasn't there at the moment but I was able to talk with John for a couple of minutes. He was alert but a bit "drugged". It was SO good to see him!
MaryAnn and I finished our rounds of the wards, took the cart back to the stock room and linked back up with the paratroopers. We went into town for dinner. Many more laughs and great memories made. Only day one and so much packed into it. I wasn't exceptionally tired for some reason and slept like a baby that night. I was looking forward to the 3 days left and all that we would try to accomplish.
Most of all I fell asleep knowing how incredibly blessed I am for all of the amazing people in my life and for all of the special opportunities I have had.
We caught back up with the paratroopers and went to dinner in town. Many more laughs and great memories made.
My dear friend MaryAnn of Soldiers Angels Germany and I had been tossing the idea around for a couple of weeks but on Wednesday I emailed her that I was coming. MaryAnn has an excellent group of volunteers who help out at Landstuhl but extra hands are always needed. Plus, I love spending time with MaryAnn.
With bags packed and hopeful that I would make it, I left work at noon on Friday and headed to the airport. There are no guarantees with a buddy pass. One only gets a seat if there is one available after all those who pay a fare for their tickets are accommodated. Made the first flight to Detroit. Flight from there to Frankfurt was "iffy". I strolled the airport for 2 1/2 hours. At one point I decided to go to the ticket counter to see if they could let me know where I stood on the "stand by" list. While there I witnessed quite a comical event. Some lady had been dropped off at the airport with FOURTEEN bags and a tropical bird in a small dog carrier. I got to witness the "show" as the airline employees attempted to explain to this lady that she could NOT check 14 bags and that birds are never allowed to fly.
I made the flight from Detroit to Frankfurt and in International Business Class! YAY! Bonus! Alas, just as we began to board the gate agent announced that we would be delayed due to mechanical problems. No worries for me. I knew I was lucky to have such a great seat and would, eventually, get to Germany.
We finally got underway. I enjoyed a delicious 5 course meal then laid my seat flat for a 6 hour "nap" while wearing the noise reducing headphones provided. Not sure if I snored like a bear and kept others awake but I slept well.
Once in Frankfurt I found the shuttle service and was on my way to Landstuhl - excited as heck to see MaryAnn and get to the hospital to do whatever needed to be done. After the hour's drive we were in the town of Landstuhl and I began to notice landmarks near the hotel where I would be staying. I started to gather my purse, book, etc then...............whizzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.................the driver drove right by the hotel. What? The driver took a couple to their home first. As we were leaving their home the driver got a call. I don't speak German but I understood "five minutes." I laughed. Yep, MaryAnn had called the shuttle service wanting to know if I was en route.
We pulled up to the hotel and MaryAnn was sitting on a rock retaining wall waiting. What a wonderful welcome! She came walking over and gave me a big hug then asked why I was so late? I explained. We got me checked in and made a call to a couple of ROCK Paratroopers who are at the hospital for pain management, etc. They loaded up and drove over to the hotel so that we could go for a late lunch. Another wonderful bonus to the trip. I knew they were at the hospital but I wasn't sure if they would be around for the weekend. If you've read this blog much at all you know how much I love "my" ROCK Paratroopers!
MaryAnn and a couple of the ROCK Paratroopers
One of the ROCK Paratroopers and me
MaryAnn getting a little help with the ketchup. LOL!
After a wonderful lunch and many laughs we all headed to the hospital. The guys went there way and MaryAnn and I began opening boxes of mail, taking inventory then heading to the stock rooms to place the items on the shelves.
As I entered the stock room that holds mostly blankets, sweat pants and hoodies I gasped as I saw this:
Those shelves need to be stocked with sweat pants and hoodies. I figured there must be some boxes somewhere that just had not been unpacked yet but when I asked MaryAnn about that she said there were no boxes, that they are out of size XL and critically low on all other sizes. Donations are down and casualties are up. So PLEASE, if you can spare a few dollars, go to this link from my prior blog post and help. ANY help is good.
MaryAnn and I then straightened up one of the rooms in the Wounded Warrior barracks where the out patients and family members of all of the Wounded Warriors can go to take any items they may need. We restocked with a few t shirts (very low stock on those, too), socks, toiletries, blankets, etc. MaryAnn went over to the other barracks to take stock of what was needed there while I continued to open boxes of mail.
Since it was Saturday night and the medevac from Landstuhl Regional Medical Center to the USA leaves on Sundays (as well as 2 others days a week), MaryAnn and I loaded up the cart with blankets, travel pillows and duffel bags to head to the wards to pass those out to anyone needing them for the flight the next morning. I wrote about this involved process in a prior post here. And in that same post (link to the left) I also wrote about (towards the bottom) and posted a photo of me with SGT Stephanie McCulley. I had planned to look Stephanie up on this trip. Little did I know the circumstances under which that would happen on this trip. Just a day or two before I left I got a message from Stephanie that her husband, John, who is a former Marine and currently working for a contractor in Iraq, had been blown up. He was in surgery in Baghdad at the time. I had very few details. By the time I got to Landstuhl John and the Soldiers who were with him that day and survived had made it to Landstuhl. So on our rounds I stopped by John's room. Stephanie wasn't there at the moment but I was able to talk with John for a couple of minutes. He was alert but a bit "drugged". It was SO good to see him!
MaryAnn and I finished our rounds of the wards, took the cart back to the stock room and linked back up with the paratroopers. We went into town for dinner. Many more laughs and great memories made. Only day one and so much packed into it. I wasn't exceptionally tired for some reason and slept like a baby that night. I was looking forward to the 3 days left and all that we would try to accomplish.
Most of all I fell asleep knowing how incredibly blessed I am for all of the amazing people in my life and for all of the special opportunities I have had.
We caught back up with the paratroopers and went to dinner in town. Many more laughs and great memories made.
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
CRITICAL SHORTAGE for SA Germany (MaryAnn & her volunteers). PLEASE help!
I think I may have gasped the other day when I walked into the storage/stock room that MaryAnn and her volunteers need to have FULL at Landstuhl in order to help the wounded transiting through Germany from combat theater on their way to the USA and saw this:
![]()
The shelves that NEED to be full of sweat pants and hoodies - BARE!
Not good folks. Not good. As MaryAnn and I began to refold and straighten the bins where the Wounded Warriors that have arrived via medevac from Afghanistan, Iraq, Horn of Africa, etc (often without anything more than what they were wearing) should be able to grab a t-shirt, sweat suit, etc. the stock was not just low but, in many cases, non-existent. Plenty of socks, shorts and toiletries right now but almost nada on the above mentioned.
Then this morning I stiood outside the ER door as the ambulances began arriving from Ramstein Airfield with the Wounded Warriors from the combat theaters. There's another whole story in that experience but for purposes of this post - many were "wearing" only medical equipment and a sheet. Granted, once they arrive at Landstuhl they are given a $250.00 shopping card but that's another story in itself. Many need clothes ASAP. Being able to wander into the basement of either of the Wounded Warrior barracks or to have a family member hop over there for them OR a nurse call MaryAnn and say, "if you have "so and so" would you please drop it by the ward is essential to those Wounded Warriors.
So................PLEASE go to this link and read the most needed items, sizes, etc. PLEASE note the following from the link:
MOST-NEEDED ITEMS FOR JULY 2011, listed in order of need
Thank you for your help with these items!
- Sweatpants and Zippered Hoodie Sweatjackets (M, L, XL - grey, black, dark blue) Sweat clothing, especially size XL, is urgently needed at this time.
- Undershirts and plain T-shirts (M, L, XL - crew neck, any color)
Especially needed at this time.
Now PLEASE go on line and place an order those items or any of the items on the list and get them shipped to:
Soldiers' Angels
CMR 402
APO AE 09180
Important:
- Please notify us when items are shipped
- Include a note with your name, Email address, and brief description of items sent in your packages. Without this information, we will be unable to confirm their receipt.
- Please allow 6 - 8 weeks for receipt confirmation.
- Priority shipping is not necessary. Consider using Parcel Post to save shipping expenses. Ask your Post Office for details.
Just by absolute fate, while I was at Landstuhl this time a friend of mine's husband and 2 of his battle buddies arrived here after being seriously wounded in Iraq. Three of their battle buddies died in that attack. (May God Rest Their Souls). I saw with my own eyes, once again, how much the work that MaryAnn and her volunteers here do MATTERS! They cannot continue to do this work without OUR support.
Link to order sweat pants - here or here (or vendor of your preference)
Link to order zippered hoodies (MUST be zipper as many cannot pull them over their heads for many reasons - here or here (or vendor of your choice)
Link to order crew neck tshirts - here (or vendor of your choice)
The shelves that NEED to be full of sweat pants and hoodies - BARE!
Not good folks. Not good. As MaryAnn and I began to refold and straighten the bins where the Wounded Warriors that have arrived via medevac from Afghanistan, Iraq, Horn of Africa, etc (often without anything more than what they were wearing) should be able to grab a t-shirt, sweat suit, etc. the stock was not just low but, in many cases, non-existent. Plenty of socks, shorts and toiletries right now but almost nada on the above mentioned.
Then this morning I stiood outside the ER door as the ambulances began arriving from Ramstein Airfield with the Wounded Warriors from the combat theaters. There's another whole story in that experience but for purposes of this post - many were "wearing" only medical equipment and a sheet. Granted, once they arrive at Landstuhl they are given a $250.00 shopping card but that's another story in itself. Many need clothes ASAP. Being able to wander into the basement of either of the Wounded Warrior barracks or to have a family member hop over there for them OR a nurse call MaryAnn and say, "if you have "so and so" would you please drop it by the ward is essential to those Wounded Warriors.
So................PLEASE go to this link and read the most needed items, sizes, etc. PLEASE note the following from the link:
MOST-NEEDED ITEMS FOR JULY 2011, listed in order of need
Thank you for your help with these items!
- Sweatpants and Zippered Hoodie Sweatjackets (M, L, XL - grey, black, dark blue) Sweat clothing, especially size XL, is urgently needed at this time.
- Undershirts and plain T-shirts (M, L, XL - crew neck, any color)
Especially needed at this time.
Now PLEASE go on line and place an order those items or any of the items on the list and get them shipped to:
Soldiers' Angels
CMR 402
APO AE 09180
Important:
- Please notify us when items are shipped
- Include a note with your name, Email address, and brief description of items sent in your packages. Without this information, we will be unable to confirm their receipt.
- Please allow 6 - 8 weeks for receipt confirmation.
- Priority shipping is not necessary. Consider using Parcel Post to save shipping expenses. Ask your Post Office for details.
Just by absolute fate, while I was at Landstuhl this time a friend of mine's husband and 2 of his battle buddies arrived here after being seriously wounded in Iraq. Three of their battle buddies died in that attack. (May God Rest Their Souls). I saw with my own eyes, once again, how much the work that MaryAnn and her volunteers here do MATTERS! They cannot continue to do this work without OUR support.
Link to order sweat pants - here or here (or vendor of your preference)
Link to order zippered hoodies (MUST be zipper as many cannot pull them over their heads for many reasons - here or here (or vendor of your choice)
Link to order crew neck tshirts - here (or vendor of your choice)
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
My Time at Landstuhl, Germany With 3 Special Friends
I've been VERY negligent in posting this from my trip to Italy and Germany. Apologies to MaryAnn, Jay and Stephanie! This one's gonna be long folks. You've been warned. :)
After an absolutely fantastic time in and around Camp Ederlie/Vicenza, Italy I hopped a Ryan Air (highly recommend) flight from Venice to Frankfurt Hahn airport. Well, actually before the flight my "landlord" SGT Iles grilled up some great burgers and hot dogs. He, his lovely honey, Carilsa, Martin Diaz de Leon and I stuffed ourselves with those. Last farwells then Martin drove me to the airport. I'm grateful for his kindness.
Landed at Frankfurt Hahn very late in the night. MaryAnn had arranged for a cab to pick me up and drive me to the hotel. She was a lifesaver to do that. Although it was dark there was a clear sky and a wonderful moon for most of the drive. The countryside was covered in snow and the evergreen tree bows were laden down. It was a breath taking drive.
When we pulled up to the hotel MaryAnn came running out to greet me. It was wonderful to see her and get a hug. We were both exhausted but stayed up until 2:00 or 3:00 chatting and catching up. I don't remember my head hitting the pillow that night.
The next morning MaryAnn and I stopped on the way to Landstuhl Hospital for pastries and coffee. Oh how I love European coffee! Then off to the front gate to wait for one of the Soldiers who works at the outpatient barracks to come sign me in. Final stop WORK! MaryAnn had piles of boxes stacked in the office - mail that needed to be opened, inventoried then stocked. Each customs form had to be checked against the contents of its box then placed in a bin for MaryAnn to write a thank you note. I came to realize VERY quickly that I don't know how MaryAnn had the time to do it all. Thank heavens for the volunteers she has.
Photo above is part of the mail that was received the second day I was there. The larger boxes in this photo were filled to the top with sweat pants and hoodie tops from Mark Delfini. They arrived just in time! The stock, particularly on the XLs was gone. Mark sends a steady stream of these to MaryAnn - thank goodness!
Other boxes included hand made blankets, socks, athletic shorts and hygiene items. One of the boxes was from Sandy Mandigo. The box contained the 100th hand made blanket sent from Sandy WOW! Just WOW! MaryAnn has the story at the link a couple of lines up. Please go read the story because it's about MUCH more than Sandy making and sending 100 blankets. You'll be sorry if you don't read about Sandy.
The boxes pictured above contained mostly hand made blankets
Each of the Outpatient Barracks has three set of shelves like the one pictured above of SA items available. And each of the three are mirror images in both of the barracks with one exception. One of the barracks is for Army, Navy and Air Force enlisted men only. The other is for Marines, Officers and females of all branches. So the second building has items for females that the first barracks doesn't.
Now here's an interesting twist. All of the SA stock rooms are in the barracks that house the enlisted males. In order to get items from the stock rooms to the other barracks one has to pull the stock, place it in exotic containers (ok, they're really big black garbage bags used solely for the purpose of transport), throw the bags over your shoulder (the more you carry the fewer trips you have to take), up the stairs to the main lever, down the hallway, through the lobby, down the stairs, turn left, left, right, pass the USO, cross the street, into the lobby of the other barracks, down the stairs, turn left, down the hall and turn right into the room where the shelving is (also the laundry room).
Tidy up the shelves, fold items which have been unfolded and place them back in the bin...which reminds me...YO, men....if a clear plastic bin has ONLY WHITE tshirts in it or ONLY BLACK hoodies in it and the bin is clearly marked with S, M, L or XL why do you have to pull out EVERY item in the bin to get the item you want? I'm just curious??? :)
Repeat as many times as necessary regardless of the weather - rain, snow, ice, howling winds, etc. I cannot tell you how much more respect I have for MaryAnn and her volunteers. Never thought I could have more but I certainly do now. By the way, I've just discussed the mornings at Landstuhl. The stocking, pulling stock, tidying shelves and restocking in both barracks has to be done at least one more time each day and often twice more.
Three nights a week MaryAnn loads up her cart with blankets, backpacks, knit caps, etc and heads off to the wards to pass those out to the wounded who will be on the medevac flight from Landstuhl to the USA the following day.
Find the cart on the main level. Schlep the boxes of blankets, backpacks, etc up the stairs to the cart. Through the lobby, down the ramp, to the security gate. Gain access to the hospital. Up another ramp, through the door, onto elevator, out of elevator, walk VERY LONG corridor to first ward. Turn left. Stop at nurses station to inquire about those on the medevac flight while counting the number of gurneys staged in the corridor of the ward to know how many on that ward are going. Pass out items including SA coins to those who are awake and desire to have items. Wish them well and thank them for their service. Return back past the nurses station pausing the thank them, too. Out to main corridor, left turn, walk to next ward, turn left down corridor and repeat, repeat, repeat. Oh darn! Not enough back packs. No worries, we'll go retrieve more and come back.
As we were leaving the wards that night I took the following photo. I'm no photographer by any stretch of the imagination but as I followed MaryAnn down that very long corridor this image brought on a wave of emotions from one end of the spectrum to the other. I had to wonder, after all these years that MaryAnn has spent at Landstuhl, not only how many times she has traversed this corridor but how many miles she has walked and what her thoughts must be each night as she returns to the stock room.
It's more than rewarding but incredibly exhausting work. The first day I was there we left the hospital around 22:30 and we hadn't remembered to eat since breakfast.
Back when Stephanie was a PFC I had the privilege of supporting her and her Platoon when they were deployed to Iraq.in 2007. Stephanie was a medic with 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team. From the article linked below, "Pfc. Stephanie McCulley, a combat medic with 3rd HBCT, from Uniontown, Pa., followed the steps of her grandfather, who raised her. They both served in the Army. They both served in combat, and they both earned a Bronze Star Medal as a private first class."
After an absolutely fantastic time in and around Camp Ederlie/Vicenza, Italy I hopped a Ryan Air (highly recommend) flight from Venice to Frankfurt Hahn airport. Well, actually before the flight my "landlord" SGT Iles grilled up some great burgers and hot dogs. He, his lovely honey, Carilsa, Martin Diaz de Leon and I stuffed ourselves with those. Last farwells then Martin drove me to the airport. I'm grateful for his kindness.
Landed at Frankfurt Hahn very late in the night. MaryAnn had arranged for a cab to pick me up and drive me to the hotel. She was a lifesaver to do that. Although it was dark there was a clear sky and a wonderful moon for most of the drive. The countryside was covered in snow and the evergreen tree bows were laden down. It was a breath taking drive.
When we pulled up to the hotel MaryAnn came running out to greet me. It was wonderful to see her and get a hug. We were both exhausted but stayed up until 2:00 or 3:00 chatting and catching up. I don't remember my head hitting the pillow that night.
The next morning MaryAnn and I stopped on the way to Landstuhl Hospital for pastries and coffee. Oh how I love European coffee! Then off to the front gate to wait for one of the Soldiers who works at the outpatient barracks to come sign me in. Final stop WORK! MaryAnn had piles of boxes stacked in the office - mail that needed to be opened, inventoried then stocked. Each customs form had to be checked against the contents of its box then placed in a bin for MaryAnn to write a thank you note. I came to realize VERY quickly that I don't know how MaryAnn had the time to do it all. Thank heavens for the volunteers she has.
Mail call!
Photo above is part of the mail that was received the second day I was there. The larger boxes in this photo were filled to the top with sweat pants and hoodie tops from Mark Delfini. They arrived just in time! The stock, particularly on the XLs was gone. Mark sends a steady stream of these to MaryAnn - thank goodness!
Other boxes included hand made blankets, socks, athletic shorts and hygiene items. One of the boxes was from Sandy Mandigo. The box contained the 100th hand made blanket sent from Sandy WOW! Just WOW! MaryAnn has the story at the link a couple of lines up. Please go read the story because it's about MUCH more than Sandy making and sending 100 blankets. You'll be sorry if you don't read about Sandy.
More mail
The boxes pictured above contained mostly hand made blankets
Hand made blankets by a lot of awesome Americans
The photo above was taken in one of the storage rooms in the basement of one of the outpatient barracks. Looks like a lot of blankets but they'll be gone in days. MaryAnn is very persnickety about how and where things are stored until needed. And she HAS TO BE. The volumn of items that come and go through those storage rooms is mind boggling. Need an Army blanket? Right over here. Marine blanket - over there. Navy and Air Force - right behind you on those shelves. Definitely a system that works.
Out patient Barracks #1
Each of the Outpatient Barracks has three set of shelves like the one pictured above of SA items available. And each of the three are mirror images in both of the barracks with one exception. One of the barracks is for Army, Navy and Air Force enlisted men only. The other is for Marines, Officers and females of all branches. So the second building has items for females that the first barracks doesn't.
Now here's an interesting twist. All of the SA stock rooms are in the barracks that house the enlisted males. In order to get items from the stock rooms to the other barracks one has to pull the stock, place it in exotic containers (ok, they're really big black garbage bags used solely for the purpose of transport), throw the bags over your shoulder (the more you carry the fewer trips you have to take), up the stairs to the main lever, down the hallway, through the lobby, down the stairs, turn left, left, right, pass the USO, cross the street, into the lobby of the other barracks, down the stairs, turn left, down the hall and turn right into the room where the shelving is (also the laundry room).
Tidy up the shelves, fold items which have been unfolded and place them back in the bin...which reminds me...YO, men....if a clear plastic bin has ONLY WHITE tshirts in it or ONLY BLACK hoodies in it and the bin is clearly marked with S, M, L or XL why do you have to pull out EVERY item in the bin to get the item you want? I'm just curious??? :)
Repeat as many times as necessary regardless of the weather - rain, snow, ice, howling winds, etc. I cannot tell you how much more respect I have for MaryAnn and her volunteers. Never thought I could have more but I certainly do now. By the way, I've just discussed the mornings at Landstuhl. The stocking, pulling stock, tidying shelves and restocking in both barracks has to be done at least one more time each day and often twice more.
Three nights a week MaryAnn loads up her cart with blankets, backpacks, knit caps, etc and heads off to the wards to pass those out to the wounded who will be on the medevac flight from Landstuhl to the USA the following day.
Find the cart on the main level. Schlep the boxes of blankets, backpacks, etc up the stairs to the cart. Through the lobby, down the ramp, to the security gate. Gain access to the hospital. Up another ramp, through the door, onto elevator, out of elevator, walk VERY LONG corridor to first ward. Turn left. Stop at nurses station to inquire about those on the medevac flight while counting the number of gurneys staged in the corridor of the ward to know how many on that ward are going. Pass out items including SA coins to those who are awake and desire to have items. Wish them well and thank them for their service. Return back past the nurses station pausing the thank them, too. Out to main corridor, left turn, walk to next ward, turn left down corridor and repeat, repeat, repeat. Oh darn! Not enough back packs. No worries, we'll go retrieve more and come back.
As we were leaving the wards that night I took the following photo. I'm no photographer by any stretch of the imagination but as I followed MaryAnn down that very long corridor this image brought on a wave of emotions from one end of the spectrum to the other. I had to wonder, after all these years that MaryAnn has spent at Landstuhl, not only how many times she has traversed this corridor but how many miles she has walked and what her thoughts must be each night as she returns to the stock room.
MaryAnn after late night rounds of the wards
It's more than rewarding but incredibly exhausting work. The first day I was there we left the hospital around 22:30 and we hadn't remembered to eat since breakfast.
LOL
In the photo above MaryAnn is untying three of the hand made blankets that some, apparently bored, service member had tied together - AT EVERY piece of fringe. We laughed so hard!
On my last day at Landstuhl I spent time with two other very special people. Stephanie McCulley (man I'm embarrassed not to remember her current rank) and CPT Jay Kopcha.
Stephanie McCulley and me at Landstul hospital
Back when Stephanie was a PFC I had the privilege of supporting her and her Platoon when they were deployed to Iraq.in 2007. Stephanie was a medic with 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team. From the article linked below, "Pfc. Stephanie McCulley, a combat medic with 3rd HBCT, from Uniontown, Pa., followed the steps of her grandfather, who raised her. They both served in the Army. They both served in combat, and they both earned a Bronze Star Medal as a private first class."
"During World War II, Jobes fought with the 398th Infantry Division in France. From January 1945 to March 1945, Jobes routinely volunteered for dangerous night patrols to hinder the Nazi defensive preparations in his sector. Jobes went out an average of three nights a week for three months. His service and commitment did not go unnoticed by his superiors. As a private first class, Jobes was awarded the Bronze Star for his exemplary performance in Eastern France."
"Sixty-two years later, Jobes' granddaughter would earn the same award for her service in Operation Iraqi Freedom."
You really need to go read the whole story here. You REALLY DO!
Stephanie is a nurse at Landstuhl now. She is married to a former Marine and they have two handsome young sons. I enjoyed every minute of my lunch with Stephanie. It was so good to catch up with her and find out how things are going in her life. The time passed way too quickly. It was like seeing an old friend but Stephanie had to go pick her sons up from school. I am so thankful that she made time in her schedule for me.
After lunch with Stephanie it was back to the salt mine with MaryAnn - who hadn't left or missed a beat. I took her a wrap so she wouldn't "forget to eat" again.
I had been emailing with CPT Kopcha who had insisted on driving over from another Army post in Germany to visit. I knew he was en route. I was in one of the stock rooms unpacking hoodies and sweat pants and putting them on the shelves when Jay snuck up on me.
Golly it was good to see him. It's been years. I "met" Jay through a fellow troop supporter friend, Agnieszka. Jay was deployed with the 10th MTN, 1-32 to eastern Afghanistan (Kunar) in OEF VII. Funny, as I wrote that it occurred to me that I was supporting he and Stephanie around the same time.
Anyway, some of you may remember that the 10th MTN, 1-32 was initially deployed to eastern Afghanistan for 12 months. At the end of the 12 months they were extended for another 3 months. Some of their Soldiers has already landed at Fort Drum; others were literally in the air when the extension was announced; some were in Bagram ready to head hone and others, including Jay, were still "inhabiting" Camp Blessing. It was a brutal deployment. The 3 month extension was relentless with respect to the fire fights and casualties they took. Camp Blessing at that time was little more than a clearing with Hescoes - certainly not the built up camp it is now.
For you ROCK Paratroopers who have always asked, "how'd you get hooked up with us?" You may either wish to thank or curse this man. During the RIP between 10th MTN 1-32 and the 173rd, 2-503rd Jay "introduced" me to Mike Zeidler. Jay asked Agnieszka and me to please continue our support of their replacements. Mike Zeidler, in turn, connected me with the 3 Battle Co Platoon Sergeants including SFC Matt Blaskowski. The rest, as they say, is history. Bottom line - it's all Jay's fault. :)
CPT Jay Kopcha and me
Slave driver, MaryAnn, excused me from duty - well, once I finished the boxes I was working on, and Jay and I went to dinner. It was wonderful to catch up with all that is going on in his life. I had a wonderful time and am very thankful to Jay for making the trip over.
MaryAnn and I stayed up until close to midnight chatting about my time there as well as another subject of common interest - our beloved military and their families. It is a privilege and a pleasure to call MaryAnn my friend. I cannot wait to go back to visit her again.
The following morning I had to be awake at 04:00. MaryAnn was sleeping soundly in a room across the hallway in the hotel. It seemed wrong not to say goodbye but I knew we'd been up late the night before and that she had a long day ahead of her. So I quietly whispered my farwells at her door and lumbered down to the lobby and into the shuttle for the ride to the Frankfort airport.
I am one of the most fortunate humans on this planet for the opportunities I have had and the very special people in my life. Thank you MaryAnn, Stephanie and Jay - not just for the time together on this trip but for all you do each day. I love you all!
Monday, January 31, 2011
Someone VERY Special
I snapped this shot as we were returning from making the rounds of the wards at Landstuhl tonight. We had been delivering blankets, backpacks, knit caps, etc to the wounded who will be on the medevac flight to American tomorrow.
I couldn't help but wonder how many hundreds of miles she has logged in the hallways of this hospital or how many lives she has touched in ways we'll never know or understand.
Such a special lady. Such a cherished friend.
I couldn't help but wonder how many hundreds of miles she has logged in the hallways of this hospital or how many lives she has touched in ways we'll never know or understand.
Such a special lady. Such a cherished friend.
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