Hello, my name is Teha Kennard and I’m the communications coordinator for the U.S. Army Wounded Warrior Program. One of the best parts of working with AW2 is interacting with wonderful people who want to help severely wounded Soldiers and their Families. In today’s society, where nobody seems to have enough time in the day, it’s heartening to hear from so many people who want to support Soldiers who have been severely injured while serving our country in the Global War on Terror.
On Dec. 4 I was honored to be a part of a tremendous gesture of goodwill for the Soldiers and their Families at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center. A group of New York City firefighters, Port Authority police officers and the Brooklyn Key Chapter of Ex-POWs of World War II got up at 4 a.m. to ride in a caravan of buses five hours to WRAMC. The group brought hundreds of handmade scarves, hats, blankets, NYFD T-shirts and hats, and four American flags that flew over Ground Zero after 9-11. The group was coordinated by Lynda Thompson, NYFD community coordinator, who collected donations from all over the country.
The group spent most of the day greeting Soldiers, Family members and staff, and distributing gift items at WRAMC’s hospital ward and two rehabilitation homes—the Mologne House and Fisher House. There was an aura of mutual respect between the Soldiers, firefighters and ex-POWs as they exchanged stories of their past experiences and heroics. One of the NYC firefighters even gave a Soldier the jacket off his back after the Soldier admired it.
It was a long day for the group from New York City who didn’t get home until 10 p.m. But they said it was well worth it, for the experience of bringing the Soldiers some holiday cheer and being able to personally thank them for their commitment and bravery to our country. Personally, it was an inspirational experience to work with such a giving group of people who served as a reminder of the true spirit of the holiday season.
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