Operation HELPING HAND

Thursday evening saw the August 2007 edition of the Operation HELPING HAND dinner at the Haley V.A. Hospital in Tampa. I wrote about the one in June here. Lt. Col. Dan Fitzpatrick (not pictured) and I departed the Centcom History Office and headed up for the event. We met many of the 16-24 patients that the spinal, neck, and head injury specialists treat at any given time. Among the many we met, Pete Herrick and his wife Diana (above with myself and Navy medical liaison Cdr. Hartford) really inspired us. Pete was a Navy Seabee (Construction Battalion) Reservist out of Jacksonville, Fla. assigned to a unit rebuilding in Iraq. Pete gushed about his one in a hundred assignment as a 50-cal gunner atop a Humvee charged with protecting the other Seabees. He said his nickname was "one-shot" because of his accuracy. Unfortunately while on duty in Ramadi (when it was very dangerous), someone had the men in a formation (!) when an anti-coalition mortar struck, killing 7 or 8 and wounding 30+. War is hell and we saw the damage it can do here. But I witnessed dogged determination that brings tears to your eyes in the eyes of these men and their families. Read more about Pete's experience here, here, and here. I wish you could be here to join in. It brings to bear what a gift a visit to a veteran of any war anywhere can be. And it's mostly a gift to the person doing the visiting. HF1