We all have our favorite seasons of the year and usually they are
related to the weather. I have one very long season that runs from
March to October when we plan our barbecues at Walter Reed National
Military Medical Center Bethesda for our outstanding wounded warriors,
their families, and the dedicated staff who treat them. Those eight
months are unique because the third or fourth Wednesday of each of those
months I volunteer with a local Marine Corps League's Marines Helping
Marines Foundation, which puts on the cookouts. The events are
sponsored by various Marine Corps League Detachments and/or local
businesses or individuals. I suffer withdrawal during the four months
of no cookouts because I miss them so much.
Each month the anticipation builds for the big event. We plan for
approximately 150 people. The Marine who runs the whole show, Tony
Begenwald, a Korean War Veteran, has many fellow veteran volunteers who
are there with him each month without fail, including the other
volunteers and me who are not members of the League. It brings us such
pleasure to serve our guests.
Much camaraderie surrounds the preparation for each event. One thing
we are never sure of is the weather but we have been blessed with only
one cookout each season that was forced indoors. Setting up long
tables and organizing the food is great fun. We all have certain
responsibilities each month to make things run smoothly. Tony is famous
for his marinated steaks and his 'famous' baked beans and his reputation
has grown over the years for all the delicious foods we serve. The
comments we hear most often are that the barbecued steaks, hotdogs and
burgers are a welcome change, as well as the fresh veggies, fresh fruit,
and fresh baked goods made lovingly by our volunteers.
Then the guests start to arrive. They come in wheelchairs, on crutches,
some even on gurneys.....any way they can get there. The cookouts are
located on a patio behind a barracks with lovely umbrella tables so that
everyone can relax and enjoy an hour or two in the fresh air and the
outdoors. For us it is a wonderful opportunity to meet and chat with
our wounded warriors and their devoted families. To hear their stories
and to share this time is what warms our hearts. Each month we look
forward to renewing those friendships but are encouraged when we learn
that some of our warriors were well enough to be discharged after a year
or longer recovery at the hospital. We will miss them but we know they
were ready to move on with their lives and accomplish new goals.
Some cookouts we have live entertainment, like the earlier article I
wrote about Major Burkett and the Fire Department Pipe and Drum that
played for us. We have had rock bands, jazz bands, steel drum bands,
and solo vocalists. What a pleasure to have these artists take time to
come and share their talents with us! Those artists are so grateful to
be able to perform for our wounded warriors.
One regular Marine Corps League volunteer was a Navy Corpsmen and is
retired. His passion is photography and he is there to snap each event
and post them for all to view. His name is Paul Gunther and he captures
each cookout and gives us wonderful photographs to view and bring back
the memories. For anyone who is interested in seeing them, the photos
are on this site:
http://prgunther.shutterfly.com/
I, for one, can't wait for the new season to begin.....but I know all of
us feel the same way......and March is almost here!!!!
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