SPECIAL REQUEST

SPECIAL REQUEST

Last year I received a very unusual request from a unit I was shipping packages to.
I got this email from the RP (Religious Programmer), assistant to the chaplain.  The chaplain happened to be home in the states for a few weeks and his assistant was in a quandary.   

The RP was serving with a large unit of over 150 Marines and Sailors.  One of his Marines, of Russian descent, came to him asking how he might obtain a Russian version  of our NIV (New International Version)  of Scripture.   The RP investigated through military channels and found that in order to get one copy he needed to order in bulk, over 100 copies.  Obviously that was not satisfactory!   He recalled that his chaplain had been in touch on a regular basis with me because I was supporting their unit with care packages.

I have to say, when that email arrived I was scratching my head and wondering where in the world I would find a Russian bible for this Marine.   My first attempt was to locate the local Russian churches in my Maryland/Washington DC area.   I spoke to two churches who did not have any information, as they were only familiar with the Russian Orthodox version.   I left my contact information with them hoping they might come up with a solution.   I then did what we all do, I did a Google search for Russian bibles.

What happened next was nothing short of a miracle.   What I found was the Russian Christian Publishing Company, in Kansas, USA!!!!   I spent some time perusing their website only to find such a large selection  left me completely unsure of how to proceed.  I then clicked one  of the links on their site and found a page that caught my breath in my chest.......the owners of the company had a son who had served in the US Army and had been killed in action in Iraq.   The fact that I had a Marine in combat seeking a Russian bible and a company that supplied Russian bibles and had lost their son in combat was to me, astounding.   Once again, it was clear that God was working in this situation.   I reached out to the owners of the company, the Waglers, and spoke to them.  It was a conversation I will never forget.   Mrs Wagler was so moved at what was transpiring and so gracious in wanting to assist, that when I asked if she would make a selection and perhaps donate it to our Marine she said she felt very blessed to be able to do so.   

I had one special favor I wanted to ask of her.   Would she consider enclosing a personal letter to the Marine, whose first name was Dimitri.   I explained how meaningful it would be to him to receive a Russian bible with an enclosed letter explaining her personal connection to our US military.   She was hesitant at first but agreed to enclose a letter.   A week later I received the bible along with her note  and shipped it off to Dimitri in Afghanistan.   Dimitri was a newlywed and deeply missed his new wife and as the RP told me, he felt a deeper need to know the Lord while he was there in Afghanistan with the dangers of war.   What a blessing to be able to provide for him a bible in his native Russian language to give him the means to spend time with our Lord.  

I am constantly in awe of how God is working in my life.   From what seem to be the smallest to the most enormous circumstances,  His hand is guiding me.  His will is done.  His proof that He is here is so clear.   As time goes by I will be sharing more of these chronicles with you.   I hope and pray that you enjoy reading them as much as I enjoy living them.

WOUNDED WARRIORS: OVERCOMING TRAUMATIC INJURY

When a warrior is wounded he/she is flown  from a (CSH) combat support hospital near the field of combat to Germany to Andrews AF Base to Walter Reed.   With each stop the patient required stabilization over days or weeks, their families often flown to their hospital bedside overseas.   Many in a medically induced coma while their families spend days at their side, watching the medical staff tend to their patients, everything so unfamiliar and frightening.

 In time clarity comes, the wounded begin to heal.   Each warrior recovers at a different pace.   You can imagine the enormous range of injuries, both internal and external, including the loss of limbs.   The visits I made were, for me, a blessing as well as an eye opener.   So many of our combat wounded want to share their personal war stories.....want to relate what happened to them when they were blown up or shot.   I know that for them it is therapeutic to repeat what they see in their minds over and over.   For others it is too painful to speak of what caused them to be here.   Each of the warriors expressed gratitude when groups of veterans cared enough to visit and listen to their horrific stories of their experiences in combat.  

Most crucial to the healing process is the presence of family and friends.   Without them the healing process would be much lengthier.  The sacrifices that their families endure is not stressed nearly enough.   Usually families are split up with one parent or spouse here while the other parent and siblings remain at home holding down a job.   Family life is utterly broken apart.   The benefits in these circumstances are the non-profit organizations that supply all the needs of the family members that are here.  A free place to live, transportation, assistance with expenses back home and also providing airfare to bring families together when possible, both here or when the wounded are able to visit home.   Remodeling homes and  refitting vehicles are also covered.  These organizations are the backbone of survival for every one of the families that have dropped everything to be here.  

 Their progress is evident with each of my weekly visits.   Through numerous surgeries, hours of rehabilitation, more surgeries, more rehab, countless hours adapting to their new prosthetic legs and arms, they rebuild their bodies and rebuild their spirits.   Sometimes the bodies heal faster than the spirits, sometimes the reverse.  I can tell you that what they endure on a daily basis is astounding and not what any civilian could ever imagine.   With many there are the issues of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI).   Whether physical or psychological, they have months and years of therapy ahead of them.   I have known some  multi-limb amputees  who were so motivated that they were out of the hospital in less than a year!   That is not the norm, as the usual stay is one year or longer.

The most unbelievable examples of motivation have been amputees who have tackled all sorts of athletic activities that they never imagined possible prior to being injured.   Skydiving, surfing, snowboarding, cycling, rock climbing, court sports, archery.... and the list goes on.   Some have taken up musical instruments such as guitar and piano......for we all know music is a therapy all it's own.     These fearless warriors know no bounds.   They are willing to try things they never dreamed possible  before they enlisted.

One of the major catastrophic results of our years in combat are the hidden wounds........the psychological damage that is causing so many suicides in our military ranks.  Self inflicted deaths were up to 345 in 2012.   All branches of the Armed Forces are affected.   The numbers of veterans who are suffering is astronomical and the VA system is overwhelmed.   Our military attempts to bring about changes to the system.......there are hotlines, there are non-profits that have been formed specifically for assisting these veterans in need of help.   One of the greatest and seemingly insurmountable issues is the stigma of seeking help.   I am not sure how this can be addressed, as one cannot force someone to reach out for help if they fear it will somehow be a black mark on their record.  Changes must be made to overcome this high rate of suicides in our military.  

The bittersweet end of this story is saying goodbye to these brave warriors as they recover and move on with their lives.   I know God places each of us together for a certain time.   To be a part of someone's healing process is  so special that I will carry those memories with me always.   As I have written in previous articles, some of the patients and their families I met eight years ago are still part of my life.   Again I thank God for this path He chose for me.......these opportunities to share with our warriors their roads to recovery.   I have such great respect and admiration for each of them as they move from Walter Reed back home to live their 'new normal' lives.

BARBECUES FOR OUR WOUNDED WARRIORS

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!!!!

LINKED BY FRIENDSHIP, HARDSHIP AND FAITH

I want to share with you an extremely unusual story of two families, their friendship, their sons and the unfortunate circumstances that have befallen each of their sons.   This is a story filled with faith, prayer and trust in our Lord.   This is the time of year when families gather together to celebrate Christmas and look ahead to a New Year filled with  hopes for health, joy and prosperity.   These two families have, for the last year, shared a burden that neither would have ever imagined.... yet it has not only brought them closer but it has become a source of prayers, prayer chains, love and support that is universal in its scope.   For me to be personally a tiny part of this support in offering prayers for them has been an honor God has laid upon my heart and the hearts of thousands all over the world.  I know that you will be moved to share this desire to pray for these families as well.   I was not aware of these two families until December 2011.

The Skellys with four children and the Powers with two children, were living in Fremont, California in 1992.  Stacy Skelly's son is Tyler, her oldest,  and Cathy Powers' son is Bryce.   As mothers of young boys who went to school and played together, they formed a bond that has lasted over the years.   The families eventually moved  to different states but the mothers stayed in touch.  The boys grew up, graduated from school and each chose to enlist in the military.   Bryce chose the Air Force and Tyler the Marine Corps.

Last December 2011, Tyler was stationed in Bahrain.   A young Marine man in excellent health, he suffered a fall that caused severe brain damage.  While being treated it was discovered he was diabetic.   He was in a coma and once stabilized flown to Germany where the situation became worse during the flight, near death when he arrived.  Again he needed to be stabilized to return to the states, to Walter Reed where Stacy was at his bedside.

This is when I was introduced to Stacy and Tyler by a friend from my church who had moved to Tennessee a few years before.  Two of her friends at her new church were the grandparents of Tyler.   When they mentioned Walter Reed to her she told them about my visits to the hospital with our Marine Corps League and they asked if I might visit with the Skellys.   How grateful I was that God had positioned all of us so that I might be there for them, so far from home with no other family able to be by their sides.   As often as time allowed I would visit with them, pray with them, and just be there for them.   Tyler was in a coma for many weeks.

Stacy had reached out to her friend Cathy and Cathy started a "Support Tyler Skelly" Facebook page that took on a life of it's own.   Prayers were flowing in from everywhere.....and they were such an enormous source of encouragement for Stacy!!!   Friends and strangers were there for her every day.....awaiting a new report every morning.... all of us praying to our Great Healer in Heaven for a miracle.  You can  go to that page and see how a year of prayer has brought miracles.   In the spring Tyler was moved to Palo Alto, CA where Stacy accompanied him to a new facility.   He has made incredible gains, but he is yet to be able to speak.   He looks like his pre-incident self, but speech has eluded him.  This is what we are all praying for so please join me in prayer for Tyler to regain his ability to speak.

Now ten months have gone by.   In that time Bryce had been stationed in Japan with the Air Force.   On October 13, 2012, just ten minutes off base on the weekend, he was in a catastrophic  automobile accident.   In a coma, he was hospitalized in Japan for weeks and then transferred to Hawaii and finally transferred to Richmond, VA.    Cathy is at his side where she has been since the accident. Bryce is still in a coma and now there is a support page on Facebook for Bryce.   Cathy and Stacy are there for each other.   Bryce has had many setbacks, but the power of prayer and the knowledge that hundreds are praying is  what keeps hope alive.   Cathy has complete faith and trust in the Lord that He will restore Bryce to the person he was prior to the accident.   She asks us all to pray for specific healing each day when she updates us.

That is where we come in.............we know that if there are multitudes of us praying, if we believe and trust that God can bring miracles,  than these two young men who chose to serve their country, their careers cut short by tragic accidents....will one day be well.   As we know, the most difficult is the reality that ultimately it is God's will that prevails.  That these two families are sharing the same tragedies  is remarkable to say the least. The evidence of God's presence in their healing is a reality that we cannot deny.The unified support from people everywhere has been a glue that has held us all together to share the ups and downs of recovery for both Tyler and Bryce.  I ask each of you to please pray for each of them.   Their progress can be found on their individual Facebook Support pages.

QUILTS FOR MY FRIENDS

QUILTS FOR MY FRIENDS

Mission statement of Quilts of Valor from their website: "The mission of the Quilts of Valor Foundation is to cover ALL combat service members and veterans touched by war with comforting and healing Quilts of Valor."

After hearing from friends about this truly wonderful organization and their legions of quilters all over our country, I realized that there were very special people in my life who I felt had earned the gift of a Quilt of Valor.  Patriotic themed custom made patchwork quilts mostly in reds, whites and blues, some with military branch patches, some with the recipient's name sewn in, and always with the names and towns of the volunteer quilters.

The first time I contacted the organization I was requesting a quilt for my friend Sgt. Gordon Ward, Iwo Jima Marine and the subject of my second article (Published 11/7/12).    I contacted them through their site and hoped to receive one in time for Father's Day 2010 and my wish was fulfilled!   That Father's Day is one that is etched in my mind forever.   Ana, his daughter, wheeled her father into a private party room where  she sang his favorite songs in karaoke and then I presented him with his beautiful quilt.   As weak and frail as he was he stood, saluted and sang for us the Marine Corps Hymn.    Hugging each other,  there were plenty of tears falling down our faces.     He cherished that quilt and enjoyed it for a full year, as he passed the day before Father's Day 2011.

The second time I contacted QOV  was for my father Henry Warren,  a WWII soldier who served in the Signal Corps in the Philippines. By 2010 he was ill and very frail.   I hoped that he would appreciate a quilt as he was always feeling cold, and what better way to stay warm than a quilt honoring him for his service to our country?   When it arrived he told me he felt unworthy of such a magnificent gift, but after some convincing he accepted it with an open heart.   Dad used his quilt through his last months he was alive, less than a year, but it warmed my heart so to see him use it regularly.   He passed away in a nursing home and it was the shining light in his room.   Now I have his quilt and I am so very thankful to display it knowing how fond he was of the quilt he first wanted me to return to the sender!!!

The third quilt I requested was for the husband of a friend from my church, David Schubert.   Ann and her husband had moved to Tennessee while he was in remission from a bout with brain cancer.   He was a former Navy Seal now in his 60's.   Sadly his cancer returned and I hoped to surprise him with a Quilt of Valor with which he would surround himself.  It was tricky, as I wanted it to be a surprise and have it delivered to their home.  When it arrived, not recognizing the return address on the package, Ann brought it to the hospital to ask David if he was familiar with the address and he was not.   He asked Ann to open it and there was one of the most beautiful handmade quilts they had ever seen.  I was able to see it draped over his bed in the hospital and his sofa at home in photos she shared with me via the internet.   There were but a few days left for David before the Lord took him home.

Late last year my brother-in-law Robert McBride, a soldier in Vietnam,  planned to retire at 65 and enjoy life but was diagnosed with Agent Orange related lung cancer.  He and his family live in North Carolina.   Knowing that Robert felt cold all the time, I wanted him to enjoy the warmth of a quilt.   Once more I called upon Quilts of Valor and they were able to create a beautiful quilt for Robert that he deeply loved for too short a  time before he passed away in May of this year.

Again and again each quilt brought joy, warmth and love to it's recipient.     Each of those beautifully hand crafted and personalized quilts showed that America cares, America remembers, and America will never forget.   What a
unique and exceptional way to show our veterans just how much our country cares.  I give thanks to the multitude of quilters who volunteer countless hours to craft quilts by the hundreds for our veterans, gifts that come from one heart to warm the heart of another.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS AND A CHANGE OF HEART

As so many veterans of war know, time does not always heal their hidden wounds.  That was certainly the case when a Vietnam veteran read my autobiography on my Grass Roots Troop Support webpage.   It stated that back in the 60's I was an anti-war protestor (an unfortunate stance  based on misinformation from the media) but due to 9/11 and my nephew enlisting in the Marine Corps and a new era of patriotism,  how I felt then was not how I felt after 9/11.   This former Marine read the bio and became so inflamed that he proceeded to send me a scathing email lambasting me, a total stranger, for all that he had suffered through is time in Vietnam and his maltreatment when he returned home.  He said he was speaking for all who were in his shoes, not just himself.

He wrote of his two years at war, 1967-1969, that hundreds of thousands of Americans and South Vietnamese were killed, how we at home called those veterans baby killers and worse, how we protested and spit on them upon their return home, his horrible experiences of dying friends and the sound and smell of war.   He blamed me and my friends for "not caring if they rotted over there in hell."   He wrote that we are supporting our troops today because of our guilt for our treatment of our Vietnam veterans.   He wrote that those who returned from that war vowed to make sure no other generation of warriors would suffer what they did.   He cursed me and accused me of being one of the enemy of that era.  This veteran who chose to share his long suffering anger with me, a stranger, reiterated again and again in his email that the years of pain, mental anguish, suicides were compounded by a government and VA that did not support them or understand them.  He called me names.   In closing he did thank me for caring enough to send care packages to our troops serving in Iraq.   This veteran's name was Casey and the year was 2009.

I was shaken to my core by this email....so upset that my heart was pounding.   I had never been on the receiving end of such a tirade and was unsure how to react, whether I should just delete it or respond to his fury.   I inquired of a friend, a very special friend, a Christian whom I knew would give me sound advice.   He did just that.  He suggested that I write back to Casey expressing my sadness at his continued pain and suffering, that  I realized it was misdirected and I want to help as a sister in Christ.   He was totally shocked that I responded at all!!!    I, too,  felt that reaching out was the way to go.   I asked him if we could speak on the phone.  I gave him my phone number.  It took some weeks before he called.  As we spoke I felt that Casey needed to have Jesus in his life.  I asked if he did and he told me yes, but not for many years and that my reaching out to him made him realize he needed to ask Jesus back into his life.   I thanked my friend for his advice. I thank God for giving me the opportunity to befriend  him when he was expecting retaliation or nothing at all.

Casey served with 1st Bn/9th Marines, the "Walking Dead", a unit that suffered severe losses in Vietnam.  Our phone calls increased, we became friends,  I learned more about his time at war, about  his family, about his pain.   He told me that our friendship and his relationship with the Lord finally allowed him to release much of the pain and anger he had harbored all those years.  What better gift to me then such words!   Our friendship grew over time.  We spoke frequently.

The 1/9 has a network of veterans of the Nam era.  Casey felt compelled to support my care package effort and asked his network if they would be willing to donate to the packages.  A year after our rather unusual 'meeting' I was delivered by hand a check for $1000 from one of the members who lived in Virginia.   Later that year, in the fall of 2010, I was invited to the 1/9 national reunion as a guest.   Once again I find it hard to express my feelings.   To recall how Casey and I started, to being an honored guest at their reunion is hard to put into words.   I again thank God for making all things possible.   That network has donated more than once to supporting my care packages.      Who ever would have thought at the outset where this angry email would have taken us?  Casey and I will remain friends throughout our lives.

THE GIFT OF PAPER

This is a story about reams of paper and a 'thank you' letter that I will never forget which was written on graph paper.

Once again it starts with a cruise, our annual mother and daughters cruise.   As I wrote previously, I am not shy about telling strangers that I send care packages  in support of our troops deployed or asking for donations.   Occasionally the conversation leads to some rather remarkable outcomes.  This is one of those outcomes!!!!

A gentleman I met from Maine was most interested in assisting in supporting my efforts and promised to address this subject with his Kiwanis Club as soon as he returned home.   A couple of weeks later I received a phone call from a woman who heard his request at the Kiwanis meeting.  She owned a paper company and wanted to know if I would have a need for paper of any kind.   She had reams of paper, considered 'seconds', that she could ship to me.   I thought long and hard about what I could do with it and realized it could be used for our deployed troops to write home and perhaps other uses I was not even aware of.   I accepted and she sent me hundreds of pounds of paper, all cut to 8x10 and placed in clear zip lock bags.   Most of it was plain white or solid colored paper.  I literally had to have someone lift it and store it for me as there was nowhere in my apartment to keep it.

Slowly I used it, tossing a couple of these reams of paper in each care package knowing our troops would find ways to use it.   The added weight in each care package added to the shipping cost but I felt it would be worth it and it was.   This was back in 2004 when we were transitioning out of Iraq and starting to build up our troops in Afghanistan.

Again my nephew Alex McBride was deployed with 3rd Battalion, 6th Marines.   They were all over Afghanistan and of course we were not to know their locations as they moved around the country.  This letter started with the endearing words "Dear LCpl McBride's Aunt".
He was writing to thank me for the package and tell me he was always the first one to 'hit the snacks'.  Then he proceeded to tell me that upon arrival in country they were given maps of their AO (area of operation).  Assuming  the maps were current they went out on their first patrol only to find that the roads, dry creek beds and buildings on their  maps did not exist, and what did exist  was not on the maps.   Only the ancient ruins were accurate!!!!   As it turned out, the maps they were given were surveyed in 1954 and reprinted in 1970 and were useless!!!!!!   

As this Marine wrote further 'Being the creative mission accomplishing Marines that we were we decided to map our own maps using our GPS's and our little knowledge of the area.  However, we couldn't draw straight grid squares for anything.  Then we got mail !!!!'  He started going through the box looking for favorite snacks when he found at the bottom bags of graph paper, mentioning that he ate a lot of snacks as well.  He immediately started making maps using the tracking feature on his GPS that tracked every patrol that they had done.
They found three alternate routes leading to their base, which was imperative in order to avoid ambush by the enemy as they avoided a pattern in their routes.  

His last statement was the one that really hit home.   "The graphing paper that you sent is helping to keep Marines safe and helping to complete our missions (killing terrorists)....that the graph paper was literally savings the lives of our Marines."  There were only a few reams of graph paper in the entire shipment I received.   His boxes just happened to be the ones containing the graph paper.  Coincidence?
I think not.   The Lord working in His mysterious ways yet again. 

Over time there will be other letters I will share with you.  This one has always held a special place in my heart.   I can't help but smile every time I look back and know that God has us covered no matter where we are.