Veteran ‘Screaming Eagles' Reach Out to Wounded Warriors
(December 22, 2010) |
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Army Pfc. Charles
“C.J.” Stewart, a wounded 101st Airborne
Division soldier being treated at Walter Reed
Army Medical Center in Washington, gets regular
visits and support from members of the 101st
Airborne Division Association and the 506th
Airborne Infantry Regiment Association. Among
his most frequent visitors are retired Army Col.
Bob Seitz, left, and former Army Maj. Dick
Winters. Courtesy photo |
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WASHINGTON, Dec. 20, 2010 – Army Pfc. Charles “C.J.” Stewart
isn't feeling forgotten this holiday as he recuperates from
his combat wounds here at Walter Reed Army Medical Center.
He'll be surrounded by his family, a nurturing medical staff
and, as a bonus, veterans of the 101st Airborne Division who
continue to reach out to today's “Screaming Eagles”.
Stewart was on a rescue mission in June when the 1st
Brigade, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team's
Combat Outpost Fitzpatrick in Pashmul, Afghanistan, came
under attack. As Stewart, a combat medic, ran to get his
medical bag, one of the incoming rocket-propelled-grenade
rounds nearly ripped his right arm from his body.
Thirty-six surgeries later, with another scheduled for
tomorrow to repair nerve damage in his now fully reattached
arm, Stewart is an outpatient living at Walter Reed's
Mologne House. |
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But more than six months after being wounded, far from his
buddies in Afghanistan and his unit headquarters at Fort
Campbell, Ky., he's never lost his feeling of connection to
the 101st Airborne Division.
That's because he gets regular visits, not just from his
unit's rear detachment, but also by members of the 101st
Airborne Division Association and its regimental
associations.
The associations have visitation teams that call on division
soldiers being treated at Walter Reed and all other major
military hospitals. If they can't visit personally, they
frequently ask another 101st veteran to visit as their
representative.
Retired Army Col. Bob Seitz leads the visitation teams for
both the 101st Airborne Division Association and 506th
Airborne Infantry Regiment Association.
“Saying ‘Thank you' isn't enough,” said Seitz, who served
with the 506th AIR in Vietnam. “The key thing is, we let
these young soldiers and their families know that we
genuinely care about their recovery. We want the soldier and
the entire family to know through the whole course of the
recovery, no matter how long it takes, that we are there for
them, ready to support them in any way they need us to.”
Visitation team members arrive at the hospital as quickly as
possible after the wounded warrior is able to receive
visitors. Often they pick up families flying into a nearby
airport, transport them to the hospital and help them get
settled in at their new temporary quarters.
The veterans visit the soldiers laden with gift bags full of
unit memorabilia, including unit flags to hang in their
hospital rooms, as well as incidentals to make their
hospital stays more comfortable. And throughout their
treatment and recuperation, they stop by regularly to check
on soldiers' progress and see if there's anything they need.
“We develop a relationship with the family and the soldier
because, when we see something come up as an issue or
concern, we want to be able to take it off the plate,” Seitz
said.
“We old guys can sense out a problem pretty quickly and then
work to solve it, either help the Army solve it or solve it
as an association,” he continued. “And that's important,
because if these soldiers have an issue or a problem, that
works against a good attitude and good morale and in getting
well.”
Often the associations' help comes in the form of financial
assistance. It may be diapers for a young family that's just
run out or toys to entertain young children away from home
while their wounded parent recovers. In at least one case,
it was heating oil for a military wife struggling to make
ends meet after giving up her regular paycheck to care for
her husband.
The associations also frequently cover the cost of plane
tickets for family members who have to travel back and forth
between their loved ones' hospital beds and jobs at home.
“The Army pays for one round trip, but it doesn't pay for
multiple round trips,” Seitz said. “We can provide them
additional tickets, without any reimbursement back to us as
our gift to them.”
Some of the associations, including the 506th, also provide
scholarships and financial support for widows and orphans of
division soldiers.
Donations to the organizations cover the cost of this
support. And because the organizations are run by volunteers
and have no operating costs, Seitz said 100 percent of the
contributions go directly toward helping wounded warriors
and their families.
Army Maj. Bradd Schultz, rear detachment commander for the
101st AD's 4th Brigade Combat Team, called the associations'
support a godsend.
“They're very powerful in what they can do as advocates for
the soldier,” he said. “They've been doing this for years,
they know everybody at Walter Reed and the other hospitals
and they can fix a problem before I even know about it.”
Schultz said it gives him great peace of mind knowing that
the visitation teams serve as his regular eyes and ears at
Walter Reed. They can report back on things hospital reports
simply don't reveal -- such as soldiers' morale -- and key
the rear detachment in to any issues they need to know
about.
Schultz said it's also great knowing where to turn to when
he learns of a problem and needs help.
“I can call them up and say, ‘I have a soldier with an issue
and $200 will solve it, and I get the check for $200 to
solve the issue,” he said. “These guys are amazing in terms
of what they do for our soldiers.”
Robin Stewart said she's been amazed at the support the
101st association has provided her son C.J. as he
recuperates at Walter Reed.
“From the time he first arrived at Walter Reed, they have
always checked in on us, sometimes even daily,” she said.
“They've been absolutely awesome. And you knew from the
start, they weren't there because they felt obligated. They
were there because they truly cared.” |
President Barack Obama
signs a 101st Airborne Division flag while
visiting Army Pfc. Charles “C.J.” Stewart, a
wounded 101st Airborne Division soldier being
treated at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in
Washington. Stewart has received three
“Screaming Eagles” flags as gifts from the 101st
Airborne Division Association. Courtesy photo |
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C.J. is now hanging the third division flag he received from
the 101st association because the first two have been
completely covered with autographs from visiting
well-wishers – ball players, celebrities, general officers,
even President Barack Obama.
But Stewart said the association's support to her son and
family goes far beyond material gifts. “It's the comfort of
them stopping by, checking on us, and knowing there's
someone we can call if we need them,” she said.
For CJ, the visits are an opportunity to hear the stories of
former 101st soldiers, learn about his division's legacy,
and get a regular reminder that the division takes care of
its own. “They've been here for me, checking in on how
everything is going and doing their best to give me a homey
feeling here,” he said. “There's a definite bond.”
Eugene “Gene” Overton Jr., cofounder and membership |
director of the 506th AIR Association,
called its support for wounded warriors and
their families a way to recognize the sacrifices
of soldiers who are continuing the Screaming
Eagles' proud legacy.
“The greatest value of what we do is letting the
soldiers and their families know they are not
alone, and that their family is a lot larger
than their immediate family,” he said. “A lot of
veterans are out there, ready, willing and able
to support them.” |
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By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
Copyright 2010 |
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