Paladin
07-28-2010, 02:54 PM
This was sent by the "Boss", my old unit CO...
"John is one of the guys I work with, an Army retiree and a bud of mine. Thought this should be sent out to the Rangers by one of you and to let them and the rest of you know the care that is out there for old retirees. We were working in Baumholder, Germany when he started to have difficulty with his legs and arms. He was evac'd from Landstuhl Army Hospital last Sunday to the DC area". As follows...
"Well, after a very long flight in a new C-17 I arrived in Andrews AFB where I was informed that I would be transferred To Bethesda Naval Hospital (change 9) or was it 10? Anyway, I would not have missed this experience for all the good health possible. I was on a Warriorflight with our nations finest youth. The doctors were actually performing operations while we were enroute. Next to me was a young stud with rods sticking out of his feet and legs, holding him together and he joked with our nurse in between shots of morphine.(He got her phone number) When we landed, the plane was met by what seemed like everyone on base. It was a symphony of Chaplains, doctors, Red Crossworkers and a slew of others, welcoming the plane. A Master Sergeant headed straight to my litter and asked, Mr Kelly? to which I replied,"yes" and he said, " Welcome back home Sir!" (I lost it.) A young marine was approached by a Gunny Sergeant and he was asked how he was doing. Of course he said ," fine and "when can i go back to my unit" It's very difficult relating this the day afterwards, so, you can imagine how emotional it was for me at the time. I was carried off the plane without my shoes (don't ask) and when I saw them again in the bus and tried to slip them on, a young Staff Sergeant knelt down, put them on my feet and tied the bows. I lost it. I could go on and on. I lost it so many times, like being carried on to the plane under a huge American flag, like when a young wounded female PFC asked me if I was OK? IF I WAS OK!! UNBELIEVABLE! Hopefully, someday, somebody will make a movie like this. It will be a Oscar winner for sure. I know I would invest in it's production. So, here i am in Bethesda, the soon to be new Walter Reed joint medical center, waiting to meet with the neurologist. From what I heard from the resident last night, they "usually" don't like to operate so soon after a stroke (hate that word, sounds like an old person ailment)therefore, I don't know what's in store for me. At least my daughter lives nearby andJudy flies in this morning, so things are looking up. Hope I didn' bore anyone, just wanted you to know tha America is fine and healthy and we can be soooo friggin proud of our youth. If anything, this experience makes me want to get back to work to be around these wonderful soldiers.
Regards, Cap'n Jack"
Paladin, out.
"John is one of the guys I work with, an Army retiree and a bud of mine. Thought this should be sent out to the Rangers by one of you and to let them and the rest of you know the care that is out there for old retirees. We were working in Baumholder, Germany when he started to have difficulty with his legs and arms. He was evac'd from Landstuhl Army Hospital last Sunday to the DC area". As follows...
"Well, after a very long flight in a new C-17 I arrived in Andrews AFB where I was informed that I would be transferred To Bethesda Naval Hospital (change 9) or was it 10? Anyway, I would not have missed this experience for all the good health possible. I was on a Warriorflight with our nations finest youth. The doctors were actually performing operations while we were enroute. Next to me was a young stud with rods sticking out of his feet and legs, holding him together and he joked with our nurse in between shots of morphine.(He got her phone number) When we landed, the plane was met by what seemed like everyone on base. It was a symphony of Chaplains, doctors, Red Crossworkers and a slew of others, welcoming the plane. A Master Sergeant headed straight to my litter and asked, Mr Kelly? to which I replied,"yes" and he said, " Welcome back home Sir!" (I lost it.) A young marine was approached by a Gunny Sergeant and he was asked how he was doing. Of course he said ," fine and "when can i go back to my unit" It's very difficult relating this the day afterwards, so, you can imagine how emotional it was for me at the time. I was carried off the plane without my shoes (don't ask) and when I saw them again in the bus and tried to slip them on, a young Staff Sergeant knelt down, put them on my feet and tied the bows. I lost it. I could go on and on. I lost it so many times, like being carried on to the plane under a huge American flag, like when a young wounded female PFC asked me if I was OK? IF I WAS OK!! UNBELIEVABLE! Hopefully, someday, somebody will make a movie like this. It will be a Oscar winner for sure. I know I would invest in it's production. So, here i am in Bethesda, the soon to be new Walter Reed joint medical center, waiting to meet with the neurologist. From what I heard from the resident last night, they "usually" don't like to operate so soon after a stroke (hate that word, sounds like an old person ailment)therefore, I don't know what's in store for me. At least my daughter lives nearby andJudy flies in this morning, so things are looking up. Hope I didn' bore anyone, just wanted you to know tha America is fine and healthy and we can be soooo friggin proud of our youth. If anything, this experience makes me want to get back to work to be around these wonderful soldiers.
Regards, Cap'n Jack"
Paladin, out.