thedrifter
06-12-07, 05:58 AM
Injured Marines blanketed with Aloha
By Gina Mangieri
Wounded Marines received a warm show of support -- dozens of quilts sewn by hand.
It was an effort initially aimed to collect a few blankets for residents at a Windward recovery barracks -- but dozens of seamstresses worked night and day, and the results were enough to bring even a marine to tears.
They've left the battlefield, but bear the scars.
"November 1st of last year, I got hit with grenades and I took shrapnel all over my hand, my thigh," recalls Lance Corporal Jason Paul. “November 17th, I got hit with a roadside bomb, exploded and basically threw me 10 feet across the room. I just hit a wall, and I lost hearing in my left ear because the shrapnel went straight in."
Paul and hundreds of others have come through the Wounded Warrior barracks at Marine Corps Base Hawaii in Kaneohe to finish their recovery.
"When a Marine gets hurt, he wants to stay with his team,” said Gen. Steven Hummer, “the team that he's trained with, the team that he's gone to war with, the team that he's fought with."
But something's been missing from the recently constructed building, according to a group of ladies who got together to help. What’s missing? A mother's touch.
"The thing that I noticed was there was no warmth and coziness in the rooms,” said Gayle Goodman, whose husband is the commanding general of Marine Forces Pacific, “so I decided that I needed to ask for quilts from Hawaii."
And this has been the response -- nearly 40 handmade masterpieces, each with one Marine in mind.
"Some of these ladies, they did it in two days,” said Marilyn Santiago of The Quilting Loi told the Marines as they came together to give them the gift blankets. “They didn't sleep at night. Some of these ladies can be your grandma."
It was a soft touch for people who have treaded the hardest road.
"The beauty there is certainly not lost on any of us, and they reflect the community and how special Hawaii is to the military," Hummer said.
Paul’s special quilt came complete with the Marine Corps insignia on one side and surf boards on the other. It was a much appreciated show of support.
"I love it when people come and thank me,” Paul said. “At least people are appreciating what we're doing out there."
After his recovery, Paul says he wants to go back to Iraq. Nearly 20 are at the Wounded Warrior barracks right now. Hundreds have come through since the war began.
Story Updated: Jun 11, 2007 at 6:24 PM HDT
Ellie
By Gina Mangieri
Wounded Marines received a warm show of support -- dozens of quilts sewn by hand.
It was an effort initially aimed to collect a few blankets for residents at a Windward recovery barracks -- but dozens of seamstresses worked night and day, and the results were enough to bring even a marine to tears.
They've left the battlefield, but bear the scars.
"November 1st of last year, I got hit with grenades and I took shrapnel all over my hand, my thigh," recalls Lance Corporal Jason Paul. “November 17th, I got hit with a roadside bomb, exploded and basically threw me 10 feet across the room. I just hit a wall, and I lost hearing in my left ear because the shrapnel went straight in."
Paul and hundreds of others have come through the Wounded Warrior barracks at Marine Corps Base Hawaii in Kaneohe to finish their recovery.
"When a Marine gets hurt, he wants to stay with his team,” said Gen. Steven Hummer, “the team that he's trained with, the team that he's gone to war with, the team that he's fought with."
But something's been missing from the recently constructed building, according to a group of ladies who got together to help. What’s missing? A mother's touch.
"The thing that I noticed was there was no warmth and coziness in the rooms,” said Gayle Goodman, whose husband is the commanding general of Marine Forces Pacific, “so I decided that I needed to ask for quilts from Hawaii."
And this has been the response -- nearly 40 handmade masterpieces, each with one Marine in mind.
"Some of these ladies, they did it in two days,” said Marilyn Santiago of The Quilting Loi told the Marines as they came together to give them the gift blankets. “They didn't sleep at night. Some of these ladies can be your grandma."
It was a soft touch for people who have treaded the hardest road.
"The beauty there is certainly not lost on any of us, and they reflect the community and how special Hawaii is to the military," Hummer said.
Paul’s special quilt came complete with the Marine Corps insignia on one side and surf boards on the other. It was a much appreciated show of support.
"I love it when people come and thank me,” Paul said. “At least people are appreciating what we're doing out there."
After his recovery, Paul says he wants to go back to Iraq. Nearly 20 are at the Wounded Warrior barracks right now. Hundreds have come through since the war began.
Story Updated: Jun 11, 2007 at 6:24 PM HDT
Ellie