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thedrifter
02-18-08, 07:08 AM
Marine Barracks Holds Valentine Lunch for Wounded Warriors
American Forces Press Service ^ | Jim Garamone

WASHINGTON, Feb. 17, 2008 – It was a Valentine’s Day lunch, and
there
was a lot of love in the air for wounded warriors at the Marine
Barracks
here yesterday.

Retired Marine Gen. Peter Pace and his wife, Lynne, continued a
tradition they started during his service as chairman of the Joint
Chiefs of Staff. The Paces hosted picnics at their quarters for wounded

warriors and their families, and hosted this at historic Crawford Hall

a beautifully restored section of the Marine Barracks founded in 1801.
The Marine Band’s “Free Country Quartet” – down to a trio due
to
sickness – provided the entertainment.

“This is quite simply to say that we love you,” Pace told the
warriors.
“(This event) is in some small way a chance to tell you your fellow
countrymen respect you and what you’ve done for all of us.”

Pace told the servicemembers and their families, “There are no rules:

just relax and enjoy yourselves.”

And they did. More than 30 wounded personnel undergoing treatment at
Walter Reed Army Medical Center and the National Naval Medical Center
in
Bethesda, Md., enjoyed a meal donated by Franco Nuchese, owner of Café

Milano – an A-list Georgetown restaurant.

“I’m not sure what I just ate,” said Army Sgt. Brad Judd, a Utah
National Guardsman undergoing treatment at Walter Reed. Told it was
eggplant parmegian, he said, “Who’d have thought eggplant could
taste so
good?”

Vice President Richard B. Cheney’s daughters Mary and Elizabeth
turned
out to help serve and to speak with the servicemembers and their
families, and the Marine Corps leadership turned out in force. Marine
Commandant Gen. James T. Conway, Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of
Staff Marine Gen. James E. Cartwright, Assistant Marine Corps
Commandant
Gen. Robert Magnus and Marine Lt. Gen. John F. Sattler, the Joint
Staff’s strategy chief, and their ladies came to meet and mingle with

the wounded servicemembers.

Enlisted aides from all services donated their time and expertise to
the
event. “We sent a e-mail out asking for volunteers, and everyone
responded,” said Marine Gunnery Sgt. Patrick Modreski, an enlisted
aide
who works with the Cartwrights.

Three of the wounded warriors had one leg among them – and that one
had
just had an operation.

“I was doing well; I was up and walking, but had a setback. They had
to
do the operation,” said Marine Cpl. Chad Watson. “But that was it.
I’ll
be up and walking again in no time.” Watson’s goal is to walk down
the
aisle in August for his marriage to his fiancée, Jillian.

Family was a big part of the lunch, and children soon hit a sugar high
with the candied hearts and chocolate that decorated each of the 17
tables. Three-year-old Kelsey Hennagin was a perpetual motion machine,
running between the tables and charming everyone in sight. When she
finally ran down, she sat in her father’s lap in his motorized
wheelchair – he lost both legs to an improvised explosive device in
June
2007. Marine Cpl. Ray Hennagin showed one and all a cell-phone picture
of him standing on his new legs. “Just got fitted two days ago,” he

said. “Looks pretty good, huh?”

“None of these young men or women see themselves as victims,” said
Ambassador Lloyd Hand, who also attended. “They all want to get
through
recovery and move on.”

In fact, Hand told Marine 1st Lt. Andrew Kinnard, a severely wounded
platoon leader who is working in DoD’s general counsel’s office, to
give
him a call after he gets his law degree.

Ellie