Written by Dirk Beveridge
January 31, 2005
If there is one over riding take away from my trip to the Pentagon and Walter Reed Medical Center last week, it is that our work the work of We Do Care is even more important than I thought prior to going.
Our trip was split into two days. On Thursday January 27th, we had the opportunity to visit the Pentagon and to personally deliver our communitys tangible way of showing that we do care to the US Army. It was gratifying to see the real excitement on the faces of the active duty personnel as they unrolled the 30 foot banner that was full of notes of thanks and well being. Our second day, Friday January 28th was quite a bit different. This is when we visited with warriors who had been wounded seriously wounded in battle. Ill share my overall thoughts below.
Pentagon Visit
One of our Pentagon escorts shared a story that they had heard a deployed warrior ask How are we being viewed back home? The escort rightfully suggested, This is the last thing we ever want to hear from our men and women in uniform. And the escort is right we owe it to these young men and women to find the appropriate ways to show that we do care. That we care about:
Them
Their well being
Their safety
Their families
Their futures
Taking it a step further, we also have to commit to find the appropriate ways to continually show our appreciation to men and women in harms way. I personally never want our deployed men and women asking, How are we being viewed back home? That means we must also continually find appropriate ways to thank them. To thank the men and women in uniform for:
Answering the call of duty
Leaving their family and loved ones
Going into harms way
Protecting our freedoms
Risking their lives so that you and I may live in a more peaceful world.
This is what We Do Care has been about our original 6 months of existence.
Walter Reed Medical Center
On the second day, we had the chance to visit wounded soldiers and marines in Walter Reed Medical Center. I met and talked with marines who were missing legs. I talked with soldiers who had lost their arms in battle. I watched as these young and I mean young men went through their physical training. In a second room still others were going through their occupational therapy process.
One young man I met in occupational therapy showed me a beaded flag that he was working on. He was making a US flag out of red, white, and blue beads, stringing them together with some type of twine or wire. The flag could not have been any bigger than 16 by 10 inches. Not very big. He told me he had been working on the flag for the past 4 days! By beading the flag, he was learning how to use his new prosthesis. I mean here was a 20 something year old who just months ago was in the thick of doing his duty preserving democracy around the world, and the day I met him he was working his tail off learning how to use his new arm. Life for this young man it is safe to say has been forever altered.
As you can imagine, the thoughts and emotions were running through me like nothing I had ever experienced. Two observations however came to the forefront as a result of my time at Walter Reed.
First the individuals I talked to, for the most part, were positive about the future. A few talked about going into education and teaching some day. Some talked about staying in the service. Some shared stories of their planned trip back home to see friends for the first time since their injury. Again, for the most part they were positive about the future.
Second and almost in contradiction to the first, my second observation is that each individual showed signs of concern for the future. Concern for their future. I heard questions like How will I be accepted? What type of work will I be able to do? How are people going to react to my missing limb? Can you imagine one day you are part of a cohesive unit fulfilling your duty, and the next day you are rightfully concerned about something as basic as what are the people you pass on the street going to think of you as you pass them by?
My Takeaway
What frightens me is what happens to these soldiers and marines once they take off their uniform? Will we still care? Will we still want to help? Will we still want to express our thanks and gratitude? God, I hope so.
So if you dont mind, let me circle back to the question the Pentagon escort suggested no deployed warrior should ever have to ask that question was - How are we being viewed back home? Again that escort is right. They should never have to ask that question while in uniform.
But Id like to suggest another version of that question. What I believe is that no injured warrior should ever have to worry about how they will be accepted. Never should they be concerned about being able to secure gainful employment. And they have to know down to their core, that we will only have respect, gratitude and dignity towards them.
I believe it is incumbent upon us. Each and every one of us. I believe it is the responsibility of our communities. And I believe it is imperative that corporate America from the Fortune 500 goliaths to the mom and pop shop on Main Street to not only welcome these soldiers and marines into our lives and businesses, but to creatively take responsibility to help.
We must look inwardly and ask ourselves are we doing enough to help those who gave so much?
I am not suggesting this is a government responsibility. It is not. It is yours and my responsibility. I am not suggesting a simple waving of the flag. I am also not suggesting handouts. I am suggesting continued compassion. Continued love. Continued action. Continued commitment. Continued and never ending caring.
We Do Care Making A Real Difference
I believe we in Northern Illinois can lead a We Do Care movement.
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