Soldiers' Angels

Our second visit in Landstuhl Medical Center

on 06 May 2004.

By Wilhelmine Aufmkolk, Germany

I am glad that I have found new friends who are going with me to Landstuhl Medical Center to visit all our wounded Heroes. Carolyn an American and Cristina a Spanish nurse and we went through the hospital to say to the wounded troops, “Thank you very much for all the good things they have done” and give them all greetings from the Soldiers Angels Foundation, and the KONTAKT Wiesbaden e. V. a German/American Friendship Club.

We had with us a small gift for 20 Heroes, 1 T-Shirt, 1 underpants, 1 socks with a nice “Get Well Soon” card. We have taken the e-mail cards and letters which we have received from the States with us too. Thank you very much to all the wonderful people from the States for sending e-mail greetings and cards for the wounded in Landstuhl.

Our visit in Landstuhl Medical Center began with a short visit in the Fisher House, to look if the filled backpacks from the Soldiers Angels Foundation, http://www.soldiersangels.org, had arrived. But they were not there so we must wait further until the 40 backpacks arrive.

Day by day more injured U.S. soldiers arrive from Iraq to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center. The hospital has been a fixture on America's military landscape for more than five decades now, serving as midway point for wounded troops returning home for more treatment. It is the greatest U.S. military hospital in Europe.

You see how the guys are stretched out in their beds sometimes with third in one room. And if you see in their faces you must not see their body, you can see in their face the whole experiences they all have made. The most of them we have visited were wounded servicemen and women have been wounded in action in Fallujah, the flashpoint in Iraq's Sunni triangle. Often their insurgents launched from the mortars and shrapnel hit their legs.

We visited soldiers who are lying in their beds and they were full of pain so they could not move their body. So we placed the gift on the end of their beds. I was so sad to see this that so many young men were wounded. But I found that a lot of wounded soldiers and marines were in a good mood and others were sad. Some were afraid but their faith in themselves was great. A lot of them wore hospital clothes and it looks like they did not have any other things to wear. So our small gift was something what they could use.

You see very young men, directly from school going into the military, after a short time they were ready to fight the war. Often we heard that they were only a short time in Iraq. After 1 month or 3 months in battle they were wounded in the legs and other parts of their body. We met two wounded who are going back to Iraq in a few days. Other wounded soldiers and marines were going on to Walter Reed or Bethesda for more medical treatment. For a lot of the wounded troops Landstuhl Medical Center is this not the end of their medical treatment.

We went from room to room and we said thank you for the great job they have done and gave them greetings from the Soldiers Angels Foundation and from the KONTAKT Wiesbaden e. V. German/American Friendships Club http://www.wiesbaden.army.mil/PAO/KONTAKT/Kontakt.htm .

On one floor the staff asked us if we had an appointment with anyone and we told her that we were coming to say “Hello” and would like to give the wounded a small gift. She told us it was not allowed to go further into this ward. But a very young wounded soldier in a wheel chair saw us and I asked to give him something but it was not allowed. So after a small talk with the staff there we went back. I gave him his gift and his eyes told me he was grateful. I could see in his face he appreciated us for doing this.

A young man from Texas told us when we asked him if we could do more for him, "chocolate", was his answer. So we have determined that we had forgotten something. Carolyn was so nice and she told him that she will bring him some chocolate tomorrow.

A wounded soldier told us that he was on active duty for 20 years stationed here in Germany and that he was in Iraq for 1 month when he was wounded. It is a terrible thing and he does not know how long he has to stay in the hospital.

They all were glad that someone was looking in on them and bring something that they needed. Sometimes they were a little bit astonished to see us. As a German I will say it is not a question if our government was for or against the war. I am glad that I have found so many wonderful people. They gave me the opportunity to support the soldiers in Iraq, Afghanistan, the wounded in the U.S. hospitals, Walter Reed, Brooke Texas and especially here in Landstuhl Germany. I will miss this. This is a great job I think. I am glad that I can give something back to the Americans, who have given us many care packages after the WW II and much more over the years.

We visited a wounded soldier in the TV-room. He told us that he can go home in a few days and that he was very happy for this. Another patient was walking with crutches, we approached him and handed him his gift. He was very astonished about this, but he was very happy.

Another story is a wounded soldier in a wheel chair. He went past us as we were talking with another wounded soldier. He was moving at a fast pace. He wore dark sunglasses and he was off! An hour later we met him again near the cafeteria. I addressed him and told him that I would like to give him a small gift. He looked at me very astonished, but as he saw that I only wanted to say thank you to him and give him greetings from the Soldiers Angels and the KONTAKT Wiesbaden he was longer so inhibited. We told him that Cristina and Carolyn are coming with us too, a smile came over his face. He told us that he is from the 25th stationed in Hawaii and he was in Iraq 3 months and he was wounded. His face was white and you saw in his face all the terrible experiences he had. To lose a leg, as such a young man and in the best years of his life is not so easy. In the few minutes in which it happened had changed his life forever. We asked him if he would like to have a coffee with us, he said yes. So we had a coffee with him and he told us about so many things. This was a great experience for me to see how he could smile again.

Nearby the cafeteria we meet another young man. He told us was going back to Iraq today. His mood was great. Carolyn asked him if she could walk with him to the bus stop. She told us that he was so happy that someone went with him to the bus and he was not alone in this moment.

These hours in Landstuhl were a great experience for all of us.

For a few staff members we had brought some nice cook books in German and English with us to cook German kitchen and we saw that they enjoyed it and that someone had thought of them too.

We again have seen the lack of backpacks and the normal things we all need everyday. So we think we can fill small backpacks for about 15€ (1 Euro is at the moment $1,20). We need 3 Euros for 1 T-Shirt, 1 Euro for 1 pair socks, 1 Euro for 1 pair of underpants and 5 Euros for 1 small backpack. 5 Euros for hygiene articles and we can fill the backpacks by ourselves here in Germany. For me it is always a great thing to see how we can make the wounded troops laugh. I am glad that I can work with the Soldier`s Angels again.

Wilhelmine Aufmkolk, Germany

JosephineFS@aol.com

A member from KONTAKT Wiesbaden e.V., German/American Friendship Club and Soldiers Angels Foundation