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The Widows,Orphans, and Wounded Soldiers Fund (WO&WS)
has identified a number of needs in order to support
the active duty troops of the 506th Regimental Combat Team while
they are deployed to Afghanistan 2008-2009.
WIA in US Hospitals: if a WIA soldier is transported to
the United States, the Hospital
Visitation Teams from the
506th Association spring into action. Working closely with the
506th RCT Rear Detachment at Fort Campbell, KY,
the Association is notified of any incoming wounded. A representative
of the Association visits soldiers in hospitals
throughout the United States. This representative assists the
soldier and any visiting family members in any way pos-
sible. In addition, the Association representative presents a
number of items to the soldier who has been injured.
These items include the following:
Families of KIA Soldiers: the 506th Association presents
a Currahee Battle Flag and Currahee Shield Pin to the family
of any soldier who is KIA. This presentation is made by an Association
representative, either at the funeral or at the
monthly Eagle Remembrance
Ceremony at Fort Campbell, KY.
Grants to WIA Soldiers and Their Families: if there
is a financial hardship which involves either the wounded
soldier or his family, the WO&WS Fund may award a monetary
grant to provide assistance during their time of
need. A need may be identified by the family of the soldier WIA,
the 506th Association Representative or the 506th
RCT Rear Detachment at Fort Campbell.
The WO&WS Fund has been able
to assist the following families and/or individuals during their
time of need.
2006 Grants:
(1) to SGT Anthony Santiago for expenses to travel from the
School of Special Warfare in North Carolina
to Florida to attend the funeral
of his brother-in-law
SSG Marco A. Silva (HHC,
1st BN, 506th; KIA 3/13/06 in Ar Ramadi, Iraq)
(2) to Andrew and Anita Torres of Crossville, TN, parents
of
PFC Matthew Torres (B Co, 1st BN, 506th; WIA February 2006 in Ar Ramadi,
Iraq),
for expenses incurred while visiting
their son, who had been evacuated to WRAMC, Washington, DC.
2008 Grants:
(1) to SFC Jeremy D. Henderson (B
Co, 1st BN, 506th, Sep 03-Sep 05; WIA 4/15/07), who
was so severely WIA
in Iraq while serving with the
2-12 INF, that Tina, SFC Henderson's wife, had to take a leave
of absence from
her job in order to assist in the
convalescent care of her husband. The loss of her income placed
a financial
hardship on the Hendersons and
their children. From the Hendersons: "Thank you so much.
We appre-
ciate all your help. People like
you make the difference!"
(2) to SSG Michael G. Smith (C Co,
2nd BN, 506th, 2007-2008), an Iraq veteran who became
severely ill,
placing a financial hardship on
his wife and children. SSG Smith died of his illness on April
8, 2009.
2009 Grants:
(1) to the family of SPC
Ryan Price (D Co, 2nd BN, 506th; WIA 05/07/08)
to help cover the cost of adding a
room for Ryan onto the family home
in Nuevo, CA. From the family: "Thank you for everything
you do
for Ryan and the other men &
women who have served, are serving and will be serving. You are
truly
a blessing to us."
Preparing an Accessible Home: April 4, 2009, PE.com (Hemet,
CA) article (with photos)
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March 15, 2009
Good Morning Mr. Langenberg,
I wanted to thank you for inviting us to attend the Dinner last
night I had a great time. The men of the 101st are truly something.
I also wanted to let all of you know what it means to those of
us who are not in the service but can see how a tight, caring
group of people you are. I would have said this last night but
I did not think I could get it all out without tears.
When I received the call from the Army and was told that Ryan
was injured I just flat could not breathe for days. At that time
the Captain that called me did not know how bad of shape he was
in. He just said Ryan had severe artery damage to his right arm
and some shrapnel damage and burns to his face but he was not
sure how bad. It was not until about 2 days later when he arrived
in Germany that I learned about everything else.
The doctor in Germany told me to start with that they were
calling Ryan the beautiful miracle because there was no other
way to explain how he was still with us. She said that the only
part of Ryan that had not received some kind of injury was his
left arm. I remember thinking to myself that can't be Ryan is
like 6'4" that would be a whole lot of injuries. Unfortunately
that is what it was. I will not go into all his injuries but
the doctor informed me that I needed to be prepared for brain
damage because (she said I needed to understand this) Ryan was
dead twice.
The men from the 101st and 506th kept Ryan alive in the field
by not giving up on him and by (as we were told later) relaying
to the pilots coming to get him how bad he was so when the weather
turned even worse and they were told to abort and leave Ryan
they would not. Back at the base hospital when they were so short
of blood because Ryan and his 1st lieutenant had the same blood
type the men lined up and gave blood even though they had just
come in or were just getting ready to go out to the field.
There was also a 101st member standing at Walter Reed when
he was flown in from Germany. The support that was given to Ryan
also extended to his family. I truly cannot possibly explain
what it meant to have someone their who really cared about Ryan
and not just another patient that came in. I sometimes wondered
if the men from the 101st that were watching over the men in
the hospital there ever went home because they always seemed
to be their not only for Ryan and all the men of the 101st but
for me as well. They would offer to sit with Ryan while I took
a walk outside for a minute or sat with Ryan when I had to sit
in with the doctors.
One even rounded up all of us Mothers one day and gave us
each a 20.00 bill and said this was a new branch of the 101st
he said we were to get out of the hospital right then. He said
go to the movies at the mall, go out to lunch in town or go hang
our legs over the bar stool on the corner but that we were all
getting out of that hospital for the afternoon and that was that.
When we had Ryan transferred to San Diego they had called
down here to friends, family and a member of the 506th, Hoyt
Bruce Moore, III, to let them all know Ryan was coming. We have
received the same amount of care and concern here in California
that we had there.
I had a reporter ask me the other day what it was like for us
to be alone in all this, I told him I did not know what he was
talking about I have my faith in GOD and the men of the 101st
and of the 506th we were never alone.
From a Grateful Mom
Beverly (Dee) Shackford |
(2) to SFC Jeremy D. Henderson (B
Co, 1st BN, 506th, Sep 03-Sep 05; WIA 4/15/07), severely
WIA in Iraq while
serving with the 2-12 INF. SFC
Henderson continues to have medical problems with additional
surgeries. His
wife Tina was officially dismissed
from her Department of Army job because the DOA did not want
to allow
her to come back as a part-time
worker. This resulted in continuing financial hardship on the
family.
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