Although only 40 members strong and spread throughout the country, an association called Wounded Warriors Project continues to excel with vital assistance to servicemen seriously hurt during the Iraq War.
Organization members can be found at all the major military facilities where those wounded are being sent, including Balboa Park’s Naval Hospital.
Wounded Warriors Project works closely with the Veterans Administration. National Service Director John Roberts, who plans a San Diego visit next month, speaks to various groups about work being done by his nonprofit organization based in Jacksonville, Fla. Recent government reports list 3,800 servicemen killed and more than 28,000 wounded in Iraq.
“The amputees are great in supporting one another, learning how to deal with their prosthetics,” Roberts said. “So our chief concern is postwar stress disorder and traumatic brain injuries, those who have a real tough time, those with severe brain injuries who need 24-hour, around-the-clock care.
“Focusing on this generation, we make sure their health needs are provided and that compensation benefits are taken care of.”
Some of that is life insurance, which his organization pushed for in Congress. He pointed out how difficult it was for families in which wives are forced to quit jobs to take care of loved ones.
The families of casualties suffer in many ways: financially and psychologically. Roberts knows of what he speaks. He received a medical discharge after injuries sustained in a helicopter crash. He had been in the service 14 years.
“I had third-degree burns over 75 percent of my body,” said the one-time Marine staff sergeant. “I was in the hospital for a year and in rehab for three more years.
“More often than not we are asked to come in to help fill gaps in the system. The VA has put aside money for additional help. I like to think there is more attention being given than it was in the Vietnam War. We want to make sure this generation doesn’t fall through the cracks. We’re the sixth largest veterans organization, and with only 40 guys, that’s pretty impressive.”
For more information, visit www.woundedwarriors.org.