Honoring our wounded soldiers...
  Hundreds turn out to celebrate "Warrior's Weekend"
   By Murray Montgomery
   
    Waiting for the troops were hundreds of people from all walks of life. They were there for one purpose, to honor the brave men and women who have volunteered and sacrificed so much to serve this country – protecting the freedom and way of life enjoyed by all of us.

The second year of this inspiring event, “Warrior’s Weekend,” was held Saturday, May 3, 2008, in Port O’Connor, Texas.

Warrior’s Weekend is the brainchild of military veterans Ron Kocian and Carl Bludau of Victoria, who decided several years ago that it was time for something to be done to honor the brave individuals who wear the uniform. The two men came up with a plan; they decided to provide a day where the troops could relax, go fishing, or just spend time away from the hospital and let other grateful Americans do something for them. With the help of many dedicated volunteers this grand idea has come to fruition.

Just like last year, there were more boats than soldiers to board them; all provided by folks who wanted to do something to show their appreciation for what these warriors have done, and continue to do for our country.

Every soldier on those buses had a story to tell, and sadly, but not surprising, there were no representatives from the national news media there to record them.

But the Boy Scouts and the Cub Scouts were there – the youngsters were waving their American flags and one little fellow was proudly holding a sign which read: “Soldier, I want to be just like you.” And from what I saw, the soldiers were more impressed by scenes such as that than the absence of reporters.

The soldiers departed the buses to constant cheers and applause from the crowd – some were visibly overwhelmed at the outpouring of gratitude. “Wow, I feel like a rock star,” said one young man who was confined to a wheelchair.

Another man, who was terribly burned from wounds he received in Iraq, was there with his wife and three children. I shook his hand and expressed my thanks for his service. “Not a problem sir, thank you all for inviting us down here,” was his reply. I found out later that he will stay in the military and hopes someday to rejoin his unit.

Two ladies in the crowd tried their best to hug every solder that got off the buses and another woman cried the whole time as she constantly waved her little flag. “Isn’t this a wonderful sight to behold? God Bless them all,” she said.

Many veterans were also in attendance including one elderly gentleman, a Medal of Honor recipient, who was a World War II fighter pilot with the famous African-American group known as the “Tuskegee Airmen.” He seemed to be beaming with pride as he went around shaking hands and patting the backs of the wounded soldiers.

After making their way through the welcoming crowd, the troops went directly from the buses to the boats.

Every vessel was flying the Stars and Stripes as they patiently waited to take on their passengers. Each time a soldier boarded a boat more cheers erupted from the crowd. The boy in the wheel chair was put on board. One pretty young woman who’s wounds cause her to use a cane, was hoisted aboard; she flashed a big smile and a “thumbs up” to the cheering crowd as her boat headed off to the bays.

While the boats were departing, we were witness to another impressive sight. An Apache attack helicopter came swooping low over the Intercoastal Canal; it made a turn and the crowd was delighted as it roared back for a second pass.

The Apache and a Blackhawk helicopter were on display at the Port O’ Connor Community Center. Crewmembers graciously answered questions about the crafts and allowed people to get onboard. Later in the day members of the 82^nd Airborne Division made a parachute jump that was remarkably accurate considering the windy conditions.

In the evening, the soldiers departed for San Antonio with the cheers from the same enthusiastic crowd that greeted them still ringing in their ears.

Perhaps the whole meaning of Warrior’s Weekend was visually summed up by the display of flags on the lawn of the Port O’Connor Community Center. Event organizers and volunteers had marked off a square on the ground and filled it with small flags with a white cross in the middle. There were 4,050 flags – one for each soldier killed in Iraq.

And amazing as it may seem to those who don’t support the war, the wounded soldiers in attendance at Port O’Connor on Saturday plan to win it. You see, defeat is not an option that they will even consider.