By Donna Miles

American Forces Press Service

BETHESDA, Md., Feb. 6, 2012 – Super Bowl festivities were in full swing last night at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center here, as hundreds of wounded warriors and their families gathered for the big game. The party, the largest since the former Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington and the National Naval Medical Center here merged in September, featured live entertainment, celebrity guests, door prizes and other giveaways, activities for the kids and all the traditional Super Bowl fare.

Army Sgt. Kevin Gaton, a 101st Airborne Division soldier who lost his leg following an attack in Afghanistan in July 2010, poses with former Washington Redskin star Roy Jefferson during a wounded warrior Super Bowl party at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., Feb. 5, 2012. DOD photo by Donna Miles

Click here for hi-resolution photo

Wounded warriors and their families gathered around tables in the new wounded warrior barracks complex to cheer on their favorite team and enjoy the entertainment, both on and off the TV screens positioned around the hall.

Actor Jon Voight, former NFL stars Roy Jefferson and Carlton Kammerer and Washington Redskins cheerleaders mingled among them, shaking hands, posing for photos and thanking them for their sacrifices.

Professional impersonators brought the personas of Lady Gaga, Bette Midler, Elvis Presley and other stars to the party, and members of the New York Fire Department crooned the national anthem and other selections.

Meanwhile, a balloon artist entertained the kids, who also got a chance to do handicraft projects between visits to an egg cream soda station.

Other goodies served up during the party included pulled pork and chicken, as well as side fixings and finger foods ranging from Buffalo wings to pizza and nachos.

The event, hosted by Rolling Thunder, the Yellow Ribbon Fund, the USO and the New York City Fire Department, was designed to ensure every wounded warrior felt special, said Gary Scheffmeyer, national president for the Rolling Thunder veterans organization.

Rolling Thunder hosted Super Bowl parties at the now-closed Walter Reed Army Medical Center for the past six or seven years, he said, and joined this year with other groups to throw the biggest Super Bowl bash yet at the integrated Bethesda facility.

“Our major goal with these parties is to make sure these troops get what we didn’t,” explained Scheffmeyer, who recalled the poor reception he and his fellow Vietnam veterans received when they returned home from that conflict. “The bottom line is, this is good for the troops.”

Scheffmeyer said the Super Bowl is a particularly special time to celebrate. “Whether you are a Giants fan or a Patriots fan, this is the Super Bowl,” he said. “These troops get to watch it. They get to party. They get a break from their medical treatments. So it’s a really good reason to have a party.”

“The Super Bowl is real American tradition, one of the biggest events of the year in America,” agreed Navy Rear Adm. (Dr.) Alton L. Stocks, the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center commander. “So it’s a particularly important time for us to be able to say ‘Welcome home’ to these service members and make them feel at home.

“It’s a lot of fun for everyone, but it’s also a big part of the healing process,” Stocks said. “As these wounded warriors physically heal, events like this help them heal emotionally as well.”

Marine Cpl. Jesse Fletcher, a sniper wounded in Kajaki, Afghanistan, in October, said the Super Bowl party offered far more than the chance to cheer his New York Giants on to victory.

“The socializing here is great for us,” he said. “It’s great for our state of mind and outlook, and a great way for us to work on our recovery.”

Marine Sgt. John Peck, a quadruple amputee who was wounded two years ago in Afghanistan’s Helmand province, sported a New England Patriots jersey for the party. And although his team ultimately lost to the Giants, 21-17, the Super Bowl party made him and his fellow wounded warriors feel like winners. “It means people still care and show their support,” he said. “That means a lot.”

Army Sgt. Kevin Gatson, a 101st Airborne Division soldier wounded in Afghanistan in July, wasn’t going to let the fact that his beloved Pittsburgh Steelers weren’t playing keep him from wearing their team colors to the party. It’s the same attire he wore to last year’s Super Bowl, which Gatson watched at the White House with a personal invitation from President Barack Obama.

For Super Bowl XLVI, Gatson declared himself an “honorary Giants fan” and said he planned to spend the night rooting for a Patriots defeat.

But regardless of which team would win or lose, Gatson said, he was up for a good time. “This a fun time, getting everyone together and rooting for their teams and enjoying good camaraderie and good food,” he said.

Voight, who gave the wounded warriors autographed photos with notes of appreciation, said he wouldn’t miss the chance to share the Super Bowl with them.

“These guys are the reason we are living in peace and freedom,” he said. “All of us are in their debt, and every free American should find a way to do whatever they can to support these great heroes and their families.”

“Lindsay A,” as one of the Redskins cheerleaders is known, said she developed a soft spot for military members spending time with them during a goodwill tour to Iraq.

“I’m really excited about seeing them home and in such good spirits,” she said. She said she hoped her squad’s presence, along with the other Super Bowl festivities, would help give them an emotional boost.

Diane Shoemaker, a volunteer for the Yellow Ribbon Fund, which assists families as their loved ones are receiving care here, said throwing a big-scale party sends a strong message to the wounded warriors. “We want the injured service members to know that they are cared about,” she said. “So for me, being a part of this is very personal. I feel like they are my own family. I love them all.”

Former Pittsburgh Steelers, Baltimore Colts and Washington Redskins player Roy Jefferson said he felt honored to be able to join in the party. “For me, it’s a no-brainer. I want to do as much as I can for them, because they have all given me so much,” he said.

About 30 members of the New York City Fire Department knew they had plenty of options for watching their home team take a Super Bowl victory, but elected to spend it hosting wounded warriors.

“This is a way to give back, and to thank them for their service,” said Bill Rautenstrauch. “I feel honored to be in their presence.”

The Scott Vallely Soldiers Memorial Fund sponsors New Year’s Eve Party for Wounded Warriors at National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland

Muffin and retired U.S. Army Maj. Gen Paul Vallely’s ‘Scott Vallely Soldiers Memorial Fund’ sponsored a New Year’s Eve Luncheon Party at the National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland for severely wounded troops, their families, and hospital staff. Retired U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. Tom McInerney led a group of Stand Up America friends including Jed Babbin, retired Navy Captain Chuck Nash, Wayne Simmons, Diana West, Clare Lopez, Gayle and Fred Gedrich, and Melanie and U.S. Army Reservist SFC Jose Ramirez (who recently completed his second year-long tour of duty in Iraq). Fresh Grill Bethesda donated a variety of deliciously grilled hamburgers and Armand’s DC Pizzeria supplied a mix of deep-dish pizzas and sandwiches. About 100 people attended the event which was held in the hospital’s amputee and traumatic injury ward.

The hosts collectively stated, “It was an honor to spend a few hours with some of our heroes who have given, and sacrificed, so much in service to country. They inspire us and deserve our continued undying support for their dedication and bravery. Please keep these heroes in your thoughts and prayers as they recuperate during the coming year.”

Here are some photos from the event:

Soldiers Memorial Fund Hosts: Wayne Simmons, Jed Babbin, Diana West, Tom McInerney, Clare Lopez, Chuck Nash, and Fred Gedrich in front of the Wounded Warrior Statue in the main lobby of the hospital.

The hosts await the entrance of the soldiers, ready to serve!

The buffet set up.

More of the buffet line.

Hear the Tear-Jerking, Fastest-Selling Single in Britain in 3 Years…

By a Group of Military Wives

The song has become The fastest-selling single in Britain in the last three years. It sold 556,000 copies in the last week, more than the rest of the top 12 combined. And it’s not the work of a teen pop sensation or even a “professional” musician. Rather, it came from a bunch of military wives singing their hearts out. And the result is nothing short of tear-jerking and spectacular.

“This is so surreal. Who would have guessed in those first rehearsals that we could take Christmas Number 1? The choir’s director, Gareth Malone, told the Telegraph. He formed the group for a BBC singing competition called, “The Choir.” And they all struck singing gold.

The song is called “Wherever You Are,” and the video features not only the song, but a behind-the-scenes look at the song’s recording:

Understandably, the patchwork group of singers has captivated Britain. The Daily Mail’s Melanie Phillips tries to put into words why:

As a TV programme, The Choir shone out from the dross of reality TV and all the tawdry and vulgar shows that pass for entertainment on the box. Yet this three-part series was broadcast only as a niche programme on BBC2.

And even now the BBC doesn’t seem to appreciate quite what a gem it has created, by tucking away a condensed 90-minute version late last Thursday evening. Surely it should have been elevated instead to the Christmas or Boxing Day schedules. For what this series showed us was something really remarkable and uplifting – the power to enable people to transform their own lives.

We saw these military wives at first too shy even to perform in front of each other. Purely through his blazing faith in the transformative power of song, the absurdly youthful Malone coaxed them first to sing in front of him, then each other, then soldiers on the base, then in a local market, then at Sandhurst and finally at the Remembrance concert at the Royal Albert Hall.

Whereupon there was not a dry eye among the viewing audience. It was not just that we saw these timid women grow in confidence and blossom in hitherto unsuspected talents – and then have the guts to display those talents in public which previously none of them would have dreamed possible.

And just in case your heart wasn’t warm enough, all the proceeds from the song’s purchase go to the Royal British Legion and the Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Families Association (SSAFA).

“Britain sometimes seems to be sliding beneath the weight of its own depression and sense of inexorable decline,” writes Phillips.

“Here’s a New Year hope – that Gareth Malone’s choir is a turning point which will inspire the whole nation to sing instead.”

By Kerry Patton – SUA Kitchen Cabinet Member

This weekend, I learned about the death of another amazing World War II era Veteran. Those of them who remain are quickly leaving this earth simply due to time. George Meissler left us this past Saturday at 5pm in his Florida home—he was my Grandfather.

Grandpop was a former U.S. Army Air Corp mechanic during the war. That’s about all I knew of his military experience. I never spoke to him about his military years even though I followed his footsteps serving in the U.S. Air Force. I don’t know of his training, his tours of duty, where he went to party on temporary assignments, nothing.

In fact, my memories of my Grandpop are far and few. He lived hundreds of miles away but that is inexcusable. Sadly, within the past twenty four hours, I have realized that life is simply too short to take for granted—something, for the most part, we all do—something I now realize I had done.

Even serving in numerous war torn nations and seeing tragedies from first-hand accounts, I should have known to open better interpersonal lines of communications with those I actually admire and love. Do I regret not being better at embracing my World War II Grandpop? You bet.

There is a generation of real heroes leaving this world faster than I would like. They are men and women who served in some of the most complex times yet prevailed in victory. Victory—arguably, it’s something we as a nation have not seen in quite a long time. How great would it have been to listen and learn what true victory was really all about? This was a conversation I never had with my Grandpop but I sure wish I did.

My grandfather is no longer capable of speaking his words of wisdom. He can no longer articulate the good times and the bad. The only things left are the few memories we once had—him wearing his incredibly tight sweatshirts of my old high school, holiday dinners, and his smile.

Life is short. Even for those of us who have been to war and fully grasp the realities of life, we sometimes lack realization to life’s precious moments. We become too consumed over the petty—jobs, politics, sports, etc. Family values, while they may always be in the back of our minds, they often lack the physical necessities of total embracement.

If you know of a World War II veteran, if you know of a Korean War Veteran, if you know of a Vietnam Veteran, or any Veteran for that matter—embrace them. Embrace them and ask them to speak so you can listen to their stories. Listen and learn. They are a world of knowledge that we as an entire nation should consume. These brave American patriots can, and will, teach us a plethora of lessons but only if we take the time to listen and learn.

Life is much shorter than anyone realizes. Always say I love you to those you care about. Never waste an opportunity to give a hug and no matter how far someone is, always find a way to let them know you’re thinking about them.

George Meissler will be greatly missed. He will be buried in his American Legion Color Guard uniform—an outfit he admired more than life. His coffin will be draped with the American Flag and the U.S. Air Force Color Guard will be present. The only thing missing will be the time lost that can never be brought back.

Kerry Patton is also a Senior Analyst for WIKISTRAT. He has worked in South America, Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and Europe, focusing on intelligence and security interviewing current and former terrorists, including members of the Taliban. He is the author of “Sociocultural Intelligence: The New Discipline of Intelligence Studies” and the children’s book “American Patriotism.” You can follow him on Facebook.

The Soldiers Memorial Fund sponsored and hosted a cruise and gathering on Flathead Lake in Montana for wounded warriors and veterans. Paul and Muffin Vallely, aided by many volunteers celebrated the service of Montana veterans last month. The event was well attended and the veterans had a great time on a great day for a cruise on beautiful Flathead Lake. They embarked from Bigfork and then enjoyed a great gathering on the shore.

Please take a moment to view the slide show below:

If you click on the images, you will be linked to the album where you can copy the pictures you like to your desktop, or a file in your computer.