A second chance for wounded heroes

In September 2008, Capt. Sam Brown was riding in a Humvee near Kandahar, Afghanistan, when a bomb blew up under his vehicle. The soldier recounted the horrific moment he nearly burned to death to the Associated Press a year after the blast, which killed a fellow servicemember.

"I knew we had hit something pretty terrible. I was instantly on fire. I got out and I literally threw my arms in the air and said, `Jesus save me.'"

On Monday, thanks to a USO and Troops First Foundation initiative called "Operation Proper Exit," Brown, who is visibly scarred from his injuries and has undergone months of difficult rehabilitation and surgery, returned to a war zone to continue healing from that terrible day in Afghanistan. Yet he never expected what would happen shortly after he and five fellow wounded servicemembers arrived in Baghdad: a surprise, emotional visit from his wife, Capt. Amy Brown. The couple, pictured above, embraced on stage in Al-Faw Palace, which sits next to a pond once used by Saddam Hussein during duck hunting trips.

Sam Brown is a vocal advocate for his fellow soldiers and a critic of American media coverage of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. These enlightening quotes also appeared in the September AP article:

"Unless you see it all the time, it's just kind of easy not to remember," Brown said. "The war is definitely not over."

"It's not like it's a waste if people don't recognize me" as a wounded soldier, Brown said. But he said it feels as if many Americans have "kind of moved on."

While brave soldiers like Brown may never be entirely the same after serious combat injuries, the USO and the Troops First Foundation is trying to help servicemembers move on. This latest trip to the Persian Gulf is the third time the organizations have helped bring closure to the wounded, with the first trip happening in June, when six wounded warriors went into war zones to reflect. According to a USO press release, 13 more servicemembers have travelled to 14 overseas bases since.

“Advancements in medical evacuation and trauma care give our Wounded Warriors a greater chance for survival," said USO president Sloan Gibson. "Operation Proper Exit takes the healing process a step further and helps them achieve closure.”

Five combat veterans are joining Brown, of San Antonio, Texas, on this holiday journey:

Master Sgt. Tom Carpenter (Ret.), Hastings, Michigan
Sgt. Bill Congleton (Ret.), Sutherlin, Oregon
1st Lt. Jim Kirchner (Ret.), Douglasville, Georgia
Sgt. 1st Class Josh Olson, Spokane, Washington
Sgt. 1st Class Mike Schlitz, Moline, Illinois

Hats off to the USO, to which I am a proud donor, and the Troops First Foundation for creating this wonderful, important, compassionate project. Supporting our troops, whether in everyday life or in the toughest times imaginable, is what being an American is all about.

Images courtesy: USO

Special thanks to my friend Steve for alerting me to this fantastic story and to the USO's Sharee Posey for her help.