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Well-Known Member
- Oct 5, 2006
- 1,085
- Boat Info
- 07 58 DB
Truly Blessed IV
2010 Nautica 12' RIB, 40HP Yamaha
- Engines
- MAN CRM 900s
This past Sunday we were one of ~30 boats from Prince William Marine (the Local SR Dealer) that participated in what has become an annual cruise to honor wounded Soldiers (and Marines, Airmen, and Sailors). A lot of planning goes into the event every year. It began with one Army Colonel taking four wounded soldiers out on his 2006 52DB (and featured in Sea Ray Living). Last year we had thirty Wounded Warriors and their family members. This year we had 60 Wounded Warriors and 110 family members sign up.
They boarded busses at Walther Reed Army Medical Center and arrived at the Marina at noon. Escorts previously assigned to each boat met the Soldier and family assigned to their boat, and escorted them down the dock. The SR dealer provided their rather spiffy carts from the sales department to take those soldiers needing assistance directly to the slips. By 1230 everybody was aboard and the fleet headed out. On Truly Blessed II I had an Army Sergeant First Class, his wife, and their two kids. The Sergeant had been on foot patrol in Iraq when the soldier next to him stepped on a land mine. No remains were recovered from the Soldier who stepped on the mine. His body armor was found thirty meters away, his kevlar helmet 50 meters away from the blast. My guest has been at Walther Reed for a year and had undergone numerous surgeries. The medevac crew that rescued him thought he would lose a leg and an arm; but the Docs were able to save both. He has a couple more surgeries to go, then he will undergo a medical board and retire after 21 years in the Army.
He and his family had a great time on the boat. We cruised up the Potomac 35 or so miles, under the Wilson Bridge, so the family could see some of the monuments. I let the Sergeant take the helm at idle speed and he got a kick out of it. My wife had all kinds of food on the boat, and a cooler full of drinks--non alcoholic due to the risk of meds and cold beer not going well together.
The escort assigned to my boat had just bought an '07 240DA, so I talked him through the various Sundancers we have owned (260DA, 320DA, 420DA) and gave him a turn at the helm (idle speed) as well. The weather was perfect--80 degrees and enough breeze to keep everybody cool. We got back to the slip around 4:00, and the local Outback catered a BBQ, free of charge. The Marina laid on a DJ, face painting for the kids, balloons, etc. General (ret) Carl Vuono, former Army Chief of Staff, was on hand to meet and greet every wounded soldier. At 6:00 everybody boarded the busses for a ride back to Walther Reed. .
Because my wife and I were both Army officers, we understood what the Sergeant was telling us during the boat ride-about Iraq, his injury and the follow on care. For our escorts, this was their first experience talking to a Soldier who had "been there, done that" and I think they got more out of the afternoon than the wounded Sergeant and his family did. It was a spectacular day, and I think everybody had a good time. Much diesel was burned for a great cause.
I post all this because perhaps your local dealers or Marinas may want to engage in a similar event with a local military base or VA medical facility. I can get copies of the entire operational plan for the Patriot Cruise and Salute if anybody is interested. No detail is missed--from the photos taken as the Soldiers and their families get off the bus, to the special Yellow Ribbon Burgees each boat flies with Wounded Soldiers aboard.
They boarded busses at Walther Reed Army Medical Center and arrived at the Marina at noon. Escorts previously assigned to each boat met the Soldier and family assigned to their boat, and escorted them down the dock. The SR dealer provided their rather spiffy carts from the sales department to take those soldiers needing assistance directly to the slips. By 1230 everybody was aboard and the fleet headed out. On Truly Blessed II I had an Army Sergeant First Class, his wife, and their two kids. The Sergeant had been on foot patrol in Iraq when the soldier next to him stepped on a land mine. No remains were recovered from the Soldier who stepped on the mine. His body armor was found thirty meters away, his kevlar helmet 50 meters away from the blast. My guest has been at Walther Reed for a year and had undergone numerous surgeries. The medevac crew that rescued him thought he would lose a leg and an arm; but the Docs were able to save both. He has a couple more surgeries to go, then he will undergo a medical board and retire after 21 years in the Army.
He and his family had a great time on the boat. We cruised up the Potomac 35 or so miles, under the Wilson Bridge, so the family could see some of the monuments. I let the Sergeant take the helm at idle speed and he got a kick out of it. My wife had all kinds of food on the boat, and a cooler full of drinks--non alcoholic due to the risk of meds and cold beer not going well together.
The escort assigned to my boat had just bought an '07 240DA, so I talked him through the various Sundancers we have owned (260DA, 320DA, 420DA) and gave him a turn at the helm (idle speed) as well. The weather was perfect--80 degrees and enough breeze to keep everybody cool. We got back to the slip around 4:00, and the local Outback catered a BBQ, free of charge. The Marina laid on a DJ, face painting for the kids, balloons, etc. General (ret) Carl Vuono, former Army Chief of Staff, was on hand to meet and greet every wounded soldier. At 6:00 everybody boarded the busses for a ride back to Walther Reed. .
Because my wife and I were both Army officers, we understood what the Sergeant was telling us during the boat ride-about Iraq, his injury and the follow on care. For our escorts, this was their first experience talking to a Soldier who had "been there, done that" and I think they got more out of the afternoon than the wounded Sergeant and his family did. It was a spectacular day, and I think everybody had a good time. Much diesel was burned for a great cause.
I post all this because perhaps your local dealers or Marinas may want to engage in a similar event with a local military base or VA medical facility. I can get copies of the entire operational plan for the Patriot Cruise and Salute if anybody is interested. No detail is missed--from the photos taken as the Soldiers and their families get off the bus, to the special Yellow Ribbon Burgees each boat flies with Wounded Soldiers aboard.
