Washington, D.C. road trip is a reminder of the importance of saying thanks - Cell phone donations and community generosity make trip possible
By Nancy Kriz |
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Army Sgt. 1st Class Jesse Prater and his mother Marisa McGregor pose with Bob Martell, left, vice commander of American Legion Post 488, and Frank “Uncle Buck” Pilegi and Erwin “Benzee” Benz of WTBQ in Warwick during their visit to the Warrior Transition Brigade unit at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C. Photo courtesy of Marisa McGregor
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WASHINGTON, D.C. - Army Sgt. 1st Class Jesse Prater was in his bed at the Warrior Transition Brigade unit at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C. when three unexpected area visitors arrived with 500 telephone calling cards for him and other patients on the unit.
Prater has been a patient at the medical center for quite some time, recovering from a shattered pelvis. His injuries occurred during a mission when he and a group from his unit were riding in when a truck in Mosul, Iraq. Their vehicle was attacked by an enemy truck which also crashed into it during an ambush, critically injuring the soldiers in Prater’s truck.
Prater, a Green Beret with the Army’s Special Forces division, was thrown from the truck. After being flown to Germany for surgery, he was sent to Walter Reed for additional surgery and rehabilitation.
Chrome rods, which protrude six to eight inches from his lower body, now hold his pelvis in place as it heals. He undergoes daily physical therapy to learn how to maneuver around and will be in the hospital for six more months. Just recently, he’s been able to get out of bed and into a wheelchair. Normally, his visitors are military people.
Little did Prater know that his recent visitors had been planning their trip for months, hoping to spread some cheer to whoever they were able to see.
500 phone cards
Bob Martell, a Monroe resident and vice commander of American Legion Post 488 in Monroe, Frank “Uncle Buck” Pilegi of Chester and Highland Falls resident Erwin “Benzee” Benz of radio station WTBQ in Warwick were on their own mission. Their visit’s purpose was to distribute the 500 phone cards, donated to them for their trip by “Cell Phones for Soldiers” and let Prater and others know that people living in southern Orange County care about the soldiers fighting in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere.
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And when the men saw first-hand what war can do to damage and mutilate the bodies of U.S. soldiers, they said it also reinforced the need to say thank you to soldiers as well as the ongoing importance of collecting cell phones so soldiers have free calling cards to call loved ones while they serve their country, including when they’re hospitalized.
Those 60-minute cards are made possible when people donate their obsolete and unwanted cell phones at drop-off locations in the towns of Chester, Goshen, Monroe, Warwick and Woodbury. Martell’s currently looking for a drop-off site in the Town of Tuxedo.
“Our soldiers are out there keeping our country safe,” said Martell. “The ones we went to see were hurt pretty bad. To give these guys phone cards so they can call their families is the least we can do.”
‘Let’s go’
Post 488 is heavily involved in the “Cell Phones for Soldiers” program, working with area businesses and offices which serve as collection sites for useless cell phones. Martell and Post 488 have collected thousands of phones from area residents and their efforts continue.
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Martell also appears regularly on Pilegi’s and Benz’s WTBQ program (a.k.a. Uncle Buck’s and Benzee’s “Prime Time,” Fridays at 12:30 p.m.), discussing the cell phone program and other ongoing efforts to remember soldiers serving overseas. Pilegi and the radio station also collect phones, working with many other people and area businesses as well.
“As soon as I mentioned the Washington trip, they said, ‘Let’s go,’” said Martell.
While Post 488 and the Knights of Columbus Chapter 2079 in Monroe underwrote some of the expenses associated with the trip, the three travelers received transportation assistance from Tommy and Dave Flynn, owners of Flynn Funeral and Cremation Memorial Centers in Chester and Monroe. The Flynns gave the team a car to use on the trip and a gasoline credit card for fuel. The Flynns also gave an additional $250, which the men later used to buy Dunkin’ Donuts gift cards to give as a “thank you” to the staff caring for patients on the Warrior Transition Brigade unit. Tommy Flynn had planned to join the men on the trip, but wasn’t able to due to a death in his family.
Although the men hoped to meet with as many soldiers and caregivers as possible, their time was limited to only one hour and only to Prater.
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“It tore my heart out to see his wounds,” said Martell. “It (the trip) was definitely worth it. It reinforces to me that for every soldier I see, I say thanks, thanks for serving.”
‘Thank you for protecting us’
Pilegi also felt the trip was significant.
“Our soldiers are out there, keeping our country safe,” he said, “The ones we went to see were hurt pretty bad. To see for myself how badly they were injured - that really got to me. It made me really know now more than ever that we want to do more for these guys.”
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Post 488 has “adopted” Prater and his unit, Martell said, and is planning a future hospital trip to bring more phone cards and other sundry items to Walter Reed.
“I know we’re in a bad time economically, but I hope people can come up with a few bucks to help them,” said Martell. “When I go out to talk to people, I tell them I don’t want to hear their views on the war. I tell them I know you support the soldiers. We have to show our support for them and we have to say thank you for protecting us and our way of life.”
But it was Prater who was thankful to the three travelers for their efforts.
“We (patients on the unit) get maybe one or two visitors, and a lot of those people who come here are military,” said Prater, who was purposely vague on the nature of his Iraqi mission for security reasons. “It (a visit) brings life to people. A lot of us just lay in bed … all day … and we can’t move for weeks. It (getting visitors) definitely changes your outlook and the routine.”
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Perhaps more important to Prater was that a war veteran and his acquaintances took the time to make the almost six-hour drive for just an hour’s visit to someone they didn’t know.
“It’s definitely nice to have people who serve before me to come and say thank you,” Prater added. “They went through a lot too. They know what it’s like to be in that situation.”
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