Bringing Christmas to the Wounded

Story & photos by  Ex Captain Steven Grogan  

 

In the early morning hours of December 7, 2018, Lynbrook firefighters along with other Nassau County firefighters left from Lynbrook fire headquarters in a caravan of fire vehicles and a U-Haul truck, to bring Christmas to our wounded warrior service men and women and their families at the National Military Hospital at Bethesda, MD and the Wounded Warrior Battalion at Fort Belvoir, VA.  Another caravan of firefighters were in Fort Bragg and Camp Lejeune.  For the Lynbrook trip, we were joined by Lynbrook Mayor Alan Beach, a retired NYC firefighter, who helped transport some of the Christmas gifts in his pick-up.  First Assistant Chief Nick Pearsall and Third Assistant Chief John Donald, a former Marine, had left before the caravan.  The first stop was Bethesda after nearly a five-hour drive.  Tables were set up on the main floor of the hospital for the gifts while a group of firefighters went upstairs to the medical area to visit personally with the wounded in their hospital beds.  No photos were allowed in the hospital areas.  After three hours at Bethesda, Lynbrook firefighters traveled to Fort Belvoir, about 45 minutes away in Virginia, where the firefighters threw a Christmas party for 35 wounded soldiers and their families at the USO building next to the Wounded Warrior Battalion.  Amongst the Christmas gifts was an iPad for each of the wounded to help them with their rehabilitation and medical scheduling.