Walking Among Heros

I recently went with my family to visit some of our wounded Soldiers
at Walter Reed Medical Center. From the moment you enter the front
gate of the hospital, you realize you are not at an ordinary hospital.
The presence of the Military is everywhere.

The Main Lobby had more hustle and bustle then I had ever seen in a
hospital before and the presence of that camouflage green uniform,
that is sure to get an 'aahhh' out of any Army Mom, was everywhere.

As we were walking down the halls, anyone could have seen, how
nervous we were, but as we approached the nurse's station, all of our
concerns disappeared. These nurses were wonderful; each was soft
spoken and extremely helpful. I feel confident that our Soldiers are
in the care of experienced and compassionate hands.

Then there are the wives of our Heroes. I had the pleasure of
speaking with Kesha Yberg, the wife of SPC Bryan Yberg. Bryan
received extensive damage in his neck, back, legs and arms after his
vehicle hit a landmine while serving with the 2-5 in Iraq on November
15th.

When we entered Bryan's room, we found Kesha by his bedside. She
was fixing his pillows and trying to make him more comfortable, it was
evident to me that she had been dutifully doing this for the past
month. She has spent most of her waking hours by her husband's side
and sleeping at 'The Monroe House', which is located adjacent to the
hospital for Military families.

We had a wonderful visit with this couple, Bryan seemed in good
spirits considering his discomfort. They are anxiously awaiting a
transfer this week to a hospital closer to home. Bryan was genuinely
touched to know that there are Americans that are proud of him. He
was concerned that there are so many that are negative about the
war. We assured him that there are not as many as he might be hearing.

There are more of us that realize how important this is and are behind
our Troops all the way! I think what touched me most about Bryan
was that during our conversation, we spoke about our own son's tour
of duty in Korea and possible deployment in February. The heart of
this young man's was so big that he had concern for our soldier. So
often this is the case for them, their concerns are for their fellow
comrades before themselves.

So I ask you to join me in remembering these heroes each time we
exercise our freedoms. Even the small ones that we don't even think
about but our soldiers put their lives on the line for.

Reach out to a Soldier or their families or our wounded. Let them
know that their sacrifices are appreciated and this Country they
defend is behind them.