War heroes on the high seas and in NASA Mission Control

 provided by Nicholas Parkinson, Operation Comfort

April 6^th – 9^th, 2006

 GALVESTON- What seemed like an excursion to NASA and a harmless fishing trip quickly turned into a memorable homecoming for 14 service men and women on behalf of the legendary beach village, Galveston.

 In force, over 250 neighbors and veterans surprised the troops with families in tow and welcomed them first and foremost home from Iraq, and then to Galveston. The ceremony entailed a police escort into the city, handmade cards written by students at a local elementary school and a relentless flow of souvenirs such as T-Shirts, pins, posters, and home baked items from the island’s residents.

 Although being in Texas, a state known for its hospitality and fervor for the Military, might have something to do with it, the highly energized homecoming was a reflection of an old black and white film of World War II veterans celebrated with deep appreciation as they returned to their homes.

 As many of the participants already know, an excursion organized by Operation Comfort always reveals something unexpected, something special, no matter how large or small it is. The non profit organization is dedicated to providing a source of physical activity for the troops who are engaged in rehabilitation at Brooke Army Medical Center (BAMC), but above all, Operation Comfort’s efforts are designed to assist each individual to adjust to life outside the hospital.

 This particular trip allowed Isaias Hernandez, from Connecticut, to spend time somewhere other than the hospital since he was sent to BAMC after an explosion in October of 2004 in Iraq. 25% of Hernandez’s body suffered third degree burns and heavy amounts of shrapnel are still lodged in both legs. Hernandez, who calls himself “the gringo mexicano” in a heavy New Yorker accent, also lost half of his left thumb and a considerable amount of hearing. “I wish I had my uniform on”, said Hernandez when he arrived with the other 13 soldiers to Galveston and saw the immense crowd waiting in the sea breeze as the troops took their places.

The next day the troops were given a VIP tour of all NASA facilities located in Clear Lake. The day long excursion took them from a giant pool known as the Neutral Buoyancy Lab to the historic Mission Control where NASA controlled all shuttle missions until 1996. The troops were accompanied by various astronauts throughout the entire day. In fact, of the 80 or so astronauts in training, more than 50 are active duty military, from all branches. In the Neutral Buoyancy Lab, a pool which contains a replica of the international space station, Patrick Myers, a Marine from Dallas, could identify with the astronaut’s heavy space suit. “I know what its life to wear a heavy suit like that”, said Myers, who had both legs amputated below the knee after an explosion in November of 2005 in Iraq.

 Future astronaut on the space station Stephen Bowen, embarked upon a simulated “spacewalk” before the eyes of the soldiers forty feet below the surface of the water. Although NASA refers to it as a ‘spacewalk’, the astronaut Scott Parazynski says “you don’t need legs in space, you move yourself around with the touch of a finger.

 After touring the NASA facilities, Jeff Williams and Bill McArthur, two astronauts who currently live on the international space station chatted with the troops via satellite. Both Williams and McArthur, who since has returned to the earth, are Army colonels. “How do you use the bathroom?”, asked Keith Davis, a Marine from Lumberton, who lost the left leg after an Iraqi sniper shot him during his fourth mission, this time in the streets of Baghdad. McArthur explained life inside the space station and thanked the troops for their service to their country.

 In preparation for the Fishing tournament on Saturday the veterans were registered and assigned boats at a festive Barbeque at Galveston’s marina. The annual tournament is sponsored by Turning POINT, a non profit dedicated to helping people with physical disabilities adjust to life. Even though nobody from Operation Comfort’s team won the tournament, almost everyone caught a fish during the seven hour window of competition. Only Manny Del Río, from California, and Eric Santellana, from San Antonio, had to set the fishing aside in order to bail water from their otherwise smallish skiff. “I’ve never been fishing before”, said Del Rio. “I thought that water in the boat was part of the experience”.

 The rest of the time, the veterans spent time around the pool at their beachside hotel and visited a local amusement park. In all Operation Comfort donations took care of all the expenses and hopefully enriched the troops with a much needed sense of adventure.

Lea esto en español. OpComfort_NASA