He fought the war against the terrorism and died from his wounds



Associated Press told us “…The number of U.S. troops wounded throughout Iraq since the Fallujah offensive began Nov. 7 has surpassed 850, and the wounded total for the entire war has topped 9,000, the Pentagon said Tuesday. That's an increase of 370 from the previous week, reflecting not only the battles in Fallujah but insurgent attacks in Baghdad and other Iraqi cities….”



If you read this, what were 40 backpacks which we have with us this time! Wendy, Rudi and I were in Landstuhl on the 20th November 2004. Ali the assistant manager and Andrew from the Fisher House have given us their time to bring 40 wounded a backpack. The Fisher House Landstuhl helps us so much and we are all so glad that the Fisher House and the manager Kathy Gregory gives us and The Soldiers Angels the great opportunity to visit the wounded Soldiers and Marines in the Hospital.







When wounded troops arrive

at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center here in Germany they often have nothing by themself, often they are wearing the same dirty clothes as they injured in the battle or sometimes just a pair of boxer shorts. I read the troops receive a $250 voucher from the Department of Defense, but they cannot buy something for it, because they cannot go to a store and buy clothes or toiletries which they need. Here in Germany we have now cold, wet winter weather so the wounded need near a backpack large or extra-large sweatpants and T-shirts with long arm. So we look that we have always something to wear in our backpacks, personal hygiene items and a “blanket of hope”. Here we will say thank you so much to all the Angels and friends as still to the Crossroad Community Church, MI, they have donated money or their time, have written get well soon letters or cards or have given all the donations in kind.







Wendy, she is living nearby us hear in Germany she had a big box of single wrap sanitation wipes with her, because a lot of the wounded can use baby wipes or like to have playing cards, gift boxes with baoding iron balls and a bag full of Iraq Freedom coins and get well cards and letters and for the nurses some flavoured coffee.

A flight from Iraq to Ramstein, Germany took about five hours. We can imagine us is not enjoyable. The wounded arrived with dark blue buses with white crosses on the front Ramstein Airbase in Landstuhl. The most of the buses were filled with injured troops just flown in from Iraq or sometimes from Afghanistan. All seriously injured soldiers are carried on stretchers directly to the Emergency Room. Troops who are able to move about on their own, or on crutches, or to wheelchairs are going to the Emergency Room directly. You see always that the most of the wounds appeared to be legs, arms, hands, feet or in their face injuries.






We met a mom in the Fisher House,

after our visit in the hospital Rudi, Wendy and me we went back to the Fisher House to drink a strong coffee and have a few cakes before we went home. As we were by a coffee in the kitchen a lady came in and sat down on one of the chairs for eating something. We try to speak to her and told her something about the Soldiers Angels and what we are doing in here.



She said us that this was a wonderful thing we do. She began to spoke, "…my son died this morning… in Homburg Saar..." I go to her and had problems to find the write words. As I began to speak I had tears in my eyes. This was new for me! Never before I met a lady who son died on this way! She told us she used 2 days to come from California to Germany.



A long trip for a mother, who is waiting to see her son! She arrived Tuesday, but she could not see her son because he was in surgery. She went by bus so often she could from Landstuhl to Homburg Saar a 45 minutes ride by bus. She got to see him on Wednesday and Thursday morning, but she told us he developed problems with his kidneys. The doctors had to amputate both of his legs and he had lung damage. After this all was on a dialysis machine. He had his last surgery Thursday night - but he passed away this Saterday morning.



She was so very proud of her son and told us that she felt that he was at in better place now. She had to stay in Landstuhl till Monday and wait for him so she could bring him home. Another good man has given his live for other people freedom! I hope that the people for who he has given his life will see at anytime which great thing is to live in freedom!







We help a mother to do something for her son in Germany

As I read on the 18th November that a 28-year-old soldier from Granbury resident was in critical condition with a head wound received while in combat with his unit in Fallujah. I wrote the newspaper to give his mother a short note that we are on the 20th in Landstuhl and will bring him a backpack and greetings from the Soldiers Angels. I quick succession I received an e-mail from his mother Vicky, publisher of a magazine and told me her son was shot in the head as he and other soldiers were in a Humvee engaged in combat with terrorists in the large city on Falluja.

She says later on phone to Rudi, “…someone told me my son was hit in the left temple and the bullet exited on his right temple….He was taken in a two-hour Humvee ride from Fallujah to Baghdad to the field hospital where he was under a five hours of neurosurgery. A neurosurgeon in the field hospital had to remove the damaged frontal part of his brain….” As we were on the ICU we could not see him his condition has been described as stable and critical. So we let a backpack for him by the nurse and call his mother about him. He has been in Iraq five months and stationed in a camp near Fallujah and he served a year in Korea before being transferred to Iraq.

It looks that it will not end, to fight the war against the terrorism needs time. A friend from the 1st Armored Division, Germany knows that he has to return to Iraq in 2005. The Division had returned from Iraq in August 2004, after being stationed there for sixteen straight months. To know to go back and fight the war against of terrorism means you must have a lot of courage and more!



We are back in Landstuhl mid December with Christmas stockings for the wounded Soldiers and Marines.



Wilhelmine Aufmkolk, Germany



"May No Soldier Go Unloved“
http://www.soldiersangels.com
e-mail: JosephineFS@aol.com