Wake Forest Student-Athletes Visit Walter Reed Medical Center
12/6/2007 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Dec. 6, 2007
Last weekend, former Wake Forest track and field student-athlete Mike Piscetelli spent time with seven other Demon Deacons at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C. Mike, who used to chair the Division I Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and now works in the athletics marketing department at Wake Forest, wrote about the visit with America's heroes.
It is often said that every coin has two sides, each side telling a different story. In today's world it is impossible to escape the media's depiction about what the war overseas is like for U.S. soldiers: miserable, unnecessary, worthless, never-ending. Last weekend, eight of us from the Wake Forest athletics family made a commitment to hear accounts of the war and to give thanks to our nation's soldiers. And not just any soldiers, but wounded soldiers, who graciously shared their stories and sacrifices. After our brief time with these heroes, we came to appreciate the viewpoint on the other side of the coin.
How can I begin to share this touching story? So many lives are impacted by this war - the troops, the soldiers' families, and the American people. How can I work through the thoughts in my head to articulate what this group from Wake Forest, traveling in a van carrying 50 care packages from Winston-Salem, N.C. to Washington D.C., was about to experience? Then it hit me. Hard. Visiting Walter Reed Army Medical Center had very little to do with the emotions of the eight Demon Deacons, but it had everything to do with the 50+ soldiers and their families that we were about to meet. Before stepping out of the van, our group of current and former student-athletes made the decision to stick to our game plan. Give thanks to these brave men and women who sacrifice their lives through their jobs and in turn allow us to carry out our dreams. Above all, we wanted to make these soldiers feel like champions during the visit.
Each soldier's story varied, but there was one common theme echoed throughout the halls of the Army Medical Center. "One Team." It was a passion to return to the unit of soldiers they were separated from. One soldier in particular, Sgt. Calderon from California, expressed this desire to rejoin his "brothers." He spoke with a great deal of spirit and hope. His display of emotions were clearly a shock to us considering that Sgt. Calderon was lying in a bed with shrapnel wounds, a left foot that was broken in three places and an amputated right leg. Although not physically able, he was more than mentally prepared to be back overseas serving with his company. Sgt. Calderon reiterated that in his eyes, the war was not over and that there was still a fight to be won. It was obvious that if he had his way, he would be finishing the job he started. A job for which he volunteered and an effort for which he still supports. Ironically, the main purpose of our visit, thanking these soldiers for their sacrifice, was quickly overshadowed by the gratefulness of the troops with which we were spending the afternoon. The absurdity of us being thanked has yet to set in.
"Nah, don't thank me thank you, thank you for coming by and showing your support. Thank you for making time for me." These statements, as you can imagine, were not anticipated. It was very clear that the soldiers enjoyed the gifts, but they mostly enjoyed the company. The 20-something-year-old soldiers were honored that people their age, like the student-athletes of the Wake Forest community, were supporting them and wishing for their speedy recoveries.
At the end of our visit, one of the highest-ranking officers at the Army Medical Center, Command Sgt. Major Ricardo Alcantara, gathered us all in the main lobby. While we stood there, Sgt. Major Alcantara reached into his pocket and held out a handful of items. Eight coins laid before us, coins that are distributed only to those, who in the eyes of the military, display some form of excellence. One side of the coin displayed the military ethos and the other marked the rank of the officer presenting the coin. As the coins were distributed, he began to share about the responsibility that accompanies such an esteemed gift. We now had a mission. To spread the word about what we had witnessed during our visit to Walter Reed Army Medical Center. To share the soldiers' stories that we had met. To ensure that people hear the side of the story that displays the spirit, passion, and, most of all, pride these soldiers have for our great country; pride that will never be shaken.
This visit was supposed to be about thanking soldiers who were fighting a war so that we can play our sports and have the lives we have. This visit left us in awe of the soldiers' spirit and commitment to the war and our country. It would be impossible for anyone to go spend time with these young men and women and not feel the power of their enthusiasm and courage. It's time for us to flip the coin to this side of the story.
For more information about how you and your school can have this outstanding experience at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, call Ms. Tanya Delvalle at the Walter Reed Visitors Bureau 202/782-6230.