Photo By Petty Officer 1st Class Cynthia Clark | U.S. Marine Corps Sergeant Casey Randall, a member of the Wounded Warrior Battalion at...... read more read more
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Waikele WAIKELE, Hawaii - Members of the Wounded Warrior Transition Battalion participated in the fourth annual golf tournament to benefit the Salute Military Golf Association, at Waikele Country Club, Friday, Oct. 18.
More than 30 wounded warriors golfed alongside fellow service and community members to benefit the Salute Military Golf Association. The nonprofit corporation provides rehabilitative golf experiences to improve the mental and physical conditions of those injured in Iraq and Afghanistan through golf instruction, equipment and playing opportunities.
“I’ve always used golf as a way to clear my mind,” said U.S. Marine Corps Staff Sgt. James Martin, a member of the Wounded Warrior Battalion at Marine Corps Air Station Kaneohe Bay. “It keeps me engaged with the task at hand, that tactical thinking; we’re all born and bred with as we come through the ranks. It gives me the ability to stay focused, don’t get mad, don’t let this injury defeat you, don’t feel like you’re always broken, and you can still do things.”
One SMGA member who traveled from New York City to participate in the tournament, U.S. Army Staff Sgt. R.J. Thorman, retired, agrees that the program is designed to change the mindset of Wounded Warriors and help them focus on staying positive. Thorman herself is a Wounded Warrior and she knows exactly what the program has to offer and how it has benefited herself and others.
“The SMGA takes the wounded warriors out of their rooms, from always being in pain and not moving - through lessons onto the golf course. It was important for me, for the organization to come to you and say, ‘hey, we can work with you.’ They keep you going. They were a major part of my recovery.”
Not only does the game of golf and the SMGA give the transitioning Wounded Warriors a way to work through their own injuries, it also gives them a way to give back to those who have given them so much.
“It’s nice to see that people care, whether we’re broken or not,” said Martin. “They’re so grateful they can bring us together, however, from me personally, it’s nice to say thank you to them, because the support means more than they’ll ever know.”
| Date Taken: | 10.18.2013 |
| Date Posted: | 10.18.2013 21:27 |
| Story ID: | 115415 |
| Location: | WAIKELE, HI, US |
| Web Views: | 167 |
| Downloads: | 2 |
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