Activities: May 2014

The rights of winter passage are many to herald the arrival of a warmer climate and a season that we all know as spring.  For 2014 spring was more than welcomed, it was the right of passage for our wounded populations at both Walter Reed and Fort Belvoir military hospitals. With the casualty population, early celebrations were conducted in silence throughout the Washington metropolitan area.  Project Enduring Pride (PEP) welcomed the season with a special Kentucky Derby BBQ on May 3rd for the wounded, injured, and ill on the wards at our military hospitals.  Local Virginia artist Joyce Meyer’s did an original oil painting for the day that was placed on display for the visitors to see.  Joe Payne did the honors on the grill and cooked up quite a chicken and hotdog banquet for us all. This year’s event was hosted by the American Legion Post 180 in Vienna, VA and did a fine job of decorating the hall for the WW attending.

Summer season begins with the Memorial Day Weekend. This year the four days wrapped the holiday up with many events in the greater Washington DC area. Project Enduring Pride (PEP) either led in executing events or as a significant partner of the wounded, injured, and ill at Walter Reed-Bethesda. Beginning on Friday at WR-Bethesda, PEP representative organized participants in both on campus and off campus events. On Saturday, PEP took some of the Wounded Warrior (WW) to the formal rehearsal of the Memorial Day Concert with Gary Sinse and Joe Mantegna from Film and TV. On Sunday a group of Army Ranger unit veterans met PEP at area 60 (Designated for the Iraq and Afghanistan veterans Killed in Action (KIA). More than 25 attended the ad hoc gathering before PEP retired to the Sheraton Hotel and met with Veterans of the 101st Airborne Division which served more 8 rotations to the Middle East war. Many parents knew about PEP came up to our representatives to say hello. Still one of the most beneficial times was meeting with the WW at Bethesda and talking with them about their progress and vision of their future. During the weekend, the military had few activities planned for the WW less that of Sunday formal Memorial Concert on the Mall in DC.