Dear Editor,
Last night I was deeply upset to hear Mayor Stewart attempt to diminish the good work of many to benefit our wounded veterans that gave of themselves for each and every one of us — including the mayor. His remarks came on the third anniversary of the unnecessary loss of 13 killed at Abbey Gate in the withdrawal from Afghanistan and many more injured.
Mr. “I’m the Financial Guy on the Dais” tried to pick apart the tax returns of an organization that I have been involved with since it’s inception. Ride To The Flags is a phenomenal model that has filled in the gaps that occur for many wounded veterans, such as treatment that is outside of their local network — we use the raised monies for transportation and housing to ensure the healing doesn’t cease (one recipient is the gentleman who sat next to former first lady Michelle Obama as former President Obama noted him in one of his State of the Union addresses hailing the recovery he has achieved and his Don’t Quit approach.)
Another of our past veterans was badly wounded and left 100 percent blind — as a single mother, her teen daughter became her primary caregiver, so the funds were used to modify the house and therapy which benefitted not only the veteran but also the teen whose load was greatly lifted). I could go on and on for every year brings immeasurable gifts, but my favorite story happens to be the young man driving by in a car with a wife and infant son as I stood out on PCH years ago assisting the arrival of vendors and helpers — he asked if it was true that a former Army buddy was being honored … he’d received an email and drove up from San Diego to confirm and let the entire unit know if he could confirm that Kyle “made it.” Well, I didn’t let him leave, and instead we brought him right into the event hiding him until Kyle arrived. The reunion caused tears to flow from all and the embrace the two men had was incredible — the SD veteran told me privately that he and others had assumed Kyle didn’t make it for the injuries as they packed him into the helicopter and prayed him aloft. He introduced his baby to Kyle; the name is in honor of Kyle, so more tears of joy and thanks. Two wives hugged each other for the gift of meeting and knew what each endured worrying about their husbands on deployment.
I guess you have to have been there to realize the full complement of the generosity of all veterans in all branches of service and how they don’t see politics, race, wealth, education, etc., as barriers to unifying for the good of others. The challenge I present today is for all of us to be more like our fellow citizens in uniforms, not only military uniforms. That bond of working together is what I’d like to infect this town with, more so now I want it to infect Mayor Stewart, but I do appreciate that once Ryan Sawtelle explained the figures that Stewart found concerning, the mayor came into the fold, and there was a unanimous vote to approve the item.
I’ll see you at the intersection of PCH and Malibu Canyon Road on Sunday, Sept. 8. Let ’em roll, baby, roll!
Mari Stanley,
Point Dume