From the S&S archives: Wounded flooded with gifts, services

WIESBADEN — Wounded servicemembers being treated in Germany have expressed surprise at and appreciation for the flood of gifts and services given them by a variety of military and community groups.

The Marine Corps, reversing an earlier decision, said it would fly family members to Europe to visit the wounded. In addition, at least one airline has offered free roundtrip flights from the United States to Germany for two family members of any Marine wounded in Beirut.

The Marines have also received a spate of flowers, cards and other gifts from both Americans and Germans.

"It's good to know everyone is behind us. I thought we would just come in and get patched up," said Cpl. Brook Ehrenfried, 22, of Newport News, Va.

Ehrenfried is one of 50 survivors of Sunday's terrorist bomb attack in Beirut now at U.S. military hospitals in Germany. He and 14 others are at the U.S. Air Force hospital in Wiesbaden. Twenty-three members of the peacekeeping force are being treated at the Army hospital in Landstuhl and the Army hospital in Frankfurt has 12 Marine patients, according to an Air Force spokesman.

Robert White, station director of the American Red Cross at the hospital in Wiesbaden, said his office is working closely with hospital staffers to offer Red Cross services to the wounded.

Volunteers from White's office, along with Family Services representatives, distributed presents and cards to the patients at Wiesbaden Thursday night.

Among the gifts were warmup suits donated by the local NCO wives clubs, wine from the city of Wiesbaden, and packages from the 6910th Electronic Security Wing stationed here.

Cards made by school children also were given to the patients. Lance Cpl. Burham Matthews received cards with pictures of animals after conceding to reporters Tuesday that his nickname is Animal. One card said, "I hope you have fun."

"The whole hospital calls me Animal," he said. "I enjoyed reading them all."

Their rooms were filled with flowers from Germans and assorted military units.

"It's nice. All we were doing was our job. We did get a bum deal, but it was our job. It's important to feel appreciated. We know that it was worth something to someone," Matthews said.

White said the Red Cross normally passes out "comfort items" to all patients, but that Thursday's gifts were "especially for the casualties because they arrived with nothing."

Comfort items include combs, brushes, toothpaste, writing paper and other small items, White said.

One item the Marines don't need is blood. According to a volunteer with family services in Wiesbaden, the hospital has been turning potential donors away because the hospital's blood bank has been filled since Sunday.

White said his office has not helped the wounded Marines contact their families because that is the responsibility of the military.

"It's not in our charter," he said. "We would help if the medical facility were to request that a family be brought over in the event of a critical situation."

White said the Marine Corps had sent a message to the Red Cross saying the service would not pay for families to travel to Germany, regardless of the situation. On Thursday, however, a Marine spokesman said the Corps will pay relatives' fares to Europe.

Maj. Jack Farmer of the Marine casualty section said the government-paid air fare is standard if a doctor certifies that a relative's visit to a wounded Marine would be desirable for health and humanitarian reasons.

Fred Oettl, a sales director for World Airways, said his airline has joined with other organizations to offer free roundtrip flights from the United States to Frankfurt for "two family members of any of the servicemen that were wounded in Beirut."

"We have flights coming from as far away as Honolulu," he said.

Oettl said the USO will help incoming family members from their office in the Frankfurt airport. He said some American families here will open their homes to the victims' families.

Cindy Harvell, wife of Air Force Staff Sgt. David Harvell, assigned to the 1st Combat Comm Group, said they have volunteered their home to visiting relatives of the wounded servicemen.

"I think it's the duty of every American here to do something for these people," she said. "Another reason is that I can imagine the culture shock these people would go through if they were just put into a German or military hotel."

In Landstuhl, the Red Cross has combined forces with Army Community Service organizations and wives' clubs to give the Marine patients whatever they ask for, according to Linda McCanna, a Red Cross worker.

She said the groups have given the Marines toiletry items, reading material, candy bars, flowers and cards. School children put together kits of small games and puzzles.

In Frankfurt, Red Cross volunteers helped the Marines contact home through their chapters in the United States. During visits with the wounded, the volunteers have dispensed toilet articles. Phones have been installed in the rooms of Marine patients in Frankfurt, according to Sandra Nessel, a Red Cross worker.