Wounded military grateful for OC gifts
By Dolores E. Pike

According to Ben Dawson, “I’m just the guy who helps raise the funds and delivers (the gift cards) to the troops.  There are some 60 members of the Ocean City Lions Club who give their all for this cause.”

Since its inception in spring 2004, the U.S. Forces Overseas Casualty Assistance Program (USFOCAP) has raised $50,000 in gift cards and 6,500 items of new clothing, necessary since casualties arriving for treatment are clad in hospital gear and bring no personal belongings. The clothing and gifts have been given to over 17,000 American wounded personnel passing through the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center (LRMC) in Germany.  All donations are tax deductible and 100 percent of the funds raised through the Lions Club goes directly to the wounded.  According to Dawson, this support will continue as long as “the war lasts.”

Dawson has become the gift card messenger and on his recent trip, his third, he took $15,000 in gift cards, which will be handled through the hospital’s post exchange (PX).  He arrived in Germany on Sunday March 26 after leaving Dover Air Force base the previous evening on a C5A transport plane.  He e-mailed a request for 25 current DVDs and 25 CDs that were ready for him the following Monday and he distributed the wrapped gifts to several wounded veterans as he visited with him.  He also took the opportunity to personally thank them for the job that they are doing in Afghanistan and Iraq.  But he says that they cannot thank us enough for our support.  He also said they were in good spirits but felt that they should be back with their comrades. 

Patients at Landstuhl are those requiring more than a “band aid fix,” according to Dawson and after their stay either return to duty or are sent home to the U.S. for additional treatment and/or rehabilitation.  The average stay at Landstuhl is from two days to six weeks.

Again Dawson had the opportunity of meeting with the commander of LRMC, Colonel Bryan Gamble, who replaced Col. Rhonda Cornum in June 2005, and with the chaplain, Major David Powerman.  After Dawson’s return, Col. Gamble e-mailed him saying, “Thanks again from all of us at Landstuhl for the kindness and generosity of Ocean City.”

Donations earmarked for USFOCAP can be made to the Ocean City Lions Club.  Along with Dawson, the project committee also consists of chairman Norman Cathell, Norman Connell, Rev. Bill Sterling and Wayne Cannon.  For further information, contact any Ocean City Lions Club member or Ben Dawson at his Ocean City office 410-524-1700 or 410-603-2205.