Photo By Nell King | From left, Cathy Duprey, Children’s Burn Foundation of Florida counselor; Sgt....... read more read more
They’ve endured more than they should have to in their young lives, and many have the physical and emotional scars to prove it. But, for seven days last week, 45 campers from the International Association of Firefighters International Children’s Burn Camp put all they’ve experienced behind them and had fun in the National Capital Region.
On Sept. 30, the campers rolled onto the Fort Myer portion of Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall, where they were serenaded into the fire station by The Old Guard U.S. Fife and Drum Corps, who later performed for the group with the U.S. Army Drill Team.
“Our doors are open to you today and any day you wish to visit,” JBM-HH Fire Chief Russell Miller told the campers and their counselors.
The teen burn survivors, ages 13 to 15, and their counselors were selected to come to the nation’s capital after attending burn camps across the United States and Canada. Organized by the International Association of Firefighters charitable foundation, the annual camp allows them to share their experiences and learn from one another.
U.S. Army Drill Team member Staff Sgt. Taylor L. Davis said performing for the campers is both an honor and privilege.
“They appreciate it and we appreciate performing for them,” he said.
Florida resident Savannah Lopez, 16, her brother and sister “I love meeting new people and learning about new cultures,” she said. “I’m very shy, but I love meeting people and hearing their stories.”
JBM-HH Deputy Commander Marine Corps Lt. Col. John Orille said the beauty of the joint base is that the mission of the Marines and Soldiers who are assigned to the installation is to work together as a single team.
“All of you here today epitomize that mission,” he said. “You come together in a show of strength and support for each other.”
During their National Capital Region visit, participants stayed at Camp Wabanna in Edgewater, Md., said Tom Flamm, International Burn Camp coordinator and a retired Chicago, Il firefighter. The camp is free of charge to burn survivors and their counselors.
“We probably get as much or more out of the camp than they do,” said Flamm.
In addition to traditional camping activities at Wabanna, participants toured the Washington Monument, Marine Corps War Memorial, Smithsonian museums, the Pentagon and the U.S. Naval Academy.
| Date Taken: | 10.08.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 10.08.2015 13:22 |
| Story ID: | 178471 |
| Location: | JOINT BASE MYER-HENDERSON HALL, VIRGINIA, US |
| Web Views: | 30 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, JBM-HH firefighters, The Old Guard host teen burn survivors, by Julia LeDoux, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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