Last Updated: January 6, 2010

Locust Valley Fire Department Visit Wounded Warriors

• Adam Grohman
For the second year in a row, volunteers from the Locust Valley Fire Department, in conjunction with fellow firefighters throughout Nassau County, made a pilgrimage to Camp LeJeune and other military bases, to visit with wounded warriors who have been the focus of their year-long philanthropic efforts. On Thursday evening, December 3, a small contingent of Locust Valley firefighters received a blessing from Deacon Ted Kolakowski before they proceeded to Floral Park to pick up the last of the two 26-foot U-Haul trucks, both donated vehicles having been previously loaded with multiple boxes of clothing, gifts, toys, cards and good wishes from the hearts of the people throughout Nassau County. The volunteer fire departments, through the coordination of the Operation Wounded Warrior project, had independently raised funds, including Locust Valley Fire Department's highly successful spaghetti dinner this past October, to effectuate the provision of these gifts for the benefit and spirit of the injured veterans returning from the hostilities of Iraq and Afghanistan.
Prior contingents had left earlier in the day and the previous day, bound for Fort Bragg, Walter Reed and Bethesda Naval Medical Center. Members of the Locust Valley Fire Department embarked for the Marine base at Camp LeJeune in Jacksonville, NC. After a few hours of rest at Quantico, VA., the firefighters rendez-voused with the Fort Bragg contingent consisting of members from other Nassau County Fire Departments, for the final convoy into Camp LeJeune. The gifts were then distributed and gratefully received by a host of young veterans, many of whom still bore the scars from post-operative care. The visiting firefighters were later quartered at the base, and following a departure breakfast in conjunction with the Hope for the Warriors organization, the firefighters headed back home, some returning to Bethesda and Walter Reed, others making a special detour east to visit with the family of Sgt. Eric Edmundson, a critically wounded veteran from the U.S. Army's 14th Calvary.
The anticipation and appreciation as expressed by these recipient Marines and soldiers were equally mirrored by the forty plus men and women of the Nassau fire departments bearing these care packages.
LVFD Chief Jeffrey Baker and the Operation Wounded Warrior Co-Chairs Paul Long, Paul Marecki and Brian Plumb were especially grateful to the local and neighboring communities for enabling them to raise $21,056 from the spaghetti dinner this past October, all of which went to Operation Wounded Warrior. A Locust Valley Fire Department letter to the community that appeared in The Leader under the signature of Jeff Converse, Paul Long, Paul Marecki, Chief Jeff Baker, and the rest of the crew, said that they are “proud to have been the largest contributor to Operations Wounded Warrior this year, thanks to the generosity of the community, out of all of the participating Nassau County Fire Departments.”

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