For Veterans, Especially The Wounded, Few Better Places To Come Than Tampa

Posted Nov 1, 2011 by Howard Altman

Updated Nov 1, 2011 at 09:57 PM

If you are in uniform and could pick any place in the United States to come to, the Tampa Bay area has to be at the top of the list.

Great weather. Check.

Amazing beaches. Check.

Palm trees (what can I say, I love them). Check.

Beyond that, with the VA hospitals and the Fisher House, we have some of the best health care available for the wounded, especially the most severely injured.

And this is a place where people come from all over to help those returning from war.

One of the most awe-inspiring manifestations of that is the monthly dinner put on by Operation Helping Hand, where wounded vets - some blind, others in wheelchairs – and their families are honored with, among other things, gift bags containing such items as gift certificates, phone cards, watches, teddy bears, cell phone cards, dinner coupons, gas coupons and “many other things needed for their stay while their love one is being treated at the VA hospital,” according to the organization’s website. Family kits are also presented to the wounded and injured and their families upon their arrival at the Tampa VA hospital.

I was at the most recent event. The cafeteria in the Spinal Care Center was packed. More than 200 people showed up to pay tribute to the vets. I even saw subjects of several different stories from several different walks of life.

The organization’s chairman, Bob Silah, a retired Navy captain, is one of those tireless advocates for the vets. If you’ve never been, check it out. And tell Bob I say howdy.

Another reason why Tampa Bay is such a great place to go if you are in uniform and looking for a home?

My inbox has been flooded with information about those offering to help.

Take the case of Marine Cpl. Mike Nicholson, who lost three limbs while on patrol in Afghanistan on July 6.

Nicholson has had a very difficult recovery. But back home in Tampa, where Nicholson attended Plant High School, the effort to help him and his parents has been nothing short of amazing.

The latest chapter came today, when a group of Marines went to work doing one of the things they do best – demolition.

I was hoping to go, but news broke about the effort to shut the burn pits in Afghanistan and protect the health of the hundreds of thousands of troops who may have been exposed to harmful chemicals.

So here’s an update, from architect Richard Hartmann, who is helping to lead efforts to rehab the Nicholson home so that the wounded Marine, who needs a wheel chair, can move back into the room where he grew up.

Today at 0900, the Marines invaded 3316 West Barcelona Street!!!!!

This morning, demolition of the rear deck area and forming for the slab pour was accomplished.
This normally would have taken several days, but it was completed in 3 hours with the help of 20 Marines.
These Marines from Central Florida banded together to assist a fellow Wounded Marine.
It was an awesome sight.
Two Marines actually received promotions to Staff Sergeant right in Cpl Nicholson’s front yard.

A special thanks goes out to Maj Weis and SgtMaj Joiner of the USMC for setting up this noble effort.

Thank you to Jamie Wolf of Starsbucks on Bay To Bay Blvd. for donating coffee and breakfast munchies to the Marines.
Thank you to Louie Pappas and Katrina Bell of Louis Pappas Market Café on Bay To Bay Blvd. for donating lunch for the Marines.
Thank you to Father David Toups, Pastor of Christ the King Parish, for blessing the house and the Marines.
A little holy water on the Marines never hurts.
Thank you Marines for a wonderful start on this construction project!!!!

If you want to help, reach out to Hartmann at richard@hartmannarchitecture.com

And on Veteran’s Day, there will be a concert to help raise funds for him and his family. It will be held at the Amphitheater Event Facility in Ybor City, 6:30 P.M. - 10:30 P.M. A $5donation goes to Nicholson’s “Road to Recovery Fund.”

Here’s a note on that:

“hello Friends,
o
Any help that can be given to this young man and his family would be a blessing. 100% of our door goes to his ROAD TO RECOVERY FUND.
o
o This boy lost 3 limbs in this war ... breaks my heart. Spread the word - ask friends to post ..
o .
We received a gracious donation of talent from Tenth Concession and Renee Proffitt for this concert. Our first benefit helped to raise $3600 for the Spring in conjunction with a wonderful burlesque troupe, KAT SCRATCH BURLESQUE. We are going to start a monthly charity/benefit where the talent donates their time and we donate our door. Any ideas you want to throw at us for worthy charities or talent that would like to participate for the December benefit would be welcome!
Thanks very much for spreading the word on this VETERANS DAY BENEFIT CONCERT FOR CPL MICHAEL NICHOLSON “

For more information, contact Liane Bennati:

AMPhitheatre Event Facility
Sunset Events
813.248.4050 office
813.248.4051 fax
AMPtampa.com
lbtpafla@gmail.com

Over the next few days, I’ll post details of even more charity events for vets.

If you have any information you want to share, please feel free to email me at haltman@tampatrib.com