Rain forces Walk for the Wounded & Warriors inside
Operation First Response thanks veterans for their service
UPPER PROVIDENCE » Though rain forced Operation First Response’s 11th annual Walk for the Wounded & Warriors event inside, it didn’t dampen the spirit of the day as hundreds of people filled Springton Lakes Middle School to honor the service of our military veterans.
Operation First Response helps wounded veterans in their recovery period and transition from military to civilian world. The financial aid to veterans from event proceeds is based on individual needs and ranges from rent and utilities assistance and clothing and travel expenses to home alterations for accessibility. As the 10th annual event in 2017, the walk has raised more than $2.5 million.
“There are 39,000 veterans living in Delaware County,” said Council Chairman John McBlain. Though it rained, this ceremony is the most important part of today’s events, to thank our veterans.”
“It is hard to comprehend what our servicemen and women face in a combat situation, or serving in a hostile country. But it’s just as hard to comprehend what it must be like to return to civilian life after suffering life-changing injuries, often follow,” McBlain said.
During the ceremony, Operation First Response presented the family of fallen hero, Army Sgt. Allen J. Dunckley with a portrait of their loved one.
The most riveting part of the day was the talk by retired U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer Trevor Jenni from Egg Harbor, New Jersey. Jenni is a recipient of Walk for the Wounded and Warriors funds.
Jenni told his families history of military service, including his father Richard, who served in the Army and Air Force in the 1960s and ‘70s, his two brothers Christian and Heath, both who have served in the Army and his sister, Lt. Col Shoshannah Lane went to West Point and is currently on active duty.
After his sister went to West Point and his brother enlisted, Jenni joined the Army at age 22 and served as a private. He tried out and was accepted into the special forces. During Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan he was a sergeant leading a team under attack when he was thrown back by an exploding mortar. The incident inflicted on him the first in a number of head traumas.
“We were taking fire,” Jenni said. “I was thrown back. I remember one of the guys slapped me afterward. Everything was in slow motion.”
“I never worried about dying, the biggest thing always was about getting my men home,” he said. “You put your guys first, it’s the only way to make it home, the only way to become a family.” On a subsequent misWALK » PAGE 13