Our Recent Visits to Our Wounded Warriors
September 29 - October 3, 2008
Recently we were honored to begin a week of visits to spend time with our Wounded Warriors, their families, and the superb medical staff at Walter Reed, Bethesda, Landstuhl Regional Medical Facility, and Ramstein Air Force Base. Our visit was under the sponsorship of the National Cartoonists Society and the USO.
This is our fourth year of visits around the country to active military hospitals and veterans hospitals. Still, the visits are very humbling, to be in the presence of heroes and their families. Tom Richmond has a wonderful description of the emotions and personal details of our visits on his blog: http://www.tomrichmond.com/blog.
You may also want to view the Armed Forces Television report of our visit to Landstuhl Regional at: http://www.afneurope.net/itemlink.aspx?itemId=5007
Stars and Stripes has an article about the Germany visit as well: http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=64997&archive=true
Below are photos from our trip. I hope you not only enjoy them, but I also hope you will consider supporting the USO (www.uso.org) and the Soldiers' Angels program (www.soldiersangels.com) to help with immediate needs for the wounded.
Our week began in Washington, DC, with visits to Walter Reed, The Mologne House, and Bethesda.
Rick Kirkman (Baby Blues), Me, Mike Peters (Mother Goose & Grimm), Chip Bok (Editorial Cartoonist), Jeff Bacon (Navy Times), Rick Pastis (Pearls Before Swine), Tom Richmond (MAD Magazine), and Jeff Keane (Family Circus) enjoy a fine meal at one of Landstuhl's fine Restaurants, Ristoranti Da Nico.
A visit with the fine USO staff at Ramstein AFB. This crew does such a great job assisting the military and their families during arrivals and departures.
These Navy "angels" do a tremendous job at the Landstuhl Medical Facility. They are both active duty and reserve nurses.
Spending time with some of the medical staff at Landstuhl.
Steve Pastis entertains, along with the other cartoonists, to bring a few smiles to the Intensive Care Unit.
Thanking a wounded soldier, soon to return to Iraq, with a cartoon and a handshake.
Having a great time in the pathology lab!
We are at the Evacuation Center, awaiting about twenty patients who will fly back to the States, the next morning. Each bed has get-well cards written and drawn by children. The walls are decorated with more get-well wishes and banners from supporters in the U.S. Some even have Superman pillowcases. Indeed, these young people are all super heroes!
The 62nd Annual National Cartoonists Society's Reuben Awards Weekend
May 23-27 (New Orleans) -
This years Reuben Award weekend was held at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel, in New Orleans. My wife, Yong, son, B.J. and I attended the weekend, and had a wonderful time. Probably the jewel of each yearly meeting is visiting with old friends, and making new ones.
It is interesting that this year, there were many cartoonists who attended from various places outside the U.S. Kieran Meehan (www.meehancartoons.com) flew in from Scotland. Jyrki Vainio (www.jyrkivainio.com), a Finnish cartoonist, shared our table during the awards, on Saturday night.
Al Jaffe, MAD Magazine cartoonist and legend, received the Reuben Award. What a great finish. We had not seen Al for many years, at least, since the old days of the New York awards weekends. As you can tell from the photo, below, we had a lot of arguing to catch up on.
Photos From the Weekend:
Bruce and Al Jaffe accuse each other of taking the last bagel. Bill and Delores Gallo are ready for the parade to Broussards.
Southern gentleman and MAD legend, Jack Davis. A little famly time in Jackson Square.
Karen & John Rose and Gerri and Jerry Dowling at the trolley. The new Stooges: Mike Peters, Bruce, and Arnold Roth
Mom and son at good ol' table 33. Courting my sweetie in the Ritz courtyard.
USO Announces Germany Visit
May 1, 2008 (Washington, DC)
Bruce Higdon is among nine cartoonists selected to visit wounded soldiers and families in Germany, this coming September. Wounded soldiers are airlifted from the battlefield to Landstuhl for stabilization and treatment, prior to evacuation to stateside facilities. The cartoonist group will also visit soldiers at other locations, as part of the USO visit.
These visits have been in operation for a little over three years. Various NCS groups and individuals have visited active military hospitals and posts, such as: Brooke Army Medical Facility, Balboa Naval Hospital, Bethesday Naval Hospital, Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Eisenhower Medical Center, Fort Campbell, Fort Dix, as well as Veteran's Hospital throughout the U.S. This will be the first overseas visit, but more are planned.
This trip is courtesy of several sponsors who have contributed to the USO, and, in particular, this effort. Without support, the USO could not do the wonderful job it does in supporting military members and families, throughout the world.
Won't you become a part of this worthwhile organization? Visit their website at: www.uso.org. For further information on our visits, you may also visit these sites: http://www.broadside.net/Supportthetroops.htm; http://www.militarytimes.com/blogs/broadside/2007/04/04/the-troops-at-brooke/; and http://www-nmcsd.med.navy.mil/news/news_view.cfm?nrid=353;
If you would like to become a sponsor of the cartoonists effort, information may be found at: http://www.broadside.net/NCSF.htm
You may also view photos from many of these USO Cartoonists Visits at: http://www.broadside.net/cartoonpictures.htm