OCW provides picnic for Balboa patients
Legionnaires serve food to veterans during a barbecue at the Naval Medical Center in San Diego on Nov. 12. Photo by Sandy Huffaker Jr.

OCW provides picnic for Balboa patients

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Thanks to Operation Comfort Warriors (OCW), about 200 wounded servicemembers and staff at the Naval Medical Center San Diego ("Balboa Hospital") received a barbecue lunch and gratitude on Nov. 12.

Volunteers representing The American Legion Family in the Department of California prepared and served the meal and dished out complimentary OCW hats, backpacks and water bottles.

“We go to Balboa hospital many times throughout the year,” District 22 Commander Tony Stewart said. “But this time of the year is always the most special. We join with other groups and remind them that ‘mutual helpfulness’ means something to us. Because we are all bound by service. It’s a day that we do some real actual good deeds, then walk away, feel good about it and get ready for the next one.”

With a wounded Marine from the Gulf War, on hand, singing and playing the guitar, and a disabled Vietnam War veteran playing saxophone, the Balboa patients and staff feasted on hamburgers, brats, potato salad, dessert and more.

The American Legion’s OCW program allocated $500 for the picnic and another $500 for the backpacks, caps and water bottles. A full 100 percent of donations to OCW goes toward funding items and events like this one at Balboa to assist servicemembers who are recovering from their wounds at military hospitals.

The effort did not go unnoticed by Geoffrey Quevedo, an Afghanistan veteran who has been recovering at Balboa since February 2012 after losing his leg and most of his arm.

“It feels good knowing that people like the Legion will step in, knowing that they don’t have too,” Quevedo said. “It’s not mandatory. It’s nice to see how they appreciate us and we certainly appreciate them.”
Quevedo made it a point to thank the donors to OCW who contribute to events such as this one.

“These people that so appreciate what we did over there, they make it seem like what we did was not in vain,” he said. “We just like it that they support us. We appreciate what the Legion is doing for all of us.”