Speaker of House visits wounded warriors at Landstuhl

By Samantha MerkleMay 11, 2010

Speaker of House visits wounded warriors at Landstuhl
(Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

LANDSTUHL REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER, Germany (Army News Service, May 11, 2010) -- Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and fellow members of congress visited patients and staff May 10 at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center.

During her bedside visits with injured servicemembers from Iraq and Afghanistan in the Intensive Care Unit and Medical-Surgical Wards, Pelosi thanked Wounded Warriors for their service and commitment to our country.

Along with her personable message of thanks, Pelosi presented coins from the Speaker's Office.

"This is not only a coin, but an invitation to come to Washington D.C.," Pelosi said while presenting coins to patients. One of them was Lance Corporal Zach Gillilan, a wounded Marine who just arrived from Afghanistan. The 20-year-old Marine thanked the congressional leaders for their unexpected visit that he described as a huge success in raising patients' spirits and uplifting morale.

Pelosi and fellow congresswomen spent time listening to the stories of Gillilan, who is being treated for injuries sustained in an improvised explosive device blast, and 1st Lt. Justin Trowbridge, a 24-year-old fellow Marine being treated for a gunshot wounded received during a firefight in Afghanistan.

Pelosi and the congressional delegation had just arrived from Afghanistan where they paid tribute to military moms on Mother's Day.

"We thanked all servicemembers," Pelosi said of her trip to Afghanistan. "But we wanted to give a special thanks to our women and honor their commitment to our country, especially the mothers who missed spending Mother's Day with their children."

In addition to Pelosi, other members of the congressional delegation included Susan Davis of California, chair of the Armed Services Subcommittee on Military Personnel; Madeleine Bordallo of Guam, member of the Armed Services Committee; Niki Tsongas of Massachusetts, member of the Armed Services Committee; and Donna Edwards of Maryland, member of the Science and Technology Committee.

(Samantha Merkle writes for Landstuhl Regional Medical Center Public Affairs)