Disabled Veterans in America

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The gathering of "disabled" American Veteran's for the 20th National Wheelchair Games is a fallacy. They are not "disabled". They are heroes, all of them. As part of the United States Military, these men and woman were all willing to serve their government and country, no matter what the consequence. Some fought in wars and put their lives on the line to the call of duty and it did not matter who survived, because they were a team and each were willing to pay the ultimate sacrafice if necessary. Others were fortunate in that they did not have to go off to war, but nonetheless, they would have been willing because they would have gone but if only for the call of duty. Many that survived the battles on the fields also survived the battles off the field that resulted in catastrophic life changes. These heroes continue to survive today, with the legacy of believing in themselves and the true spirit of America as a team. This, I believe, is what has made them heroes.

At 7 PM on the 4th day of July in the year 2000 over 700 American heroes carried the same camaraderie, when they wheeled in for the opening ceremonies of the 20th National Paralyzed Veterans Wheelchair Games, at the Henry B. Gonzales Convention Center in San Antonio, Texas. The 323rd Army Band from Fort Sam Houston played martial music as the athletes from 45 States entered the auditorium.

Then a Joint Services Color Guard performed the Presentation of Colors, followed by a reading of the Star Spangled Banner while the band played softly. The Pledge of Allegiance to our country followed. After commentaries from a number of prominent Americans that serve the Paralyzed Veterans, the room fell dark as the Host Chapter, Texas Paralyzed Veterans of America (TPVA) led the procession of the Torch.

A hush fell through the audience as General Lloyd W. "Fig" Newton, Honorary Chair of the 20th National Veterans Wheelchair Games received the torch and lit the Eternal Flame for all to see. With great applause and cheers for the wonderment of this inspiring ceremony, the Call to Competition had begun.

For me, it was curiosity that drew me to my first National Veteran's Wheelchair Games. Something I have wanted to do for years became reality via another wheeler who told me about the event. The experience of seeing so many individuals from a variety of different states was exciting and the opportunity to meet as many as I could kept me busy for hours. It was interesting to realize that I unknowingly began deciding on favorite groups even though my heart was with The Texas Paralyzed Veterans Association, who hosted this year's event.

Aggressive Advocates for Accessible America

A reception was held following the opening ceremonies in an adjacent room. I found myself observing the different chapters and picking favorites. Texas of course, was still number one on my list but the Northwest Chapter of PVA had a motto on their shirts "Aggressive Advocates for Accessible America" that was a true inspiration and part of my own philosophy.

Kater Cornwell and Tony Barriga, Members of Wheels of Fire

Kater Cornwell and Tony Barriga, Members of Wheels of Fire

"Wheels of Fire," a group from the Southeast Chapter of PVA coincidentally had the name originally wanted for our web site. I spent time tracking members of their group down and eventually lucked out when I mentioned them to someone in front of me as I waited in a chow line. The man turned completely around, pointed to the logo on his shirt and asked, "Is this who you are looking for?"

Regardless of how Veteran's became disabled, whether by illness, accident, or service connected activity, they all met the same prejudices and challenges as the rest of us except for one thing. They are veterans and as veterans, they share a special bond. This bond was created when they came together and joined the United States Military, whether by draft (now abolished) or by choice. Those who suffered the misfortune of going off to war did so willingly and did for a cause. It was only the "luck of the draw" who survived and in many ways, the survivors today suffer the most for those left behind. Whether they served in a war or not, these Patriotic Americans all belong in the community as Honorable Veterans, the same as their forefathers. It is of no consequence when a disability occurs, the spirit of service is the same, they are still a team, and they are all heroes.

In the next four days, it was amazing to watch the stamina, strength, and courage of these challenged heroes to overcome obstacles tougher than any curb or stair in everyday life. As the days progressed I found no sport that was tougher or harder than another, but also found the soft side within myself that caused me to leave the auditorium several times after witnessing the "I can do it" attitude with many contestants who refused to give in to defeat. Watching their expressions and witnessing the power of determination to succeed task after task no matter how many times one fell was astonishing. Their bodies strapped to their wheelchairs; the wheelchairs a part of themselves, made tumbling far more difficult than any ordinary fall.

On the other hand, we fall all the time and seldom do we have helmets on to protect ourselves if we go over backwards as was the case with a young man I had met outside. But I still became emotionally drained watching people accomplish tough goals and escaped to regain my composure. This in itself was inspiring in another way because outside I visited with other heroes, who gathered in the shade to relax and renew their stamina. While people reclined in their wheelchairs and some napped in supine positions in specialized chairs, I wheeled over to others who readily greeted me, and shared friendly conversation. The ingenuity of people like Richard Castilla who carried his manual sporting wheelchair by attaching the wheels to the front of his rider and the seat to the back were comical to see and inspiring to realize.

Meeting one of the early medal winners like Kevin Patton who was from Sacramento, California and served in the Air Force was a thrill for me. He had won a silver medal playing Table Tennis in Class III Division.

Another big medal winner was Mike Wilson, from up state New York. By the end of the competition, Mike had earned himself a total of five medals. But, the story about Mike doesn't stop there: Here is this Navy veteran, a quadriplegic, who entered the Wheelchair Games. During the four days of competition, he had won four Gold Medals (9-Ball, Bowling, Slalom, and Javelin) and a Bronze Medal for Air Gun. On Thursday, his aid unexpectedly left, leaving him stranded (but, the Veteran's Association came through with another). Everything was looking really great until he stopped in Chicago on his way home, changing his flight to continue on to New York. As the airline attendant proceeded to wheel him to the next gate, Mike's foot slipped off the peddle and he yelled for the attendant to stop. The attendant, apparently not paying attention, kept going until Mike yelled, "Stop this #*?@! chair!" Of course, this got not only the attendant's attention, but everyone else's. Unfortunately, Mike's foot was stuck under the wheelchair and severely broken. Now, this may appear comical, but is a true happening and I can only ask... How can a man earn all these medals at the National Veterans Wheelchair Games and end up with a broken foot while being transferred by wheelchair to his connecting flight home on an airline?

On one occasion as I headed for the exterior of the building and comfort outside among other wheelers, I ran into William "Bull" Allen. He was heading toward me with a 36-inch walking cane laid across the top of his legs. I had to stop him because I had a story to share about another individual that I had met a number of years ago who carried a walking cane for the purpose of clearing ailes. Now, I am not recommending that anyone do this ingenuous thing, but "Bull" sure brought back a flood of memories and a lot of laughter. He assured me that he did not use his walking cane for that purpose. Anyway, William "Bull" Allen, Jr., served in the United States Army. He did three tours in Vietnam and went on 39 missions.

After sitting outside for a few minutes and visiting with several people, I decided to head over to the Marriott across the street for something to eat one afternoon. I ended up sharing a table with members of the Keystone PVA from Pennsylvania. Jim Balfe was in his third year of bowling competition and averaged around 160. His assistant, Earl Sharpless, Jr., had been working with him for over ten years and finally encouraged him to take part in the wheelchair games two years ago. Both of them were excited and enjoying the games and I asked someone to take a picture of us. I wanted to remember these heroes before heading back to the games. Later I learned that Jim won a Bronze Medal.

One morning as I entered the convention center and headed for the competition, I saw another hero. A man sitting in his wheelchair in the middle of the receiving room playing a violin. What an extraordinary way to change the pace, and what beautiful music he played! I stopped long enough to take a quick picture, but neglected to learn his name in my rush to the next event. Sadly, I never saw the man again.

Capturing photos appeared to be the best way to describe the events that tells the real story of the games I was able to attend. In all fairness, my readers should know that Wheelchair Games are not just for strong atheletes or heroes of the past and present. They are for all of us.

Most important, Greg Joyce, retired from the United States Air Force, was there for me when I asked him, "How do you do it?" This simple question led to learning about NVWG 2000 being held in San Antonio, Texas. Before the day ended, I was on the telephone calling for my media kit from national so this story could be brought to you.

Most of the athletes were spinal cord injured (paraplegics and quadriplegics; the rest were amputees, or had neurological diseases or impairments (i.e., Multiple Sclerosis, brain injuries, stroke victims, etc.).

The youngest athlete was twenty-one years old and the oldest was seventy-nine years old.

There were 55 female Athletes, many who earned medals!
There were 133 that were "novices" and competing for the first time in wheelchair sports.
Several of these "Novices" won medals!

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