Cedar Rapids Weather
Friends Are a Good Thing for Recovering SoldiersBy Justin Foss, Reporter
WASHINGTON D.C. - This is the second and final part of a story following Iowa soldiers as they recover at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington D.C.
After being injured in Afghanistan Specialist Kain Schilling from Cedar Rapids was flown to Walter Reed. Since he was hit in November, he's been recovering. Schilling is not the only Iowan at the hospital. "People think straight farms and cows, but there's more than that," said Specialist Jonathon Albert from Marion. "I was in the same patrol as Schilling. I was near the front of the patrol and I got shot four times," said Albert. Albert said "It's good" having Schilling around to talk and recover with. "We got him out last weekend, had a good time." Soldiers aren't the only ones who come to Walter Reed Army Medical Center, families do too. The people there say they pride themselves on including family in the soldiers recovery process. For these two Iowa soldiers, they say their mothers played a big part. "I mean seriously, without her I'd be lost. I wouldn't know where anything was," said Albert. While the soldiers recover, Jonathon Albert and Kain Schilling's mothers are bonding. "We met for the first time here, and gotten to be pretty good friends," said Schilling's mother Lori Shebetka. The moms can't stay forever, Shebetka is on an extended vacation from her job as a nurse in Iowa City. Thankfully, the mom's say the military takes care of most of their expenses while they are visiting. Everything from housing to meals to transportation to and from the airport. They say they're glad they can be there, even though it's sometimes difficult. "I hate to see it, I don't like seeing him injured, but...it was hard," said Shebetka. Yet, the mom's say it's well worth the trip that brought them so far from home. Proving the strength of the military isn't just in the soldiers. It's also in their families. Albert says he is expecting six more months of recovery from a shattered knee cap. His girlfriend is expecting to visit him for Valentines Day. Email Justin Foss at Justin.Foss@kcrg.com More Good Stuff |
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