Wounded Marines in Hawaii keep giving back

Troops build trail to heal, give thanks
Wounded Warriors project geared toward blind, deaf children

By Eloise Aguiar
Advertiser Windward O'ahu Writer

WAIMANALO — As wounded combatants, Marines and sailors from the Kane'ohe Bay base have been on the receiving end with people showing their appreciation for all they've done. Yesterday it was their turn to give.


The Wounded Warrior Company from Marine Corps Base Hawaii is building a sensory trail at Manawale'a Riding Center based at Da Ranch in Waimanalo. The trail will benefit the children and adults who go there for therapy.

It's all part of the wounded's recuperation that includes physical therapy, counseling and outings such as hiking, deep sea fishing and barbecues at the sandbar in Kane'ohe Bay. During recuperation, the members of the Wounded Warriors also have received movie tickets, a 50-inch plasma television, Xbox 360 and a PlayStation 3, said Marine Sgt. Aaron Quiroz, who injured his wrist in an accident.

For the first time since the company was formed about a year ago, the troops decided it was time to show their appreciation for the community that's supporting them, Quiroz said while building the trail yesterday.

And although the troops were a little reluctant about doing the manual labor — cutting down haole koa trees with machetes — the reward was better than any Xbox 360, he said.

"Seeing the children when we left here, our hearts were filled with pride and joy," Quiroz said. "That's what it's really about."

Yesterday was the second time the Marines and sailors volunteered at the riding stable to build the 6-foot wide, quarter-mile trail. The sensory path will be used primarily by children who are blind or deaf, but others who are more advanced also will get a chance to enjoy it.

The stable is on two acres of land off Waikupanaha Street. It is surrounded by farms and another stable. A new covered arena was built there recently with funding from Lions Club International and the Harold K.L. Castle Foundation.

The stable belongs to Ben Char Jr., 57, who is president of the center's board and founder of the therapeutic center. He operates a repair shop to support his family and contributes to the operation of the center, a dream of his since he was a young man.

The company decided as a group to take on the project, said Lance Cpl. Matthew Carhart, 21. The men liked the idea of being outdoors and active, said Carhart, who was shot by a sniper in Iraq. But the concept was new, forcing the Marines and sailors to think differently about their recovery, he said.
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