Staff Sgt. Jay P. Lawson example of what our National Guardsmen are like

While this is a great story of a community stepping up to make a difference on it's own, it also addresses the kind of men and women we have serving this nation. This National Guardsman was wounded yet stayed in Afghanistan for eight more months, no matter how much pain he was in. He didn't want to leave his men. Think of that. Think of the kind of people we have serving this nation and have served this nation, but then you better think of how the rest of us treat them.

No matter how the Vietnam veterans were treated when they came home, the majority of them would go back even though they were neglected and essentially betrayed. Some have gone back and served in Iraq and Afghanistan.

We have some amputees doing whatever they can to stay in the military.

We have some with multiple Purple Hearts but they refuse to leave their buddies.

These are incredible men and women we should all be proud of but above all, feel compelled to do whatever it takes to make sure they are taken care of when they come home and need us.

Soldier expresses gratitude for community care
06/11/2009,

For Staff Sgt. Jay P. Lawson, a Marseilles resident with the Illinois Army National Guard, the road to recovery was a long one, as he served his country in Afghanistan despite sustaining injuries in the line of duty almost two years ago.

"When I learned of his injuries, I had no idea the damage that had been done," said Christine Lawson, Jay's wife. "It has been a long, uphill road for us — three shoulder surgeries and tons of physical therapy — over one and a half years worth."

Even after the injury, Jay Lawson stayed in Afghanistan for eight more months.

"When you"re at war, you live with an adrenaline rush that seems to mask the pain of your injuries," he said. "I knew I was hurt, but the pain seemed tolerable, and I wasn"t going to leave my team."

Still, Jay feels like one of the lucky ones.

"There are so many more soldiers that have suffered worse and have to live with their injuries every day," he said.

After two weeks home on leave; with nine months of his tour behind him, Jay returned to Afghanistan to complete his tour of duty. Before he returned to his duty site, however, the military sent him to Landstuhl, Germany, to assess the extent of his injuries.

That is when the reality of the situation began to sink in, said the Lawsons.

Jay was sent back to a military medical facility in Fort Gordon, Ga. It was there he learned of a new program known as the Community Based Warrior Transition Unit.

The CBWTU is committed to wounded warrior care with a focus on medical treatment while the soldier is at his or her home. CBWTU provides command and control and medical case management to soldiers injured or ill as the result of their military service. This type of treatment allows them to be within their family-support network and gives them the ability to receive treatment from local physicians and specialists.
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