Wounded troops and families feted for holiday at Haley VA

Wounded troops and families feted for holiday at Haley VA
By Robbyn Mitchell, Times Staff Writer
In Print: Friday, December 18, 2009


TAMPA

The din rose higher and higher as more than 300 guests talked and chowed down on turkey, but Craig Remsburg was determined to speak his piece Thursday night.

"I just want to thank you for all you're doing for us," Remsburg said as he shook the hand of Bob Silah, the chairman of Operation Helping Hand. "This is all so wonderful."

The father of an Army Ranger in a coma, Remsburg was in awe of how the Tampa community came out in force to honor his son and nearly 30 other injured or wounded military personnel at Operation Helping Hand's monthly dinner at the James A. Haley VA Medical Center's Spinal Cord Injury Center.

People were listening to Christmas music and talking between forkfuls of turkey , mashed potatoes, bread, yams and fried plantains.

Santa Claus sat smilingly near the front of the room, welcoming children. The Tampa Bay Lightning's Thunderbug flitted from table to table working the littlest dinner guests into a frenzy with mimicry and gags.

Silah said the group had raised $12,000 during the dinner, the bulk — $8,000 — coming from the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office clay pigeon shoot out.
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Wounded troops and families feted for holiday at Haley VA