Operation Helping Hand at James A. Haley VA Hospital

Giving The Military A Helping Hand
Tampa Tribune - Tampa,FL,USA

By JOYCE McKENZIE

jmckenzie@tampatrib.com

Published: December 17, 2008

UNIVERSITY AREA - U.S. Marine Cpl. Miguel "Mike" Manuel Delgado could not think of a better way to spend an evening in the spinal cord injury unit at the James A. Haley Veterans' Hospital.

"I've been looking forward to this all day," said Delgado, who has been at the hospital since February. He is recovering from a broken neck that happened in a surfboarding accident in California while on leave from Iraq.

Delgado, of Brooksville, was among several other injured and wounded active duty patients and their families honored on Thursday during an annual Christmas dinner hosted by Operation Helping Hand, an initiative of the Tampa Chapter of Military Officers Association of America.

Delgado and his comrades were showered with gifts and a turkey dinner, compliments of Columbia Restaurant, and served by many of the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office and MacDill Air Force Base's top brass.

"This is cool and it's great seeing and getting kissed by so many hot ladies," joked Delgado, who has aspirations of walking again. He credits his doctors and nursing staff for getting him on track to be discharged within a couple of months.
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