Posted on 11/10/2004 5:37:55 PM PST by minus_273
Today more than 174,000 active duty and 37,000 reserve Marines protect the United States of America. A significant percentage of them deploy overseas to bravely serve our nation in hotbeds of violence like Iraq and Afghanistan. This commitment is not without a cost. In fact, Department of Defense statistics indicate 1,854 Marines wounded in Operation Iraqi Freedom from 19 March 2003 through 4 September 2004.
These battle-injured warriors are returned to the United States after being stabilized at military hospitals in Germany. Upon arrival in the United States, initial critical care is typically provided at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. Depending on the type and severity of the injuries, initial or continued hospitalization may occur at other military, civilian, or veteran hospitals located throughout the United States. Hospital stays can extend for months and follow-on rehabilitative care for years.
Injury to a Marine causes an immediate crisis for their entire family. Loved ones will travel at a moment?s notice, and often a great distance, to be at the bedside of their wounded Marine. These hospital stays are almost never short. While they support their Marine, families stay in hotels, drive rental cars, pay for three meals a day and incur numerous additional living expenses. Not infrequently, one or more family members have to take leave without pay from their job. These circumstances create an unexpected financial hardship during what is already a very stressful time.
The Marine Corps goes above and beyond to support Marines and their families but there are limits to the amount of funding available to accommodate the families of injured Marines. The Marine Corps can only provide financial assistance to two family members for a limited period of time. However, Marines typically need the support of more than two individuals over the course of their recovery. For example, a young married Marine with a wife and two small children may at first require the support of his spouse. Eventually the Marine's spouse must return home to care for the children and parents may step in to provide comfort to the injured Marine. As time passes, Mom and Dad may need to return to work and a sibling may arrive until the spouse can return again. Defense Department funding is not available to extended family members or for the reimbursement of expenses for rental cars, long-term childcare, or lost income.
In recognition of this obvious shortfall, on May 18, 2004 a small group of concerned Marine Corps spouses founded the Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund to provide financial assistance nationwide to individual Marines and Sailors, and families of those injured serving our Nation. In the summer of 2004, the 29th Commandant of the Marine Corps, a retired sergeant major, and two retired general officers joined them. By late September 2004 the Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund had already assisted over 100 families with more than $165,000.
The Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund provides financial grants and other resources to injured Marines, Sailors, and their families. The Fund works closely with the Marine Corps, Navy, and hospitals nationwide to identify and assess the needs of specific families. The application process for a grant is simple yet thorough, and assistance is typically delivered in less than 72 hours. The mission is to provide immediate and real financial assistance during this extraordinarily stressful time. The Fund?s mission is accomplished when the financial stresses are alleviated so our brave Marines and Sailors can focus on the important job of physical and emotional healing.
Fund Specifics: The Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization and all donations are tax deductible. The IMSFF has no paid positions and relies upon volunteers, donors, and gratuitous services. To contribute to the fund please send your donations to:
Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund
825 College Blvd Suite 102
PMB 609
Oceanside, CA 92057
Email: kgimsf@aol.com or rcbimsf@comcast.net
Many thanks for posting this. My husband and I also saw this and we both said "We need to send a contributtion"; but we didn't get the name of the fund.
My check's in the mail. What about it Freepers? We owe these guys and their families!
IS there a fund which will help all branches of the military and not just marine families?
Are they set up for credit card contributions, as did the Swift-vets?
I think it's the basics of checks, cash, cashier's checks, but not credit cards. Maybe they should set up a paypall donation account.
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