Giving thanks to heros at Del Mar

[rwwupl]

Thank you, Del Mar...


http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-simers-20100907,0,3483529.column

Excerpt:

It's Labor Day, and the plan is to drive down the highway to San Diego to write about the Dodgers, and yes, what a depressing way to spend a holiday.

But fortunately, friend Mark Verge calls and suggests a stopover at Del Mar, where a group of horsemen, led by Bob Bone and Scott Guenther, is having a party for wounded warriors from the Navy Medical Center San Diego.

As part of the festivities, Del Mar officials allow the active military personnel, the wounded warriors and their spouses to walk single file onto the track after the second race with bagpipers playing the "Marines' Hymn," chills from the crowd's ovation lingering on what is a very warm afternoon.

[garyscpa]

I used to see a lot of horses owned by Dr. Robert Bone out in CA, and they were almost always very competitive. Haven't seen his name in a while.

Does anyone know if he is still an owner?

[joanied]

Another excerpt:

"Gabe, meanwhile, just hears his lieutenant yelling, "I need more ammo," so that makes it very simple and nothing heroic, he says. He just needs to get his lieutenant more ammo, gunfire falling everywhere around him, the machine gun atop his vehicle shot up.

He decides to have his vehicle driven to the one with the working machine gun, 50 feet over wide-open ground, so off they go. Right away a mine goes off directly under Gabe's seat. He's ejected from the vehicle, his left leg mangled by the blast.

"I just laid there for what seemed like an eternity taking fire," says Guest, one of his first thoughts the 52 men in his platoon. "I'm feeling guilty because I'm not going to be there for them."

He has 18 to 19 surgeries now behind him, losing count but knowing the next one is scheduled for Sept. 27, every one of them with one goal in mind — returning to Afghanistan.

"I want to go back because I'm a Marine; that's what we're supposed to do," he says. "You just have to keep fighting, and events like this make a difference. You realize you have people pulling for you. That's a beautiful thing. That's what makes it the best country in the world.

"Everyone likes to bitch or complain about this or that, but look around at everyone and how much fun they are having. This is America to me, people enjoying their freedom."

Any event to honor our military, our Wounded Warriors, is a great event...and it would be wonderful if every major track in America would do this...and do it often.