The German Angel And Matthew Braddock - Someone You Should Know

Posted By Blackfive

“I remember smoke and stuff flying at me and my truck commander yelling, ‘Is everybody all right?’ My gunner yelled down that he was all right. And I yelled that I was all right because I thought I was. Then I took two steps and hit the ground." - Matthew Braddock on being wounded in Iraq

Occasionally, I get email from folks who ask me why I am such a supporter of Soldiers' Angels.  Read this, and, if you don't know why at the end, you never will understand.

Back in early November, I wrote about Willie Aufmkolk as Someone You Should Know.  Willie is a great lady with a heart of gold.  She is a German citizen who (with the help of her husband and friends) has been taking care of our wounded troops as they are brought into Germany before making the trip back to the states (Walter Reed, Bethesda, etc.).  She's part of the Germany contingent of Soldiers' Angels.

Here's just one story about how Willie connected with a wounded American soldier...

---

On January 13th, Specialist Matt Braddock, a Cavalry Scout with the 116th Brigade Combat Team, was driving a humvee near Kirkuk, Iraq, when an IED was set off near his vehicle.

The left side of his body bore the brunt of the explosion - severed artery in his left arm, shrapnel lodged in his left knee, mangled his lower leg, both feet were crushed.

Three fellow soldiers rushed to his aid, saving his life - Specialist Josiah Jurich, Sergeant Charles Jordan and Staff Sergeant Marvin Albert (click the link to read about these heroes that you should know).

Matt's mother, Rhetta, picks up the story from here (via email):

Matt was laying on a stretcher in a bus at Landstahl waiting to be put on a transport to the US. He was pretty much miserable, cold and in need of a pillow. All of a sudden a lady with a German accent appears out of nowhere, knowing his name, gives him a pillow and a quilt and a backpack with essential personal items. Before he can get her name, she's gone. He said it was like an angel had just appeared!

Willie is a German citizen and a volunteer Soldier's Angel who puts together backpacks for soldiers and distributes them in Landstahl. She drives 150 miles from her home to the hospital to do this.

 

Kay Fristad of the Oregon Army National Guard public affairs office called her and asked if she could check on Matt. After going to ICU and being sent to the ward and then sent to the buses, she found him on the 2rd bus, 5 minutes before they closed it up to leave.

 

Once Matt got to Madigan Army Medical Center at Ft Lewis, he told me the story and I started going through his stuff. I found a card with Willie's name and email address in the very bottom and we started to correspond.

 

Through all this time she has continued to support Matt with mail and gifts. She went a step farther and showed up to attend his Purple Heart Ceremony!

 

As a recognition for all Willie and two other Angels present have done for him and other soldiers he presented them with stained glass angels. And to watch over while her husband is in Iraq he gave one to Laura Albert, as well.

Matt would lose his left leg and have a miracle worker surgeon, Dr. Roman Hayda (Brooke Army Hospital, San Antonio, Texas?), put his right foot back together.  Matt is doing well, recovering quickly, and wants to get back to Iraq.  And, if he can't be a Cavalry Scout, he wants to be a mechanic (where do we find these guys?).

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So here are some pictures of the ceremony where over 200 people, including Willie Aufmkolk, came to see Matthew Braddock receive his Purple Heart in Oregon.  There were two other Angels that were recognized by Specialist Braddock - Kathy Gregory of Fisher House and MaryAnn, an American Soldiers' Angel in Germany.

Major General Burns pinning a Purple Heart on Matthew Braddock.
Matthew Braddock thanking Willie Aufmkolk and giving her a stained glass angel.

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Comments

[Willie]

Thank you very much for posted it.

I am glad that I had the great opportunity to visit Matthew Braddock in Oregon
and went with him together and his mother Rhetta to his puple heart ceremony. The
ceremony was a great event 200 people were there. Rhetta and Matthew introduced
me their family members and the Oregon National Guard. Matthew had told all his
comrades and his guests from the great work from the Soldiers Angels and the
Fisher House Landstuhl. Two wonderful ladies, Kathy Gregory and Willie had
brought him - as he felt himself so alone and cold - a backpack, a blanket and a
pillow. For him it was his most important moment as he was in LRMC, to see that
he was not alone.

I am glad that I had the great opportunity to support him and was sitting nearby
him as he has received his purple heart. I know that God Bless him and give him
the power for a fast recovery. I am proud that we have men and women who are
fighting for more freedom in our world and against the terorism.

Willie
Wilhelmine Aufmkolk, Germany
Soldiers Angels

[fyodorgaribaldi]

Man, everytime I feel cynical I read one of these stories you post and then I'm ashamed of myself. Thanks for reminding me of all the heroes (and heroines like Willie).
If you don't mind, I'd like to link to this story and your t-shirts.

[Tink]

Willie,

Thank you so very much for all that you do.

[Marcia]

Willie,

Thank you so much for all that you do to make our heroes feel comfortable before they make the trip back home.

Marcia

[Patti Bader]

Thank you to all who unite to support our heroes,
I got goosebumps when I read this and I knew the story!!!
Thank you Matt!
Patti

[Bookworm]

What a moving story. Specialist Braddock's bravery and commitment to our country are inspiring. I'm also impressed by and appreciative of Willie, whose active kindness is rare and wonderful. Willi is also a good reminder that those Americans who travel through Europe wearing "Don't blame me; I voted for Kerry" t-shirts may be offending some abroad, as well as many at home.

[cranky]

Thank you for posting this. Thank you, Specialist Braddock, thank you Willie (!), and thank you to all the Angels out there.

[Alan]

Any way to get an address for Willie? The least I could do is kick in some gas money.

Alan Anderson
Grayslake, Illinois
(proud Father of a soon to be O-5)
(proud Uncle of a Lance Corporal)
(USMC veteran of Jack and Lyndon's Carribean and Se Asia Cruise Lines)

[RG]

Today the Iraqi Assembly Accepted the new Cabinet.

To all the volunteers in the Military who since 9/11 have fought terror face to face to free Afghanistan from the Taliban, and Iraq from Saddam:

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED

JOB WELL DONE

These nations for have new Demcocratic Governments, governments who are now our newest allies against terror.

We now back away from the political scene in these nations, but we still will continue to destroy terrorists head on.

May God continue to Bless America.

May God continue to Bless our Young Men and Women in Uniform.

[devildog67671]

My congratulations to Spec. Braddock.I wish him well. Thank you for all you and your family have sacrificed for our country.

To Willie I say, this just goes to show there are real Angels" right here on earth. I think Willie is one of those amazing people who understand the "random acts of kindness"

[Adele]

Thanks, Matt, for telling Willie's story! We are very proud of her at SA and all angels know her name!!

[Teresa]

People like Willie and all the other Soldier's Angels, are so outstanding. I'm always amazed at how much they do - without expecting recognition! They truly are angels. Thank you for all your hard work to help our injured soldiers.

[jtb-in-texas]

The abominations of war are beyond description... To take our best young men and women and sacrifice them needlessly is a grievous wound to the nation... A President (or other leader) who does such a thing is beneath all of our deepest contempt.

If the war in Iraq were merely a war of conquest, it would be wrong. Saddam was terrible, but merely replacing him with another slave-owner would not justify the dead and wounded. But, the Iraqi people are our friends, neighbors, brothers, sisters. Jesus said "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." (John 15:13, NIV)

The US is replacing Saddam's rule with Iraqi democracy. Not ours, their's. Not an American-written document, not a Shiite document, not a Suni document, not a Kurdish document, but an American-enabled, Iraqi Consensus, deriving power and legitimacy from all of the Iraqi People...

In the depths of misery caused by war, God inspires some people to rise above the pack and show us how we can, no, how we should live...

B5, you show us these people that the MSM tries to bury...

You have our sincere gratitude!

[Subsunk]

B5,

Whenever I think life is unfair or too hard or that there is no justice, all I need to do is visit this site. I never feel sorry for myself afterwards. Willie is an Angel in the truest sense of the word. And our Men are as great as any generation which came before us. The spirit of the American GI is as strong as it was when my father served his time in Burma in 1944.

And I wouldn't belittle their stellar achievements by claiming it was a needless sacrifice, because nothing they have done is too small or too trivial to impress me. My father, stepfather and grandparents are all honored, as angels in heaven who lived through the Great Wars of the 20th century, to be associated with them and with Willie in the slightest way. There is obviously a special place set aside in Paradise for Willie and our wounded and our slain in battle, where the angels have their wings, strong, bright and polished to dazzling brilliance, just waiting for their arrival, however long it takes. All because they have shown themselves to be Angels on Earth.

Thank you, Willie and SPC Braddock

[jtb-in-texas]

Dear Readers...

As I read Subsunk's response, I think maybe I was misunderstood... please reread my earlier posting...

War for conquest is a needless abomination. There is no amount of land, money, oil, or other material goods that can justify the death of an American soldier, sailor, airman, or marine.

War to raise up an oppressed people from tyranny (like we're doing in Afghanistan and Iraq) by an all-volunteer armed force is IMHO the closest we can achieve to Christ's sacrifice ("greater love" and all that)...

I'll sit down and shut up now...

Thanks again B5...

[LAURA ALBERT]

What a great site!!! I just have to say there are a lot of people that can't put their brain around what soldiers do for this country!!This site is giving back to the brave soldiers who give to us everyday without a second thought. Matt you will always be close to our hearts.WE LOVE YOU.

Thanks, Laura (S.S.G MARVIN ALBERT'S WIFE)

[stiffining]

http://www.allklean.com/wwwboard/messages/18490.html complimentwhosewondered