Wounded Warrior program sends 120 military home for holidaysSun Journal Staff January 1, 2008 - 11:03PM More than 100 military personnel spent Christmas with their families because of the Wounded Warrior Leave Program. People from across the country donated a total of $173,000 to the program. Program officials used the money to buy plane tickets for 66 Marines from Camp Lejeune, 50 soldiers from Fort Bragg's Warrior Transition Battalion and Womack Army Hospital and four sailors, according to a press announcement from the Military Order of the Purple Heart. The organization supports the Wounded Warrior program. Donations for the tickets came from all parts of the country, including Washington and California, said Steve Tyson, chairman for the program. "Most of it came from Eastern North Carolina," Tyson said. "I think that it shows that, regardless of how one might feel about the war in Iraq, there's no doubt that the overwhelming majority of the people in Eastern North Carolina support their troops and want to get them home for Christmas." Tyson said many of the donations came from residents of South Carolina. A woman from Virginia Beach, Va., sent a $2,000 donation. "She said she didn't know anything about the Wounded Warrior program, but she just trusted we'd put the money in the right place," Tyson said. A lot of people gave money at a fund-raising event Dec. 11 at New Bern Golf and Country Club. "We had a large crowd there, and the Marines were happy to see that people care about them," Tyson said. “Some of the tickets this time of year are particularly expensive. If you're from Washington state and need to get home the week of Christmas, it gets expensive.” Tyson started the leave program in 2006. He said the program will continue in 2008. "If it's needed, we will," he said. "We'll have some money left over this year for it." Wounded Warriors are Lauded By Francine Sawyer Sun Journal Staff December 12, 2007 With "Bad to the Bone" playing on the stereo Tuesday night, more than two dozen wounded warriors from Camp Lejeune walked into the New Bern Golf and Country Club amid uproarious applause. The men and women, a few with canes, many showing no outward signs of injuries, made their way into the main ballroom of the club to be celebrated. New Bern leaders gave more than adulation. In about a week, the town raised more than $100,000 to help wounded military men and women get home for Christmas. Sandy and Charlie Rose said they came to show support for the wounded men and women. "Lip service doesn't cut it," Charlie Rose said. "It is good to give them money. There is not a better bunch of men and women." Some of the wounded were in their late teens up to their early 30s. "It was worth it, I love what I do. Events like
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