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'Wagons for Warriors' cooks up authentic cowboy cuisine

Event raises money for Wounded Warrior Fund

June 04, 2012|By Dustin Hodges, KY3 News | dhodges@ky3.com

LEBANON, Mo  -  The second annual Wagons for Warriors in Lebanon raised more than $7,500 for men and women injured in combat, but the event also held special meaning for the volunteers.

Most of the volunteers were either Purple Heart recipients themselves or knew someone who was.  They say, for wounded soldiers who can find themselves thousands of miles from home alone and scared, the Wounded Warrior Fund makes a huge difference.

"We just think about our soldiers, that's what we care about," says Mitch Morgan with Wagons for Warriors.

For Morgan, caring for the troops has a special meaning.

"I've got two sons that are both in the Army, both were in Iraq in '03 at the same time.  I'm a Vietnam veteran -- me and my twin brother were in Vietnam at the same time," said Morgan.

So he came up with idea to help raise money for the Wounded Warriors Fund.

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"It's cowboy cuisine.  Just to see it set up, you've got your fires and you're doing your cobblers in your Dutch ovens and your bread in your dutch ovens; it's a show in itself," said Morgan.

"This is where history comes back to life; straight out of the history books," says U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Robert Springmann.

Springmann also has special ties to the Wounded Warriors Fund.

"I'm a Gold Star family member.  I have a family member, my son, that was killed in Afghanistan," said Springmann.  "He found an IED and it got triggered and we lost two good soldiers on that, but two good soldiers versus losing half a platoon -- he's my hero."

He too knows how important the Wounded Warriors Fund is.

"You couldn't imagine the little things that you take for granted when you arrive at a place.  If you're wounded, you don't arrive with any baggage,  Anything you had on for clothing has been cut off to access wounds or injuries," said Springmann.

"To be coming back without having anything; you want to have that sense of comfort, something from home, something you can feel comfortable with," said U.S. Army Military Police Instructor Tracy Allen.

So they're helping soldiers thousands of miles away feel a little closer to home.

"This gives them an opportunity to feel like, 'Welcome home, you're back, you're in the real world now,'" said Springmann.

"It's hard work to play the way we play, but it's a calling for us.  It's just something we think we've got to do and we do it," said Morgan.

This was the second year for Wagons for Warriors; they plan on making it an annual event held around the Memorial Day holiday.

If you'd like to find out more information about similar events or to donate to the wounded warrior fund, click here.

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