NBC Nightly News Coverage: March 23, 2009

The NBC Nightly News "Making a Difference"story tonight featured Augusta's Active Duty Rehabilitation Unit located within our VA Medical Center.  It's the only such unit like it, and correspondent COL Jack Jacobs (ret.) covered the powerful healing work going on at this unique facility.  The unit is an example of Army/VA collaboration, and according to Jacobs, is a "Model for the nation."  

COL Jacobs ought to know.  This Medal of Honor recipient was wounded in Vietnam, and chronicles his experiences in his new book,
"If Not Now, When?"   

The stories of MSG Tom Morrissey and others are featured in COL Jacobs' story.  MSG Morrissey credits the Active Duty Rehab Unit at the Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center and its collaboration with Eisenhower Army Medical Center in Augusta with saving his limbs from amputation after he was ambushed with an AK-47 in Afghanistan in 2006.   You can hear more of MSG Morrissey's interview here.

LT Joshua Darnell's story isn't all that different from MSG Morrissey.  COL Jacobs asked LT Darnell about his injuries, and he reports he's miles from where he was when he arrived at the Active Duty Rehab Unit.  You can see LT Darnell's story here.

Both stories join more than 610 other warriors' examples of restoration and healing in August, Georgia.  To find out what you can do to support the warrior care mission already underway in our community, check out our website link "How You Can Help."