HONOLULU --
The notorious Waikiki traffic delayed their arrival by a good 45 minutes, but when an A-list group from the United States women's national soccer team walked into the physical therapy training room at the Makalapa Clinic at the Pearl Harbor Naval Base, the Wounded Warriors knew the wait was worth it. For a few minutes, laughter and handshakes and shared stories replaced what, for many sailors and soldiers, are long roads back to health and wholeness.
In a dynamic world where sports and war are often a mixed metaphor too casually used, here was a meeting between American soccer players and sailors, soldiers and Marines that carried as much meaning as any soccer match. In fact, before the U.S. women's national soccer team decided to cancel their match at Aloha Stadium due to poor field conditions, the team took seriously their visit to the Pearl Harbor historic sites as well as the chance to connect with sailors and soldiers stationed here.
"These are phenomenal people who work as hard as they can to get back to work, who don't want to be here. I can't speak highly enough about them. And so many of them are so young,'' said Margo Crane, a support specialist for the Navy Wounded Warrior -- Safe Harbor program in Pearl Harbor.
As part of the FOX Salutes Pearl Harbor commemorative weekend on the 74th anniversary of the Pearl Harbor attacks, the U.S. women were scheduled to play Trinidad & Tobago Sunday at Aloha Stadium but decided to cancel their match due to poor field conditions. The decision came hours after the team practiced for the first time at the stadium, where U.S. striker Alex Morgan called the conditions "horrible." Megan Rapinoe -- who tore her right knee ACL that will require knee surgery -- was a member of the crew, too.
"My brother Kevin served for a number of years in the Air Force and I feel very connected to the military and the presence it takes to serve us. Hopefully, us coming here can bring a little bit of joy and healing to some of these folks that protect us and serve for us,'' O'Reilly said.
"There are so many similarities in terms of what we do and what they do in terms of teamwork and training and resilience, so I feel like we are connected in those ways. We understand what we did this summer by winning the Women's World Cup was very impactful and we inspired a lot of people and we have a very cool responsibility to give back to folks. And we're happy to learn from them and if they can learn from us, that's a bonus,'' O'Reilly added.
Within minutes, it was clear just how dedicated the Navy staff is to the Wounded Warriors. The Makalapa Clinic and another at Kaneohe Bay helps about 31,000 patients a year, offering physical therapy and sports medicine and reconditioning programs for a range of injuries and illnesses. Many of the most seriously injured Wounded Warriors are treated at other facilities on the mainland, however, a critical part of returning sailors and soldiers to duty rests with trainers and medical staff at the Pearl Harbor base.
A new Wounded Warrior survey reveals the startling range and depth of issues facing service member, including post-traumatic stress disorder and higher rates of unemployment. "Since we are close to the fleet, we see Army and Air Force members and Coast Guard,'' said Lt. Aaron Stoll, adding that many service members may "believe they can receive better treatment from a military person who understands how the whole person is affected by war and trauma.''
Therapists like Staff Sgt. Themy-Gerard Mendoza stood in the background, letting his patients take their time talking to the U.S. athletes. This was their time to connect with other warriors, the way Abbie Johnson, a Navy sailor suffering from PTSD, lit up as she talked to Solo and Rapinoe about how training for three marathons has helped her heal. But Sgt. Mendoza could not hide his admiration for the Wounded Warriors he has seen over the years.
"They want to push. They tell me 'If I'm screaming don't stop until we are done.' We can go twice as fast as other patients because they want to get back to their units,'' Sgt. Mendoza said.
Indeed, as the Wounded Warriors and the U.S. soccer stars talked and shared time together, the Makalapa Clinic staff looked on like proud parents, knowing that their patients were getting some extra healing by the visit.
"These people's lives in some cases changed in an instant,'' said Colleen Pounds, a physical therapy assistant and career Navy wife who has worked with Seal Team 6 Wounded Warriors in Virginia and now here in Pearl Harbor. "They are seeking a new normal but what literally kills them is not having their work or their regimen anymore. These people give it all they've got to try and get back.''
