PBH / colombia (travelguide, pictures) / post

Colombia's Heroes on Independence Day

Yesterday I attended an Independence Day celebration in Minneapolis. It was a gorgeous day with plenty of friendly people plus good food, good music, good dancing (not mine) and so-so beer.

I also had the honor of meeting seven Colombian soldiers. Four of them were very seriously injured and are receiving complex reconstruction surgeries and undergoing rehabilitation at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. Three of them are active duty but serving for a year in MN as caretakers and treatment coordinators.

A couple of comments and then I will let their stories speak for them. First, the United for Colombia organization assists victims of conflict violence from all walks of life, not just the military. Second, the soldiers I met are receiving world-class care, some of it experimental, but only six at a time can be treated at the Mayo. There are many more wounded soldiers and civilians in need, so if you're looking for a charity that does important work, you might want to research this one. And finally, let's hope that in a few more years, charities like this are no longer needed in Colombia.

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HOME PAGE (choose your language)
www.unitedforcolombia.org/

SPANISH - soldiers treated at Baylor College of Medicine, Texas
www.unitedforcolombia.org/Espa%c3%b1ol/Cambiando_Vidas/Solidaridad_Americana/Baylor_Center

SPANISH - soldiers treated at the Mayo Clinic, Minnesota
www.unitedforcolombia.org/Espa%c3%b1ol/Cambiando_Vidas/Solidaridad_Americana/Mayo_Clinic

SPANISH - TV news clip about a soldier being treated at the Mayo Clinic, Minnesota
www.youtube.com/watch?v=4WxgegzSVsY

ENGLISH - story written by a high school student about the soldier in the YouTube video
www.postbulletin.com/newsmanager/templates/localnews_story.asp?z=19&a=...