During the recent Marine West Expo aboard Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Calif., I joined several members of the Marine Corps League including Lt. Gen. Olmstead, former commanding general of the base, on a visit to the Wounded Warrior Battalion West. Around 29 Marines now comprise the WWBW; they have room for 36 and hope to build a facility for more than 100. The formation of the regiment last year gave formal structure, recognition and place among the Marine Corps’ various units, all of which are important not only to the individual Marines who deeply miss their previous units, but also for the Corps and veterans services to be able to focus on helping these brave men and women. All want to remain in the Corps; not all will make it, and for those, the Corps is working hard to help them transition successfully back to civilian life. (Note: If you want someone who will work hard, take any task and get it done better than you could imagine, these are the people to hire.)

Before I left for the Expo, we pulled together 30 or so books from review copies sent to Hammock Inc. for our various magazines. Most were on military or Marine history, a few were novels and one, “The Sandbox,” was a collection from U.S. military bloggers. Most of the Wounded Warriors were touring the Expo when we arrived, so we talked to the major in charge of the battalion, one of his sergeants, and a Corporal Ricco, whom Lt. Gen. Olmstead had been asked to look up for a mutual friend.

When we go to Camp Lejeune in April for Marine South, we’ll take some books there, as well. The Marines also love video games, in part because they grew up playing them but also because they help re-establish manual and in some cases, mental, dexterity.