Wounded During War
Snow Fun for Firemen, Vets

By GINGER ADAMS OTIS

A group of 20 off-duty New York City firefighters spent last weekend skiing and snowboarding alongside military veterans who have been injured during recent tours in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Windham Mountain photo/Kirt Zimmer SCHUSSING FOR A CAUSE: Lieut. Gov. David Paterson joined U.S. soldiers in an afternoon of skiing and snowboarding at Windham Mountain Ski Resort in the Catskills Jan. 19. The resort's Adaptive Sports Foundation annually hosts vets who have sustained serious injuries while fighting overseas.

The firefighters also played chauffeur to the wounded soldiers, transporting them to Windham Mountain in the Catskills, lending a helping hand as they mounted ski lifts, and pushing wheelchairs for the most severely wounded.

'A Good Mix'

"These guys are soldiers who made a sacrifice for our country, so it's our duty to help them," said Firefighter Eric Chmanski, who works at Engine 231/Ladder 120 in Brownsville, Brooklyn. "This is my third year coming up to help - we share our stories with them, they share their war stories with us; it's a good mix."

The weekend was hosted by Windham Mountain's Adaptive Sports Foundation, a nonprofit organization that specializes in helping individuals with cognitive and physical challenges gain confidence and self-esteem through skiing and snowboarding.

Most of the instructors are veterans, some of them disabled from the Vietnam War.

The 30 soldiers who participated in last weekend's program are currently undergoing rehabilitation treatment at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center and the Brooke Army Medical Center.

While serving overseas, they sustained a variety of life-altering injuries, including nerve damage, spinal cord injuries, visual impairment and head trauma. Some of the soldiers are amputees.

'Just Try to Help'

"We have breakfast, lunch and dinner with these guys and their families," said Firefighter Chmanski. "Sometimes the firefighters take turns hitting the slopes, going in a group of like five, and we try to hook up with a solider and an instructor who are skiing or snowboarding, but mostly we just try to help. We carry the prosthetics, drive them around - whatever they need, we do it. That's why we are here."

Lieut. Gov. David Paterson, who is legally blind, started the weekend off Jan. 19 with a motivational speech at lunch. He later took to the slopes with a Windham instructor and a group of soldiers.