Wounded warriors and gold star families visit pioneer tunnel in ashland wednesday

by justin strawser

ASHLAND - To some, it may have just been a tour through an old mining tunnel, but to Michael Shuster, the Pioneer Tunnel Coal Mine represented something different.

"It's a part of my recovery, to get my mental health better," the St. Louis man said Wednesday afternoon as he waited to board the tour, "so I'm not always thinking about what happened."

Pfc. Shuster, 5-73 Calvary Regiment, Third Brigade Calvary Team, 82nd Airborne Division, was one of 36 patients of Walter Reed Army Medical Center, along

with family members, Gold Star family members - family who have lost members in war - and liaisons to come to the heart of coal country to tour the mine and later Knoebels Amusement Park.

The day vacation was organized by Bob Sandri, of Shamokin, who won the Pay It Forward contest, sponsored by PPL and The News-Item.

The contest was developed by the Pennsylvania Newspaper Association, whose officials were inspired by Catherine Ryan Hyde, author of the book "Pay It Forward," to help others. The initiative, in its second year, again involved newspapers statewide.

Sandri, one of two winners, received $500 to defray expenses for a group of wounded soldiers, currently patients at Walter Reed in Washington, D.C., to visit local tourist sites such as the tunnel and Knoebels.

Sandri is the father of Sgt. Matthew Sandri, who died on March 20, 2004, while serving in Iraq.

Sandri's objective to give the wounded warriors a day outside the hospital seemed to have worked, even before anyone boarded the train to descend into the former coal mine.

"Oh yeah, I'm going to enjoy it," Shuster said. "I won't be down or nothing."

Shuster, standing in the parking lot in a gray shirt with the word ARMY on the front, was injured at 9:10 p.m. May 17 in Iraq. While driving, the truck he was in was hit by an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) and then an Explosively Formed Penetrator (EFP). He was hit by shrapnel.

Before he bandaged his arm to protect it in the tunnel, he raised it to show his injury. Scars and scabs could still be seen clearly on his upper arm. He has suffered from nerve, muscle and tendon damage. He has been at Walter Reed since May 22.

Nothing can prepare a person, said Shuster's mother, Carmen Salas, for the phone call that her son had been injured or walking into seeing him in the hospital.

"It's overwhelming," she said.

They both explained the road to recovery will be a long one - at least two years - but Salas is proud of her son and excited about the day away from the hospital.

"A trip like this takes their minds off why they're at Walter Reed," she said. "It's an awesome thing."

Sgt. First Class Al Comfort, a liaison for the 82nd Airborne Division, agreed.

"An opportunity like this doesn't come around often for our soldiers," the Baltimore man said. "It means a lot to them to get out and have fun. And it means the world to their families too."

Another Gold Star family, the Baddicks, were also on the trip. They befriended the Sandri family after both their sons died in Iraq.

Sgt. A.J. Baddick, said his father, Joe, died in 2003 when a humvee crashed into a canal and he dived in to save two people. Although he successfully rescued one of the soldiers, both he and the second soldier he was trying to rescue died.

"It's great to get the guys out for a day," he said.

All Wounded Warriors signed two 82nd Airborne flags and presented one to the Pioneer Tunnel and the other to Knoebels.

Sandri thanked the Ashland community, the Pioneer Tunnel and Knoebels, saying they had welcomed everyone with open arms. He also added that James Pizza and Martin's Chicken and Ribs donated the food for the day.

"We decided it would only be appropriate to come to Knoebels and the Mine Tunnel," he said. "It would be perfect for family. That's how we decided to put it together. I'm so glad they all came."

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