OKLAHOMA CITY Okla_ About an hour
before T.W. Shannon was sworn in as the new Speaker of the House, he could be
seen greeting, thanking and answering questions with a group of wounded Fort Sill
soldiers.
The group was invited to the capitol for a tour, lunch, and Q&A
session with the new speaker. The soldiers are all part of Fort Sill's
Warrior Transition Unit.
The WTU helps
soldiers with mental or physical injuries to transition out of active service.
They help the soldiers discover talents and skills and then assist in their
transition into the private sector, whether to another occupation or going back
to school. The invitation to the capitol was a statement of gratitude for the
sacrifices these men and women have made.
Sergeant David Cope
II has a leg injury after completing two tours. Now, the military is helping
him find his way.
"I'd like
to go back to school full time and finish out a degree," Cope said. "I'm
interested in biology. So, I want to try to go into biology and be a secondary
education teacher, a high school teacher."
After several concussions
and back injuries, Barry Dilley is seeking the simple life.
"I just
want to retire," Dilley said. "I want to spend time with my family and grandkids."
The WTU is
helping him get there. In Tuesday's tour, there were Fort Sill
soldiers from all over the country. They got the chance to look up at the domed
ceiling, admire artwork and visit the chambers, getting a little better
connected to Oklahoma.
Cope's not an Oklahoman
by birth, but he plans on staying here.
"It does
have a lot of history," Cope said, "From the trail of tears when the US
government took Indian tribes and moved them into the state, to the great
baseball player Mickey Mantle, to the great actor Will Rogers."
Dilley, an Okie
by birth and by heart, loved the opportunity the new Speaker of the House gave
him to learn even more about his home state.
"It means
a lot," Dilley said. "I just love being here and serving the state and the
country."
