Crown Prince Frederik as Patron of Soldaterlegatet

[dazzling]

A new patronage for Frederik - Stating Fred is the new Patron
Link
( I hope I got this right )

[UserDane]

You have
It is a new grant which will be given to soldiers sent home from missions broad or family members of soldiers killed in action. The aim is to hand out these grants as discretely as possible.

The article says that more than 40,000 Danish soldiers have been sent on foreign missions since the early 1990s. More than 40 have been killed and a number have returned home with serious injuries. Lately, there has been increasing focus in the Danish media on the psychological consequences for e.g. the children of these soldiers and their need for help.

[dazzling]

Thank you UserDane, this is a nice Patronage for Fred and hope to see Mary attending it as well.

[Lilla]

Originally Posted by dazzling

Thank you UserDane, this is a nice Patronage for Fred and hope to see Mary attending it as well.

I don't think any of us will ever see Frederik or Mary when grants are given from this patronage. According to the link posted above - whenever grants will be given, this will be conducted with as much discretion as possible.

[sgl]

I think that it is great to see Frederik getting involved in this organization. It makes sense that Frederik should be involved in helping soldiers and their families. Is this a new royal patronage, or was this something that the Queen or Prince Henrik had previously been involved in?

[JessRulz]

In the Q&A on the fund's website, it says that the fund was founded on October 28th last year.

[sgl]

Originally Posted by JessRulz

In the Q&A on the fund's website, it says that the fund was founded on October 28th last year.

Thanks, JessRulz! I didn't read carefully enough

[Lumutqueen]

Originally Posted by UserDane

You have
It is a new grant which will be given to soldiers sent home from missions broad or family members of soldiers killed in action. The aim is to hand out these grants as discretely as possible.

The article says that more than 40,000 Danish soldiers have been sent on foreign missions since the early 1990s. More than 40 have been killed and a number have returned home with serious injuries. Lately, there has been increasing focus in the Danish media on the psychological consequences for e.g. the children of these soldiers and their need for help.

It's wonderful that his royal highness has taken on a patronage like this, with his extensive background in the armed forces it's wonderful. And i do hope Mary attends some of the events.
x

[Florencia]

Tuesday 26 October 2010, 10:00am
HRH The Crown Prince, as patron of the Soldiers' Bursary inaugurates the National Hospital rehabilitation project for injured soldiers at Copenhagen University Hospital. HRH The Crown Princess also participates in the event.
Photogallery: TV 2 Gallery

[UserDane]

Thank you for the link Florencia.
It is certainly moving pictures of all these young men with missing limbs.

I don't understand why the caption in the link says that they brought their children - and then there is a picture with Mary and Christian and Isabella from the official hand-over of their Amalienborg palace?

[iceflower]

______________________

No idea, why they added the kids would have been there as well, the other
articles didn't do so, maybe a mistake only..

Another article with a gallery of pics:


** sn.dk: Mary indviede nyt træningscenter til sårede soldater ** gallery **

** bt.dk: Højgravide Mary besøger sårede soldater **

** purepeople: Mary de Danemark, en attendant les jumeaux, met un pied dans l'enfer afghan... **

** BB: Mary og Frederik besøgte tilskadekomne soldater **

[Muhler]

Thanks for the pics.

I don't understand the caption in TV2's gallery either. As far as I could see the pic of Christian and Isabella was from Amalienborg. So I guess it's a mistake.
Why should they take small children along to a rehabillitation centre of all places?

Summary based on the BT article:

Højgravid Mary besøgte sårede soldater - Heavily pregnant Mary visited wounded soldiers.
Written by Katja Maria Salomonsen.

Frederik and Mary along with some officers visited the rehabillitation centre at Rigshospitalet for wounded soldiers. Rigshospitalet, where incidentally Mary will give birth, is the place where wounded soldiers are brought in and undergo treatment.
The main threat to soldiers in Afghanistan is IED's = Improvised Explosive Devices and the horrific injuries seen in the galleries is a testament to the effectiveness of these weapons.
The idea with opening a centre specifically for soldiers is due to the psycological healing of the soldiers but primarily because experience has shown that the presence of other soldiers helps maintaining morale and speed up the recovery process.
Soldiers who are more or less invalided are offered a contract with the military for life. I.e. until the age of normal retirement.

Mary spoke a long time with a soldier who had lost his left leg, presumably he was telling her his story.

Frederik said about what had made the greatest impression on him: "To see the courage from those young men, the soldiers her, who has been so severely stricken, but who have the will and who has been given some even better means to recover again, both physically but also in regards to the quality of life. It's pretty important that those two things go along". Mary nodded in agreement.

How about Peter Heering, a reporter asked. He is a lieutenant colonel of the reserves and is currently serving in Afghanistan. He is married to Mary's LiW, Caroline Heering.
Frederik replied: "You do realise, with all that is going on right here, that there naturally is a risk for everyone".

Peter Heering is such a high ranking officer, that the probabillity for him to become a casualty is relatively low.

[dee4855]

Originally Posted by Muhler

Thanks for the pics.

I don't understand the caption in TV2's gallery either. As far as I could see the pic of Christian and Isabella was from Amalienborg. So I guess it's a mistake.
Why should they take small children along to a rehabillitation centre of all places?

Summary based on the BT article:

....

Thank you for the summary Muhler Seeing those young men with missing limbs is just heart breaking. It looks like Denmark is offering top notch medical care for them. Wonderful of F&M to make the visit. They need to know they did not make the sacrifice for nothing. They need to be acknowledged.

[Muhler]

Originally Posted by dee4855

Thank you for the summary Muhler Seeing those young men with missing limbs is just heart breaking. It looks like Denmark is offering top notch medical care for them. Wonderful of F&M to make the visit. They need to know they did not make the sacrifice for nothing. They need to be acknowledged.

You are welcome.

I see you are from Texas, so it may interest you to know that the equipment bought for the rehab centre was selected on basis of a visit by a Danish delegation to Brooke Army Medical Center in Texas. One of those who went there was a wounded soldier, who tried out the equipment used there.
Info from the Defence site: Kronprinsparret indvier nye genoptræningsfaciliteter

[dee4855]

Yes, I am from Texas. I have been to Brooke one time and it is huge. We did not go there for the hospital. We had gone to update info since hubby had retired and our ID's needed to be updated. I am so glad they have the kind of medical care and are able to share it for these young men and women are needing to recover from their injuries.

[dazzling]

Two pictures of Mary from the event

ImageBam - Fast, Free Image Hosting and Photo Sharing
ImageBam - Fast, Free Image Hosting and Photo Sharing

[Muhler]

Translation of article in Billed Bladet #43, 2010.
Kronprinsparret hos soldaterne - The Crown Princely Couple with the soldiers.
Written by Annelise Weimann.

"It was really exciting to meet Mary. She was very concerned/preoccupied with how I am and what is difficult for me in particular. She seemed genuinely interested and (she) was inpressed with what it is possible to train yourself up to".
Tells 24 years old Jesper Aagaard Nielsen, who lost both his legs when he on the 1st June stepped on a ten kilo explosive charge in Afghanistan. that happened on a Tuesday and only on Friday did he wake up at Rigshospitalet, where he had both legs amputated above the knee and had (recunstructive) surgery to his right elbow, which was completely shattered.
Jesper was one among nine severely wounded soldiers whom Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary visited this Tuesday at Rigshospitalet. Here they have recieved a grant for 1.8 million DKK from the Soldaterlegatet (the Soldier's Grant) for which Frederik is patron, for purchasing machines for training/retraining and employing an extra physiotherapist. A team from the hospital has been in Texas to learn how American soldiers are being retrained and it's experiences from there, that are now being used, so that Rigshospitalet now have the latest and most advanced traing fascillities for soldiers who have been injured in war.
Crown Prince Frederik too talked with the wounded soldiers and he had a long chat with 23 years old Martin Aaholm, who lost both legs and five fingers when he on 1st July last year stepped on a 50 kilos of homemade explosives during an operation near Gereshk. (*)
"There were no metal parts in it (the bomb) so our mine detector didn't locate the mine, before I stepped on it", explains Martin, who is deeply impressed with the interest of Crown Prince Frederik.
"Frederik doesn't show pity, but understanding for our situation. He has himself been through many of the things we have been exposed to, so he knows what we are talking about", tells Martin, who has recieved the Anders Lassen grant (**) for his service in Afghanistan.
The wounded soldiers are deeply grateful for the new equipment they have recieved and the train diligently. They all hope to as soon as possible to start a new normal life. Jesper will attend HF (***) and then he'd like to become a physiontherapist. Martin on the other hand hope that he will some day return to Afghanistan.

In a caption we are told: Mary had many questions to Jesper Aasgaard Nielsen, who lost both legs and had his right elbow crushed in Afghanistan. She asked what was the most difficult part of the retraining and Jesper replied: "To trust that the new leg doesn't suddenly collapse".

(*) The Danish soldiers mainly operate in upper Gereshk valley, now also inside Gereshk town itself, in the Helmand province. The tank squadron operate mainly further south in support of Afghan, British and US forces.

(**) The Anders Lassen grant is granted to soldiers who either have been injured physically or psycologically or to the relatives of soldiers who have been killed.
Anders Lassen was an officer in Special Boat Squadron during WWII and he recieved the Victoria Cross posthumous.
Special Boat Squadron, which Anders Lassen was instrumental in shaping is the direct inspiration for the Frogman Corps, in which Frederik served.

(***) A sort of high school for adults

[Sternchen]

Thanks for the translation :)

[Muhler]

You are welcome, Sternchen.

For the moderators: I don't seem to be able to edit my own post in this and some other threads. Why is that?

I should like to have added this link to my post: Billed-Bladet - Frederik og Mary hjælper sårede soldater

[dazzling]

Originally Posted by Muhler

You are welcome, Sternchen.

For the moderators: I don't seem to be able to edit my own post in this and some other threads. Why is that?

I should like to have added this link to my post: Billed-Bladet - Frederik og Mary hjælper sårede soldater

The Edit button is available for 48 hours after posting. After that, you need to contact one of the moderators or administrators if you want to edit your post.