Los Angeles Kings Honor Wounded Warriors

Prior to the recently named All Star, Jonathan Quick, and his Los Angeles Kings taking on the Dallas Stars on Thursday night, a group of Wounded Warriors were honored for their service to our country and injuries sustained while fighting for our freedom. I’m not sure about the emotions of other fans in attendance but, when these gentlemen were announced, I felt like screaming at the top of my lungs in support of them. However, when I opened my mouth, no noise escaped. I was flat out choked up and could only manage to applaud. Each of the Marines and Sailors will receive a Purple Heart, an award for members of the armed forces of the U.S. who are wounded by an instrument of war in the hands of the enemy. It is not my intent to identify these Marines and Sailors as a group because each deserves their own recognition. As you read through the list, I want you to pay special attention to their respective ages.

"Corporal Ryan Boulan, 24, was wounded in action on 24 October 2011 while serving with 2nd Battalion, 4th Marines, Golf Company while conducting foot patrol operations in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. Corporal Boulan hails from Oscoda, Michigan. Corporal Boulan was awarded the Purple Heart by the assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps while receiving care at Naval Medical Center San Diego.Corporal Joshua Sust, 24, was wounded in action on 12 November 2011 while serving with 2nd Battalion, 4th Marines, Echo Company while conducting vehicle mounted patrol operations in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. Corporal Sust hails from Cincinnati, Ohio. Corporal Sust will be awarded the Purple Heart at a later ceremony.Navy Corpsman HM3 Alexander Perez, 23, was wounded in action on 1 December 2011 while serving with 2nd Battalion, 4th Marines, Head Quarters and Service Company, Scout Sniper Platoon while conducting vehicle mounted patrol operations in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. HM3 Perez hails from Miami, Florida. HM3 Perez will be awarded the Purple Heart at a later ceremony.Sergeant Antonio Tinajero, 26, was wounded in action on 12 December 2011 while serving with 2nd Battalion, 4th Marines, Weapons Company while conducting vehicle mounted patrol operations in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. Sergeant Tinajero hails from Los Angeles, California. Sgt Tinajero will be awarded the Purple Heart with Gold Star in Lieu of 2ND award at a later ceremony.Corporal John Reid, 25, was wounded in action on 23 October 2011, while serving with 2nd Battalion, 4th Marines, Weapons Company while conducting foot patrol operations in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. Corporal Reid hails from Traverse City, Michigan. Corporal Reid will be awarded the Purple Heart at a later ceremony."

Marines and Sailors, each and every one of us are in your debt. You and your families have made remarkable sacrifices in order to let the rest of us enjoy a better world. Your service to our country is undeniably admirable and the proper amount of gratitude can never be conveyed in words.

After the Kings and the Stars game ended, it was time for an exhibition game between the Patriots Hockey team and the L.A. Fire Department Hockey team. Fans were invited to stay for the late game and it was an honor to be among them. The LAFD team won the game by a final of 6-1. But, in this exhibition, the real winners are the charities that benefited from the evening’s events and fundraisers.

A quote from Nathan Coutts of Patriots Hockey proves the event was a success:

"We raised a good amount off money, and most of all, we raised awareness!  This is our first game, and you know…our military doesn’t give up or retreat!  We are gonna regroup, go over what we did wrong, and we won’t do anything but grow and get better from this point forward.  We will adapt and over come."

Well said and spoken like a true Marine. Nathan and Marvin Floer are the founders of Patriots Hockey, a charity that – regardless of NHL affiliation – we can all root for.

Rick Leventhal from Fox News was at the Staples Center and spoke with Kings star Anze Kopitar about the event and the charity. Watch the video here.

Please continue to support these guys. They have a ton of events coming up and are adding more as we speak. Like them on Facebook, follow them on Twitter and, for specific questions, please send them an Email.

You can always send your questions to me on Twitter and I’ll be happy to assist in any way I can. Thank you for your continued support!