The City of Coronado and Old Goats, an association of graduates from the United States Naval Academy, recently honored three local wounded warriors in Coronado during the 4th Annual Wounded Warriors weekend. On Sunday, March 9, the Old Goats and the City of Coronado presented keys to the city to 3 wounded warriors selected from the C5 (Comprehensive Combat and Complex Casualty Care) Unit at Naval Medical Center San Diego at a reception held at the Coronado Community Center, following a weekend getaway for the wounded warriors and their families sponsored by the Hotel del Coronado.
Marine GySgt Joseph Caravalho, Army SPC Geoffrey Quevedo and Navy HM1 Samuel Ramos were the honorees for this year. During the reception, Kindergartners from the Radical Rabbits class at Village Elementary sang and performed patriotic songs in American sign language.
Retired SEAL Admiral Irish Flynn introduced the keynote speaker, Kimberly Dozier, a reporter for intelligence and special operations for the Associated Press and former CBS news correspondent who was wounded in a car bombing in 2006 while covering the war in Iraq. Flynn, who was the first active duty SEAL officer promoted to Flag rank in 1985, spoke of a “bond of understanding” between Dozier and wounded warriors.
During her speech, Dozier recalled the events leading up to the car bombing that claimed the lives of two of the military 
personnel her team was filming along with the lives of two of her CBS colleagues. During her recovery, she spent 3 months at Bethesda Naval Medical Center where she learned how to walk again. Yet despite her full recovery, Dozier realized there was still a message that needed to be sent.
“After my recovery, nobody could see me as healed,” she remembers. “They saw me as injured. They saw me as damaged. But I was changed, resilient. Like so many of our wounded warriors. That message hadn’t been sent. And I realized as a member of the media, that was partly my fault.”
Dozier continued speak of the outreach she participated in on behalf of wounded warriors and how communities such as Naval Special Warfare and organizations like Fisher House embraced her.
“Even though I am healed, I will always be in maintenance,” she said.
Coronado Mayor Casey Tanaka also addressed the honorees, presenting keys to the city with the help of a few Radical Rabbits.
The Old Goats association was formed in 2008 and is named for the 
Naval Academy’s mascot. At the group’s inception, there were 8 members. It has now grown to more than 60 members in 18 states.
In addition to the three wounded warrior honorees, approximately 80 additional wounded warriors from NMSD will each have the opportunity to dine at a Coronado restaurant thanks to the generosity of local restaurants and sponsors.
Sponsors for the wounded warriors include Hotel del Coronado, Coronado Brewing Company, Blue Bridge Hospitality, Coronado Livery, Bigantine/Miguel’s, Coronado Island Marriott and Vigilucci’s.
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Mary Douglas
Staff Writer
eCoronado.com
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