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Honoring Those Who Serve...
by Debra Manera Cunha
Each month, we, at The Federal Hill Gazette, show our appreciation by dedicating a Tribute Page to local Rhode Island soldiers who are serving, deploying, or have served our country. Each month I have the opportunity to speak with these soldiers, their spouses or parents, siblings or children. Ironically, each month the soldier we have featured, or their family member that I speak with actually “thanks” me, for writing this Tribute Page. They thank me for my support in sharing their story. Thanking me for my support is treasured, yet I am honored to hear the stories I have heard, and I can only hope I share what I have heard in a way that touches you all. We, at The Federal Hill Gazette, thank all of our Rhode Island Veterans and can only hope this Tribute Page inspires our readers to show their support for our local American Heroes.
Lt. Col. Gloria Vignone -
49 Years of Age • 399th Combat Support Hospital
 Lieutenant Colonel Gloria Vignone has served in the Military for 20 years with no intent to retire. She and 450 members of the 399th Combat Support Hospital began their deployment in June 2006, returning October 1st, 2007. They were stationed in Mosol, Iraq, and Al Asad, Anbar Province, Iraq.
Lieutenant Colonel Vignone is head nurse for the Intermediate Care Ward with the 399th. Lt. Col. Vignone is also a nurse educator in Emergency Care for Sturdy Memorial Hospital. Her dedication in and out of the Military is evident. While in Iraq Lt. Col. Vignone cared for Iraqi civilians, prisoners of war, American Soldiers, and Iraqi children. Her job and the jobs of her unit were not easy. They were witness to extraordinary circumstances, while treating the wounded, and caring for many until death. The most difficult for Lt. Col. Vignone to discuss was the injured children; she grew attached to some of the kids … “it is unforgettable”.
Lt. Col. Vignone is grateful for the time she spent in Iraq. She shared with me different aspects on her deployment that were rewarding for her. She observed enlisted soldiers grow with confidence into different rolls and truly mature as military soldiers in a time of war. She was able to mentor another soldier, Captain Bertha Maloof, and prepare her for higher military rank. She formed a bond with the soldiers she worked with that is unbreakable. She speaks highly of the women, and dear friends, in her unit for the job they did with the utmost respect.
Her thankfulness for the support she personally received from family and friends shines through. She was stunned by the outpouring of support her unit received from families and organizations here in the United States. For example, the 399th was able to give away lots of mailed items. Blankets, slippers and sneakers were donated to her unit which was then distributed to Iraqi children. In situations where American soldiers uniforms were cut due to injuries, they were able to use donated clothes to dress them. Donations of Del’s lemonade mix and Dunkin’ Donuts coffee were some of the favorites for the soldiers, reminding them of home. Lt. Col. Vignone is grateful for email communication, as she was able to send updates to family and friends on conditions in Iraq, and as she stated “no sugar coating”. It was extremely hot at times, (temps went up to 149.9 degrees) emotions were high, and there were times of immediate danger. Through it all, Lt. Col. Vignone looks at her time in Iraq and is thankful she was able to serve. She is proud of her deployment and the work her unit accomplished. She is aware she will again serve overseas, and openly looks to the future. Lieutenant Colonel Gloria Vignone is proud to wear the uniform of a United States soldier. Let’s remember that the U.S. military is a voluntary job; Lt. Col. Vignone volunteered her service and has no intention of quitting.
As Lt. Col. Vignone stated, “it is much more difficult on the families of deployed soldiers, than it is on the soldiers themselves. The families are full of fear as the soldier is doing their job. The soldier doesn’t have time to sit and worry; work becomes a way of life.”
 Would Gloria Vignone’s native Federal Hill family ever envision she would become a high ranking female officer in the United States military? Would her grandfather, who owned Calise’s Nu Way Market on Broadway, ever think his granddaughter would serve in Kosovo, and then Iraq? Would Massey and Tony Vignone ever imagine mailing cheese and crackers from Tony’s Colonial to their daughter serving in Iraq to provide her with a sense of home? Did Lieutenant Colonel Gloria Vignone ever imagine that she would form an unbreakable bond with her military sisters while grilling Boboli pizza crust and watching rockets shoot through the air?
Take a moment to think of the many families that are worrying about their soldier serving overseas. Take some time to show your support however big or small to the many local Rhode Islanders who are serving our country. Please, in these uncertain times, place your political and personal feelings aside, support our troops…pray for their safety.
Thank you Lieutenant Colonel Gloria Vignone for sharing your stories of honor and pride with me…and most importantly “Thank You” for your service and your sacrifice. |
