Robin Mangarin's Blog

THE PRICE OF FREEDOM- A SOLDIER'S STORY

robinmangarin — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 05:08:00 GMT

HERE IS A TEXT OF THE STORY THAT AIRED TONIGHT.

WE HAVE RECEIVED A LOT OF GREAT FEEDBACK. LET US KNOW WHAT YOU THINK.

[Anchor:JIM]{***JIM***}

TONIGHT WE HAVE SOMETHING SPECIAL TO SHARE WITH YOU. AN ASSIGNMENT TO HELP ALL OF US GAIN A LITTLE MORE PERSPECTIVE INTO THE WAR IN IRAQ.

[Anchor:ROBIN]{***ROBIN***}

BACK IN LATE DECEMBER WE TOLD YOU ABOUT A FORMER RIDGEVIEW HIGH GRAD WHO WAS SEVERELY WOUNDED BY A ROADSIDE BOMB IN A HOSTILE AREA OF IRAQ NEAR SCANDARIA.

[TAKE: TAKE SINGLE]{***TAKE SINGLE***}

TOO OFTEN WE HEAR ABOUT OUR OWN KERN COUNTY SOLDIERS ONLY AFTER TRAGEDY STRIKES, MANY TIMES IT'S TOO LATE, SO WE THOUGHT IT IMPORTANT TO TRAVEL TO OUR NATION'S CAPITAL TO BRING YOU THIS SOLDIER'S STORY.

HIS NAME IS WESLEY BARRIENTOS AND WE SHOULD PREFACE THIS STORY BY TELLING YOU THAT THREE DAYS BEFORE OUR INTERVIEW HE HAD SURGERY ON HIS SHATTERED JAW.

SO LISTEN CLOSELY, HIS WORDS SAY A LOT ABOUT THE PRICE HE PAID FOR FREEDOM.

[TAKE: TAKE PKG. TRT:6:04]{***TAKE PKG. TRT:6:04***}

MUSIC

WHEN IT COMES TO AMERICAN HISTORY, WALTER REED ARMY MEDICAL CENTER IS CONSIDERED THE MOST SIGNIFICANT MILITARY TREATMENT FACILITY IN THE UNITED STATES.

SERVING ACTIVE AND RETIRED PERSONNEL FROM ALL BRANCHES OF WAR, INCLUDING THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES.

(:24)

[CG :AAA NameTitle 1 Line\WASHINGTON D.C.\ ]

FOR NEARLY 100 YEARS, WALTER REED HAS BEEN THE FIRST STOP FOR THE MILITARY MEN AND WOMEN WOUNDED IN WAR.

(:38)

SOT[CG :AAA NameTitle 1 Line\Patricia Cassimatis\WRAMC PUBLIC AFFAIRS]

walter reed tends to receive wounded warriors three times a week, now how many people come it's different with every flight and often there's more, if there is more conflict, we have more wounded and I have to tell you that if only one or two come off the bus we always cheer.

BRIDGE

(1:01)

[CG :Robin Mangarin Reporting Perm Super]

Since the war in Iraq began over 30 thousand soldiers have been brought from germany here to the united states over 7400 have been treated here at walter reed army medical center in washington d.c. One of those arriving on December 24th was corporal wesley barrientos, a graduate from ridgeview High.

(1:21)

SOT[CG :AAA NameTitle 1 Line\WESLEY BARRIENTOS\CORPORAL, U.S. ARMY]

i really did it for 9-11 i didn't want to to leave or let someone else just handle it i needed to do something about it too so i enlisted and i went out.

(2:11)

[CG :AAA NameTitle 1 Line\FILE VIDEO\ ]

CORPORAL BARRIENTOS WAS ON HIS THIRD TOUR OF DUTY NEAR SCANDARIA, WHEN HE AND HIS UNIT WERE ORDERED TO LEAD THE WAY FOR A COMPANY CHECKING OUT SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY INVOLVING A POSSIBLE VEHICLE BORNE IED OR CAR BOMB.

we were down the road I don't remember the whole incident, this is just what my friends told me what happened, first vehicle went through they didn't get hit we go through we hit the pressure plate, it was right underneath me i was the worst injured one in the vehicle, the gunner he got some shrapnel between his legs, but he was okay he was able to go back to work the same day.

CORPORAL BARRIENTOS WAS NOT, BOTH OF HIS LEGS WERE RIPPED APART BY THE FORCE OF THE BOMB BURIED BENEATH THAT PRESSURE PLATE IN THE ROAD. A MISSION THAT CHANGED HIS LIFE, BUT, ONE HE DOESN'T REGRET.

SOT

well i got guys man i had to i was a leader and as a leader i have to take care of my guys. I couldn't leave my guys who trained so hard worked so hard to train i couldn;t leave those guys to go out there by themselves...i had to go with them

NOW THE LONG AND CHALLENGING PROCESS OF TREATMENT AND RECOVERY BEGINS.

(:3:14)

[CG :AAA NameTitle 1 Line\CAPTAIN KEVIN NICCUM\WRAMC, HEAD NURSE]

it's an interdisciplinary approach to taking care of these soldiers because you have to look at not only the injury but you know these are young kids going through the grieving process of losing a limb the family is going through their own process of their son or daughter's injury so it's a multi faceted issue with these soldiers not just the injury themselves.

BARRIENTOS' MOTHER, A SINGLE PARENT DIDN'T THINK TWICE ABOUT CHANGING HER LIFE AS WELL...SHE LEFT HER JOB AND HER HOME HERE IN BAKERSFIELD TO BE WITH HER SON.

SOT

(3:43)

[CG :AAA NameTitle 1 Line\ELUBIA BARRIENTOS\MOTHER]

you know this is second, the first is my son, i don't mind i lose my house, i don't mind i lose everything, i want my son to stay good.

WHEN WE ARRIVE, BARRIENTOS IS JUST THREE DAYS INTO PHYSICAL THERAPY, BUT WE BRING WITH US SOMETHING FROM HOME TO LIFT HIS SPIRITS...

NATS

STUDENTS AND TEACHERS FROM RIDGEVIEW HIGH SENDING MESSAGES OF THANKS AND PRIDE TO THE FORMER GRAD... HUNDREDS HOPING TO SHOW THAT THEY KNOW WHAT HE DID FOR THEM.

SOT

THERE IS ONE REGRET FOR WESLEY BARRIENTOS, HE WAS SUPPOSED TO BE MARRIED THIS MONTH.

SOT we got engaged a couple months after we met i got introduced to her by my cousin and after that it was just sparks.

NOW CORPORAL BARRIENTOS COULD ONLY WAIT AND HOPE THAT THE LOSS OF HIS LEGS WOULDN'T CHANGE HIS FIANCE'S DECISION TO MARRY.

[TAKE: Dissolve out at 6:00]

{***Dissolve out at 6:00***}

[Anchor:ROBIN]{***ROBIN***}

COMING UP TOMORROW, WE'LL CONTINUE OUR SOLDIER'S STORY...WE WILL GIVE YOU A RARE LOOK AT THE UNIQUE PROGRAM FOR AMPUTEES AT WALTER REED ARMY MEDICAL CENTER AND TELL YOU WHY THE RATE OF AMPUTEES COMING HOME FROM THE IRAQ WAR IS MORE THAN DOUBLE THAT OF PREVIOUS WARS...OUR 17 NEWS SPECIAL REPORT CONTINUES TOMORROW AT FIVE.

Shameful Movie Experience

robinmangarin — Tue, 10 Jul 2007 01:58:00 GMT

It's still bothering me today. My family took a friend of ours to the movies at a local theater on Sunday. Our family friend, Seng, happens to have cerebral palsy. We love spending time with him, even though there are many challenges throughout the day that we face and conquer. To Seng, it's just a part of his daily life.

I went to buy popcorn for all of us. It was an extra large bag that was deep in size so I asked if I could please have a box that I could use to transfer some of the popcorn into a receptacle that Seng could get into, given his limited capabilities in lifting and using his hands. As I stared at the kiddie boxes in front of me, I was told by the teen counter person that there were no boxes available. I pointed to the boxes behind her and she said I would have to pay the full price to use the empty box. It was a matter of principle, so I asked to talk with the manager and explained that I needed a box to use for my friend who has cerebral palsy. She told me the same thing, no free boxes. I ended up paying for the box so that Seng could enjoy going to the movies just like the rest of us.

Funny thing though, I hated this movie experience more than any I can remember. Luckily, my friend never knew what happened. What if I wasn't there? It's only popcorn, but what you get in sharing it with others is a big part of the movie experience. Obviously if you want to experience "sharing" and "caring" don't go to the movie theatres to find it.

Mom...I LOVE YOU...Let me blog the ways!!!

Scott — Thu, 10 May 2007 21:54:00 GMT

I was not an easy child. I was the obnoxious kid who organized after school games of Mr. Freeze on our lawn until dark, sold lemonade on the weekends and then in high school kept my Mom busy with cheerleading uniforms, costumes for the school play, posters for students government and enchiladas for the spanish club. When I went away to college, I'm sure it was like a breath of fresh air. I am my Mother's opposite. She is gentle, I am tough, she is patient, I am neurotic, she can sit and do nothing, I don't know what that means. But, she blessed me with one of the true joys of my life and that is being a parent. I'm learning as I go along. But, every now and then when I do something right, I realize that I am my Mother's daughter. Her kindness and strength fills my soul and guides to me in all the things that I am most proud of in life...my family, my faith and the work I can do for my community. I will forever be grateful for that gift and can only pray that I honor her spirit each and every day. I love you Mom....Happy Mother's Day from your loving newscaster.

JIM SCOTT ON THE COLBERT REPORT!

robinmangarin — Wed, 07 Mar 2007 19:01:00 GMT

Hey everyone!

SO, I'm laying on my couch cuddling with my favorite red plaid comforter and settling in for a typical tuesday evening, just me and the American Idol finalists. The telephone rings....it's Bakersfield city councilwoman Sue Benham! She's absolutely giddy with excitement. KGET is the subject of one of the features on "The Stephen Colbert show." Never seen it. So, while I think the national attention is cool, I make no effort to change the channel.

Anyway, I come into work today and Jim has an e-mail from the President of Clear Channel television. I get an e-mail from an old boyfriend from high school. Mom and Dad think we're superstars! BOY...this guy is pretty big. I finally see the segment. I thought it was pretty funny. Everyone here wants to put it on the newscast but, our news director quickly expresses his concerns. The bottom line is that this is a very serious subject that prompted strong opinions from many of our viewers. We never want to disregard the importance of that. My news director was right. He made sure that we understood that national attention, no matter how entertaining to our viewers is not necessarily good for the station or more importantly good for the people we serve. We agreed it all came down to the presentation. So check it out on our news at noon, 5,6 and 11pm and let me know what you think!

http://www.comedycentral.com/shows/the_colbert_report/index.jhtml