Airman burned as child, volunteers at burn camp

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Madelyn Waychoff
  • 388th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
HILL AIR FORCE BASE, Utah (AFPN) --  More than 15 years ago he spent 10 weeks in the hospital, as burns that covered more than one-third of his body healed. Today, the Airman volunteers as a burn camp counselor and shares stories about his ordeal with children who are recovering as he did.

Airman 1st Class Brandon Lee, an aircraft armament systems specialist with the 388th Equipment Maintenance Squadron here, was badly burned when he was only 4 years old. Now he is 19 and his scars are barely visible.

“When I was 4, my brother and I were out burning some trash in the back yard,” Airman Lee said. “We couldn’t get the fire started, so my brother brought out some gas. After he got the fire started he left the gas next to the fire.

“I was playing with the fire using a stick, and I thought the gas was dirty water. The gas exploded, and I got gas all over me,” he said. “I tried to stop, drop and roll like they teach you, but the fire wouldn’t go out. My mom came running out and put me out with her hands.”

Airman Lee endured multiple reconstructive surgeries to recover from the burns. He wore pressure garments to help stretch his skin.

“When you get burned you get real thick skin,” he said. “The garments help get you back to normal so you can still work all your joints.”

Several years after his recovery, Airman Lee began going to Camp Oo-U-La, a camp for children between ages 6 and 17 who have sustained serious burns and have spent four or more days in the hospital for treatment.

The Georgia Firefighters’ Burn Foundation started Camp Oo-U-La in 1993. Oo-U-La derives from the Cherokee Indian words for “cool running water,” foundation officials said.

“Everyone who works there is a volunteer, mainly firefighters, nurses and some doctors,” Airman Lee said. “I went to the camp for nine years, so now I want to give something back.”

Airman Lee said he volunteers to help the children with their self-esteem at school and at home.

“This is a great opportunity for Airman Lee to get out and talk to people about the experiences he’s gone through,” said Master Sgt. John Shupp, 388th EMS armament flight superintendent. “I think he’ll really be able to help others who are going through what he went through. He’s a great guy to have around, and considering what he’s been through, that really says a lot about him.”

Airman Lee said he will be helping the camp with barbecues, dances, water games and special events.

“They do all kinds of stuff at the camp,” he said. “One time we had a hot-air balloon ride. People and businesses from around Atlanta donate things for the kids. There was a big limousine company that donated about 50 limos for us to ride around town in.”

Airman Lee said he would like to volunteer every year if he can.

“The camp helped me deal with the surgeries I went through,” he said. “And, having other friends who got burned, and being able to talk to them helped me psychologically. When you know people like you, who like you for who you are and not for how you look, it really helps the kids out.

“When you come to the camp, you feel like you're home,” he said. “From Day One, when the counselors come, they don’t look at you like you’re burned, and they don’t ask you how it happened. They just act like you’re normal, right off the bat. That’s a neat feeling. I want to give the kids that feeling as well.”