During halftime at The Lakers game on November 6, 2016, UCLA Health and The Lakers honored six retired servicemen who received specialized medical, surgical and mental-health care through the UCLA Operation Mend program. Army corporal Pablo Mena, army specialist Joey Paulk, marine staff sergeant Octavio Sanchez, army rangers staff sergeant Oskar Zepeda, army sergeant Jason March, and navy petty officer Michael Lammey were honored on the court after meeting with coach Luke Walton and receiving a practice-facility tour.
The Los Angeles Lakers are proud to partner with UCLA Health in supporting Operation Mend – a renowned surgical and medical program that helps heal men and women suffering from a range of service-related injuries. UCLA Operation Mend is honored to provide leading-edge medical care to those injured during combat or training, as well as comprehensive psychological and social support for wounded warriors and their families.
Founded in 2007, UCLA Operation Mend is a philanthropic partnership among UCLA Health, the United States military and the Department of Veterans Affairs. Since its launch, hundreds of wounded service-men and -women have received personalized, wraparound care from operation mend at no cost.
The Lakers and UCLA Health are proud to be a part of such important work. This weekend, the UCLA Operation Mend team, including staff and patients, will be walking at the New York Veterans Day Parade.
To learn more about how you can support UCLA Operation Mend, visit operationmend.ucla.edu.
Thank you to our troops for their valiant service!