A small band of British Army soldiers and a Royal Marine injured in Afghanistan visited the National Museum of the Marine Corps on Oct. 2 as part of a recent trip to the United States.

The trip, which was sponsored by Project Enduring Pride, was the first to Marine Corps Base Quantico for most of the combat veterans and proved a big hit for the wounded warriors as they continue their mental and physical rehabilitation from wounds suffered on the battlefields of Afghanistan. Prior to coming to the NMMC, they had visited the Washington, D.C., area and New York City.

Most of the Brits had worked with U.S. Marines in Afghanistan and welcomed the opportunity to learn more about Marine history.

“It was really good,” British Army Lance Cpl. Bryan Phillips said following a detailed tour of the museum. “I really liked the way it was laid out.”

Phillips lost both of his legs after stepping on an IED in June 2012, but remains positive about his future after leaving the army next year. The 28-year-old Belfast, Ireland, native said he’s already renting out several properties that he owns and looks forward to going into business on a full-time basis once his military commitment is up.

In the meantime, he and his former comrades-in-arms enjoyed learning more about U.S. Marine lore and customs. Nothing, however, commanded their attention more than listening to docent Frank Matthews describe what it was like at Iwo Jima. Matthews is a Marine World War II veteran who was wounded three times at Iwo Jima.

“He was there,” marveled retired British Army soldier Stu Harris. “You can’t get that out of a history book.”

Ken Strafer, the executive director for Project Enduring Pride, said that he took great pleasure in seeing the wounded British warriors enjoy their stay.

“I appreciate them all,” Strafer said. “They served and they got hurt. It’s our duty to go out and pay it forward.”

Project Enduring Pride is a community outreach program that works with and assists the severely wounded warriors returning from Afghanistan and Iraq and now recuperating at Military Medical Centers and Veterans Administration hospitals in the Washington, D.C., Richmond or Baltimore areas, according to the organization’s website.

Stops in the Washington, D.C., area for the British contingent included the FBI Academy in Quantico and Arlington National Cemetery.