At this juncture of my life as an aging warrior. I’ve started to feel a loneliness and longing for those times in my life where I felt the closeness of my teammates and troops to share that special bond. This trip, as short as it was rekindled that Esprit de Corps I’ve been missing for so long. With not only my fellow wounded warriors but also the civilians who so graciously hosted us for the fishing event. They welcomed us into their home and made us part of their family. Nice to know there are still great Americans who care about their returning warriors. WWIA is a fantastic organization and has made the adventure that much more special. Best to all. Thank you for what you did!

-J. Hill, USMC
Purple Heart Recipient

My first-time halibut fishing and what an amazing time. To start my trip, we got to all meet up and get to know each other at the hotel, then got to site see beautiful scenery all the way to Seward. John and Becky made us feel at home right away. Joe had us all briefed up on the “what and how big” of the fish we were going to catch. He was not telling fish stories. We caught fish and big ones too, with the biggest one at 73 pounds. Captain John even ate raw octopus and that was a sight. He also put us on rock fish where we each caught four fish in a matter of minutes. This was a trip of a lifetime and I made seven new friends. This was amazing. Thanks so much to Joe, Captain John, Becky and WWIA. I’ll never forget this.

-S. Komarek, US Army
Purple Heart Recipient

This was the first time in Alaska for me. I had a great time meeting and making new friends. John, Joe and Becky all welcomed us and made us feel like we belonged here and were family. They were just awesome! The fishing we did was not just about fishing, we also received a little history lesson about the area, saw some of the native wildlife and stood by a glacier watching chunks fall off of it. There really are no words to say about this whole experience except why haven’t I tried to get up to this beautiful state sooner.

-R. Peterson, US Army
Purple Heart Recipient

Every event we have had the opportunity to host has been a special experience for us, and this event was another unique and meaningful experience for my family and the volunteers. Meeting the Heroes, spending time with them and getting to know them creates memories for a lifetime. Allan, Ted and Jeremy were great to share time with and they were all very enthusiastic about participating in the activities and enjoying time at the lodge. It is truly our honor and pleasure to be able to host these events, and we are blessed to be able to work with WWIA and the Heroes that take the time to come to Western PA.

-D. Bevevino, Host

I just wanted (had) to take a minute to thank you and everyone involved for an AMAZING trip to Missouri. It exceeded all expectations. To get away and be among some of the finest humans I’ve ever met and learn how to hunt gobblers from legit experts like that was an indescribable feeling. The hosts and guides were awesome. I was overwhelmed with how well we were treated; truly and epic experience. The VA offers a lot of group therapy options and so-called mental health professionals analyzing our broken down bodies and minds usually resulting in pills and effectiveness is marginal at best, sometimes regression (not a good thing although the best they can offer). What your organization does is better medicine than what any doctor can give. What you do is important. It’s easy to forget there are people out there that appreciate the sacrifices their military veterans have made for them and on this trip it was abundantly clear. To be honest, I felt like it was more than I deserved. I came out of this thing feeling GREAT. It all started and ended with Jake. He went above and beyond from start to finish always making sure we were taken care of. It was inspiring to see a veteran like Jake giving back to his fellow veterans. If there’s any way I can follow his example and help out, please don’t hesitate to ask. Corrina too! She laid everything out as clear as day. If a numb skull like me can follow her directions, anyone can.
So, THANK YOU for what you did for me, and my brothers. It was an experience I’ll never forget.

-A. Replogle, US Army
Purple Heart Recipient

I was selected to attend the turkey hunting event in Kansas. First and foremost, I’d like to say thank you! Thank you to WWIA for having a top-notch organization that afforded me the opportunity to do something I would not be able to do without people like you going above and beyond for wounded veterans. I’d like to thank Carl for opening up his home to me as a stranger and treating me as if I were family. Truly a gem in today’s society. I felt extremely comfortable around everyone I met in Glen Elder and Cawker City. You can see their appreciation of us and their love of country. It was nice to be around other vets especially ones that were wounded and could relate. Thanks to Ted for all the Guide work and all the land that he allowed us to be on for this opportunity. Being outdoors and getting away from the everyday life is something that does wonders for me mentally. It also let me gain some confidence. Because of my injuries I didn’t know what I was capable of doing on my own. Thanks to John, Nate, Cole, Herman and Austin for the brotherhood and hospitality. I’d also like to thank Asa and Whitney with whom I spent a lot of time talking and just competing. It was nice to meet them and become friends with them. Thank you again for everything.

-J. Reuber, US Army
Purple Heart Recipient

I just want to thank WWIA as well as the Boisen family for this opportunity to spend the weekend with such great people. Angel and I had an amazing time. Great food, great fishing, great people. Truly a trip of a lifetime.

-J. Scanlan, USMC
Purple Heart Recipient

I can’t describe what a generous gift my boyfriend and I received from the WWIA. It opened the doors to communication of deep feelings and thoughts I didn’t know how to discuss or bring up. It also humbled me as a recipient and strengthened my beliefs of the good in people. It was actually a weight lifted, meeting other individuals struggling with the same issues and developing a network of friends to help guide and support each other through positive reinforcement. I now have a clearer understanding of very hard pasts and how they affect us going forward, the challenges we face as a couple and a family somehow feel more manageable knowing we have the support of these strangers we now call friends.

-A. Bell, Significant Other

This past weekend in Galveston at Brad and Julie Boisen’s was an amazing opportunity to spend some great time with my Fiancé, Claudia and other couples. I found that I had a lot in common with everybody else as far as going through the military experience and relationships. Just sitting back out on the deck of the beach house enjoying the view and talking with everyone was nice. The Boisen’s really put together something special. The food was amazing, and I learned a few new things on how to prepare wild game and fish. I am very thankful that Brad hired a Guide that put me on the biggest speckled trout and flounder I have ever caught. I would like to thank WWIA and John McDaniel for giving myself and Claudia the opportunity to enjoy this past weekend in Galveston, Texas.

-N. Schoon, US Army
Purple Heart Recipient

My Fiancé, Nick and I had such an amazing weekend! The home we stayed in was covered in Jasmine and was heaven to wake up to. Nick and I really needed this weekend getaway and it was the perfect blend of relaxation and the outdoors. Nick caught a huge trout and that brought so much joy to my heart to be able to experience that with him. These are memories that will last forever. Thank you to everyone who made this weekend possible and a special thank you to Julie and Brad for being so gracious and generous and opening their home to us. We will never forget this weekend!

-C. Pereyra, Fiancé

What can I say that hasn’t been said before? This trip isn’t about fishing or even about being in Mexico. This trip is all about family, and that is what Mark, WWIA and the Harris Family all go out of their way to make us feel like. I truly feel that these people have become family and for that I will be forever thankful.

-R. Kusch, US Army
Purple Heart Recipient

Thank you seems to be so inadequate to express my appreciation for the experience of the Western PA Turkey Hunt. Dan and his family are fabulous patriots and hosts. The Guides, Jeremy, Tony, Steven and Frank likewise were focused on our having an unforgettable experience. Everything exceeded my expectations. I certainly felt the love and appreciation from everyone. It reinforced my belief that our great nation will be preserved since we have great patriots such as these. Thanks everyone so very much for the experience. I know that WWIA wouldn’t be possible without Dan and Corrina. This is a chapter of my life I will cherish forever. Respectfully, with many thanks.

T. McDaris, US Army
Purple Heart Recipient

This event was an amazing time. The individuals in charge to offer us a great time fishing and enjoying other veterans did a truly wonderful job. All the Captains of the fishing boats were very knowledgeable, helpful and patient. The people who cooked for us were very friendly and kind. It truly was an awesome weekend. Thank you to Derek Duplisea for sending all messages to make my event great. Thanks to everyone at WWIA for a wonderful event. Great people and great food equaled a great time. I am now a person hooked on fishing! God Bless you all.

-V. Cotto, US Army
Purple Heart Recipient

This event was fabulous. The Guide was excellent in letting us know upfront what was going on. The Host has done a great job of keeping the weekend interesting for all vets. We had a great time in my opinion, even with the weather we had on Friday and Saturday morning. Thank you WWIA for all you do for all the veterans. All I can say is keep up the excellent work.

-G. Apgar, USMC
Purple Heart Recipient