I don’t leave my family much outside of work. I’m missing them but I know my wife has the house handled. I’m glad I came to this event. I love to fish and time with other veterans is good for my soul. Sharing stories, experiences and time on the drive and out on the boat has been great. It is great and inspiring to meet these Heroes and these incredible patriots. The love and support is real and it means a lot. Thanks, WWIA and Mark for giving me this opportunity.

-D. Daughenbaugh, USMC
Purple Heart Recipient

One word... therapy. This has helped my recovery tremendously. Thank you all so much!

-E. Morgan, US Army
Purple Heart Recipient

This event was another extraordinary success due to everyone involved. The organization and fluidity of the event is attributed to the event Hosts, Dawn and Todd Bohm Guide Jeff Micholic (AKA McMusky). Todd had everything ready to go as soon as the Warriors touched down at the airport. The WWIA staff, Nichole and Miss Corrina Bea were instrumental in providing the logistical support in an extremely efficient and easy manner. All Warriors caught nice Muskie and large Northern Pike. The fishing experience in the North-Midwest was exhilarating and extremely relaxing. Despite catching my first Musky (44 ½” long), what I will look back on most is sharing a lifetime moment with two Vietnam Warriors. Spending time with Pat and Zig was like fishing with your older brothers, the wisdom, experience and encouragement was inspiring while the stories and experiences left my face and stomach hurting from laughing. While the fish did their part, the Hosts, volunteers and Warriors were what I’ll remember most on this event. I can’t say thank you enough to all of those involved. With greatest respect.

-J. French, US Army
Purple Heart Recipient

This has been a great trip! The guys were very good to us and it is even better knowing that two of them never served but do this for those of us who did. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart. It has been great!

-P. Blewett, US Army Vietnam
Purple Heart Recipient

This is my first time Musky fishing. I haven’t caught one yet but we are going out again. Our Host, Todd Bohm and his wife had us over for lunch at their home. Lunch was delicious and we had a good time. I learned a lot about fishing for Musky from my two boat captains, Dave and Jeff. I want to thank them for their time working with me. Our WWIA Guide, Jon French has been great, he has been with us all along. Helping us get our fishing licenses and getting us to our rooms. I like visiting with a post 9/11 vet like Jon who has a good attitude and is willing to help others. WWIA is a great organization helping veterans get out into the woods, lakes and rivers. I would like to thank all the people who helped to put this fishing trip on. Thank you!
-Z. Laska, USMC Vietnam
Purple Heart Recipient

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