WWIA’s Camp Hackett garners conservation support
PriceCountyDaily.com
Seth Carlson
For injured veterans returning from war, re-integration to a civilian life can prove a daunting task. Medication, doctor visits, insurance, and employment responsibilities can pile up quick. Often times, support for America’s returned is left to fellow veterans, and Wounded Warriors in Action (WWIA) is a non-profit organization of servicemen and women who do just that.
Founded by retired Army officer John McDaniel in 2007, the Wounded Warriors in Action Foundation works to promote healing for Purple Heart recipients through a variety of outdoor sporting events. The WWIA’s mission statement declares: “There is no greater healing potential than connecting with nature and pursuing great achievements both afield and on the water.”
This year, the WWIA’s Camp Hackett in Phillips was selected by sportsmen’s magazine publication Field and Stream to participate in the magazine’s Hero for a Day program. The program, in its second year, connects volunteers with hands-on conservation workdays across the country.
The conservation effort at the camp took place Saturday, April 28, and featured local volunteers donating time and training to WWIA members in conservation efforts such as planting trees and properly clearing wildlife trails at the camp.
“This is going to be ground zero,”
said McDaniel. “We are working to build an ADA-compliant, eco-friendly, disability-accessible lodge at this location.” The planned lodge is meant to serve WWIA members during whitetail deer and grouse hunts at the 360-acre camp.
McDaniel went on to specify that the lodge is planned to be a 3,500 square foot common area with a bunkhouse built next to it. The lodge will feature non-traditional healing by means of psychotherapy, massage, and a therapeutic pool and will be a year ‘round facility.
“Build it and they will come,” said McDaniel. “I see a crucial need for mental and spiritual healing in the combat wounded veteran population, and I’ve seen how sporting activities in the great outdoors can meet this need.”
The WWIA foundation has facilitated 43 events in 26 states in its five-year existence. Since 2007 there have been between 10 to 15 veterans using the camp property, primarily for bow hunting whitetail.
“Our certified master guides are all combat wounded heroes. This place is for American heroes, American sportsmen,” said McDaniel.
Wounded Warrior In Action Foundation helps purple heart veterans in Phillips
waow.com
Julienne Ryan
Seven purple heart veterans came together in Phillips to help the environment, while also helping each other heal.
Wounded Warriors In Action was created to help veterans like Lyle Spurgeon.
“The patrol I was in was ambushed by Taliban with RPGs,” said Spurgeon, a Phelps native.
Spurgeon had his tour of duty in Afghanistan cut short in 2009 when he was injured in the Taliban attack. Now the Wounded Warrior In Action Foundation is helping him move forward.
“It’s nothing that any doctor can help you with, that’s for sure,” said Spurgeon.
Fellow soldier, Matt Tennessen of Kaukauna, agreed.
“I always say there is no pill, or there is no therapy that the VA could have done, that the Wounded Warriors did for me,” said Tennessen.
John McDaniel started the program in 2007. He said his time in the military inspired him to give back.
“I combined all the things I was passionate about: serving this country, our wounded warriors that get wounded in the process serving her, and hunting and fishing,” said McDaniel.
McDaniel said spending time outside is just as much a part of the foundation as helping out other wounded vets. Today, Spurgeon and Tennessen helped other veterans plant trees to improve hunting grounds.
“The idea is to make this a world class hunting area for other wounded warriors,” said Spurgeon.
Spurgeon, and the rest of the wounded warriors, said they hope through this program they can continue to improve the lives of suffering veterans across the country.
Organizers said they have multiple events planned to help wounded veterans rehabilitate. Next month, event organizers said they will be hosting a turkey hunt in Wausau from the 18th to the 20th.
Wounded veterans treated to fishing outing at Rodman
Ocala.com
Andy Fillmore
ORANGE SPRINGS – Purple Heart recipient Brian Eisch caught the “big one” Saturday while on a fishing trip with three other wounded veterans.
The four men, all of whom were awarded the Purple Heart for their service in the Global War on Terrorism, were treated to two days of fishing and cookouts as part of the Wounded Warriors In Action program.
“The guys hollered to hold the fish up over my head,” Eisch said about the 10-pound, 1-ounce bass he landed, then let go.
The soldiers were invited to the catch-and-release outings, hosted by Orange Springs residents Charlie and Jackie Lawson, after applying online at the Wounded Warriors In Action website.
Participating were Eisch, 37, of Lacona, New York; Charles Lusk, 29, of Canton, Ga.; Jake Whipkey, 26, of Boswell, Penn.; and Jeremy Cabaniss, 31, of Panama City Beach. All are U.S. Army veterans.
They gathered with fellow outdoorsmen for a weekend of camaraderie and healing “using nature as a backdrop,” said Wounded Warriors In Action founder John McDaniel, a retired Army Lt. Col. The program covered all the expenses, said McDaniel.
The Rodman Reservoir, where the group fished, is adjacent to the Ocklawaha River in the heavily wooded northeast tip of Marion county. The wide grins and gleams in the eyes of the four soldiers as they returned from their outings spoke loud and clear.
“This is huge, to know people still care,” Lusk said as he talked about the day’s catch on Saturday evening at the Lawson home.
Lusk, an Army Ranger sniper, was injured in Iraq in 2004 by shrapnel from a car bomb and again in 2005 by shrapnel from an improvised explosive device.
“I’ve had five years of speech therapy, 16 sessions in a hyperbaric chamber (from the 2005 wounds) and I lost part of my ear,” said Lusk, who with wife Daphne has a daughter Mattie, 6.
“I met Sen. John Kerry and (country singer) Toby Keith pinned on my Purple Heart,” Lusk said, “but this fishing trip is great with friends.”
The boats put in at the Kenwood Office of Greenways and Trails Recreation Area and fished in “water about eight-feet-deep with the drawdown,” or intentional vegetation control lowering, said guide Don Storey.
“This is a big deal, I’ll never forget it,” said Eisch, who was in the service for 19 years and was wounded Nov. 3, 2010. “America is a very generous country if you’ll just look around. A lady from Florida, on the plane here from New York, offered me the use of her family home if I need it and gave me her email address. This is patriotism to me.”
Eisch, a single father of Isaac, 13, and Joey, 9, said telling his sons he was going away and might not return, when he was first deployed to Afghanistan, was “a hard talk.”
Eisch was shot three times in the legs when he went to the aid of an Afghani police officer who was downed by a rocket propelled grenade attack and was still in the line of fire.
“He was out there and the Afghanis weren’t going,” Eisch said. ”He was a team member and I said, ‘Let’s get him.’ It was training and reaction when I went after him.”
Eisch suffered damaged to both legs, with extensive damage to his left calf. He can walk, but not run. He is angered he cannot do some things he could before, but said, “It comes with the territory. We’re all volunteers.
“My Purple Heart was pinned on by a German Minster of Defense because it was a German controlled area in Afghanistan. I believe it was the first time,” Eisch said.
He also was awarded the Bronze Star for his actions.
Whipkey suffered five gunshot wounds to the chest and two to the wrist while serving in Samara, Iraq, in 2007. He medically retired in 2009.
“I can raise my arm to here,” he said, lifting his right arm to less than shoulder height. He said protective equipment stopped the bullets aimed at his chest and saved his life.
Whipley, who is single, is a student and an associate with Wounded Warriors In Action.
“This is awesome,” he said of the fishing trip. “It’s a tribute to (earlier veterans) for the great welcome we are receiving.”
Cabaniss suffered a traumatic brain injury in 2006 and medically retired in 2007. He was accompanied by his wife, Deanna.
“Jeremy bent down to retrieve something and a rocket propelled grenade hit the turret of his vehicle,” Deanna said. “He suffers memory loss, seizures and debilitating migraines.”
“I had great time fishing,” Jeremy said.
He was wearing a bracelet honoring Sgt. Patrick Tainsh, who died while serving in Iraq in 2004. Tainsh’s parents became close with Cabaniss when they met at a medical facility, said Deanna.
McDaniel said he started Wounded Warriors In Action in 2007 after he retired from a 20-year service career and began taking Veterans Administration hospital patients fishing.
“In 2011, the WWIA program hosted over 100 Purple Heart recipients on 43 hunting and fishing trips in 26 states, and we hope for the honor to do more this year,” he said as he and his wife Kellie addressed the group Sunday.
He thanked the Lawsons for “opening their homes and opening their hearts.”
Charlie Lawson is a Vietnam War veteran.
“These Purple Heart recipients are American heroes and American sportsmen,” McDaniel said. “We help heal the wounds doctors can’t fix.”
WOUNDED WARRIORS GATHER IN MIDDLETOWN
Fox 45 Dayton
Almost a year ago, the owners of the Sportsman’s Club in Middletown contacted the Wounded Warriors in Action.
It’s a grassroots organization that gathers Purple Heart recipients from all over the country for hunting trips as a way to heal and bond.
“Re-establishing the connection to our land, bolstering their confidence, telling them thank you in a way that only we can,” said founder John McDaniel.
Saturday, four Purple Heart recipients from Alaska, California, Pennsylvania and Illinois gathered for an experience none of them will forget.
“I’ve always wanted to hunt but never had the opportunity,” said Luvel Parra, injured in combat in 2004. “I’ve just enjoyed learning about hunting and meeting everybody else, it makes me proud to be an American.”
“It wasn’t about who shot the most ducks or clay targets it was about meeting new people and bonding,” added Gabriel Fierros.
A truly once-in-a-lifetime experience for a group of America’s best and brightest…whose service will stand the test of all our lifetimes.
For more information on how you can help the Wounded Warriors in Action, visit their website at www.wwiaf.org
The Great Outdoors Offer Calm Therapy
St Joe Channel
Robert Lowrey
Hunters come from all parts of the United States to hunt. But even though they may have different backgrounds, their is a familiar bond between them.
“I was wounded in Afghanistan,” said Nathan Allen of Atlantic, Iowa. “We got ambushed in our last air assault of the year.”
Wounded Warriors in Action is a non-profit organization combining America’s heroes with America’s outdoorsmen.
Members of the Wounded Warriors share a common bond as each of them received a Purple Heart after being injured in combat.
The organization was founded in 2007. It gives wounded soldiers a chance to relax and recover.
“They’re able to come out here, decompress, forget about their past for a little while,” said Wounded Warriors founder John McDaniel.
A sense of camaraderie is instantly apparent with the hunters. They all share laughs and war stories in a setting outdoors described as spiritual. It gives them the ability to overcome wounds.
“They share the same experience and I think they feed off each other,” said McDaniel. “And some guys that are worse off than others whose wounds or the effects of their combat experience are worse, they see them doing it and gives them power.”
For the wounded warriors, this power is something they can appreciate as they are able to connect over common interests, good sport, and some good food after a long morning of hunting.
“Constantly getting shot at, constantly getting blown up, all you want to do is relax,” said Allen. “You can’t really relax more than this right here.”
They’re paths may be different but these men are like brothers.
Camp Hackett gives sporting opportunities to wounded veterans
The Bee
Cathy Peterson
Property near Phillips is the fall field headquarters for Wounded Warriors In Action, a non-profit organization
Several years ago, John McDaniel, a retired U.S. Army Ranger and Special Operations veteran, founded Wounded Warriors in Action (WWIA), a non-profit organization dedicated to providing world-class outdoor sporting opportunities to combat-injured veterans. About the same time, he purchased and donated to the WWIA about 410 acres of land located near Phillips which he named Camp Hackett.
“I have hunted in the Northwoods my whole life, and I wanted to come back here and connect with the outdoors again,” he said.
According to McDaniel, the property, some of which is situated in the town of Emery, is WWIA’s fall field headquarters. The camp offers wounded veterans, all of whom have received Purple Heart medals for their combat injuries, a chance to bow hunt trophy white tail deer, bag their limit of ruffed grouse, and fish in nearby lakes for record-breaking musky.
“The mission of WWIA includes aiding in the healing process of these American heroes by welcoming them home and helping repay the debt of gratitude for the great sacrifices they have made,” he said. “As the result of the recent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, there are about 47,000 combat-wounded veterans, many with injuries that are not visible but no less real and traumatic.”
Goals of the organization include increasing self-reliance, instilling a sense of belonging, improving self-confidence, promoting spiritual healing and wellness, and enjoying the outdoors in a supportive environment shared by others with similar experiences. McDaniel noted that by their support of WWIA, sportsmen across America have been reaching out to help returning soldiers enjoy the communal aspect of hunting and fishing as they re-integrate back into society.
“When I first began this project, I started keeping a journal, and gradually some of the veterans who came to Camp Hackett shared their thoughts, too,” he said. “Many of their entries show just how much they value the opportunity to spend time here and how it is making a difference in their lives.”
Recently, Camp Hackett hosted two groups of veterans from various branches of military service; they stayed in the bunk house recently constructed on the property. A number of local AmVets Post 50 members, including Bob Bolz, Stan Smith and Hannah Gengenbach, assisted with meals and other camp activities while Steven Koch of Meister’s Bar and Grill and other Phillips area business owners provided additional support.
“This is a wonderful program for these veterans who are real American heroes, and I am pleased to do what I can to help,” said Bolz.
The main WWIA headquarters is in Florida, where McDaniel, a professional fishing guide, gives wounded veterans the chance to go saltwater fishing. According to McDaniel, since the organization was founded, more than 40 different events have been offered in various places around the nation, adding he does “a lot of traveling to organize and promote these activities.”
For more information about the Wounded Warriors in Action project, log onto their Web site, www.wwiaf.org
Groups take Purple Heart recipients alligator hunting
13 News
Margaret Kavanagh
Wounded while fighting for our country, a group of Purple Heart recipients from across the U.S. are in Brevard County this weekend to hunt alligators.
Brevard County Airboat Association members took the five wounded soldiers out on the water near Camp Holly in Melbourne.
They were chosen by the group Wounded Warriors in Action to pick any fishing or hunting trip throughout the country, but they all wanted to hunt alligators.
Kyle Finley of Kentucky uses a wheelchair and suffered a leg injury while in the Middle East. The 25-year-old man said he was grateful.
“I might as well try and hunt something that hunts you back,” Finley said.
Gary Horn, a wounded soldier from South Carolina, said not “too many people can say they went out and wrestled an alligator.”
While working on the 73rd floor of the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, Gregory Amira of Tampa was injured helping other people try to escape danger.
Despite his disabilities after being trapped under the rubble twice, he was called to serve the country six years later.
He said while running through bullets during an attack, he saved three fellow comrades, but suffered serious injuries to his face, head, and even swallowed chemical waste.
“Where I use to be able to run millions of dollars in my head, now I can’t even balance my checkbook,” Amira said.
He said he loves a challenge and calls himself an adrenaline junkie.
“Even though I have seven herniated disks, I try extreme skiing,” Amira said. “Up in Brooklyn we don’t get to hunt. Going to Iraq you get to hunt humans. I figured animals won’t shoot back. ”
Founder and CEO of the Wounded Warriors in Action John McDaniel said it is difficult for the men and women returning from combat.
“There is very little decompression time,” McDaniel said. “They are, bam, back into society.”
He said it gives them a chance to bond with people who have experienced similar situations.
“We provide an opportunity for a short period of time to say thanks for what you did, welcome home and let’s go have some fun,” McDaniel said.
They said the support from the community has been astonishing.
The American Legion escorted them from their hotel to the camp.
Horn said the support provides a “tremendous uplifting boost to us.”
The group will spend Saturday night hunting alligators.
Wounded Warriors in Action travels the nation trying to help men and women transitions back into civilian life.
This is one of over 40 events of its kind this year.
“You can’t ask for better than that,” Amira said. “It gives you that tickly feeling inside, makes you feel great about it.”
Fly Fishing for Musky in Wisconsin
MOPH Public Relations
John Bircher, MOPH Public Relations
What could be better than drifting down the Chippewa River on a warm, cloudless day; casting your fly into the cold, clear, spring fed waters in search of the ultimate fresh-water game fish, the Wisconsin Musky? Well, according to the eight Purple Heart recipients who participated in the 2011 Wounded Warriors in Action (WWIA) Summer Musky Classic, “it just doesn’t get any better than this, especially when you’re fishing with other wounded warriors.”
Ranch hosting hunt for wounded veterans
The Herald Banner, Greenville, TX
AMBER POMPA
Coyote Crossing Ranch is seeking donations and sponsors to help them fund a series of hunts for Wounded Warriors in Action.
Wounded Warriors in Action connects Purple Heart recipients with American sportsmen to provide world class sporting events, with Coyote Crossing Ranch in Commerce being given the honor of hosting a series of hunts for the wounded veterans.
Wounded Warriors in Action provides any costs related to getting the veterans to and from the hunt. However, once there, the ranch is responsible for their food and lodging needs, thus they’re seeking support for a series of hunts they’ll be hosting, beginning in December, for the heroes who have sacrificed for the freedom of others.
Right now there are 150 wounded veterans on the list for the hunts, which will take place at the ranch, in addition to a waterfowl hunt in Oklahoma.
Coyote Crossing Ranch is already in the process of acquiring animals for the hunts, which include deer, exotics, birds and wild boar.
The ranch’s goal is to raise $100,000 to purchase the game and cover any other expenses related to the veteran’s stay.
“It’s good for them to get together with others like them that know what they’ve gone through,” said Ray Aprill, game manager for the ranch, who was himself wounded while serving in Iraq. “Everyone out here either has a family member that’s a veteran or are a veteran themselves. It’s personal for me and am looking forward to hanging out with these guys and doing my best to provide an amazing experience for them.”
All donations are tax deductible through the ranch’s non-profit organization, Hope 4 Today, and can be sent to Coyote Crossing Ranch, 3272 Farm Road 2655, Com-merce, 75428.
While they are seeking donations, they’re also seeking a personal touch for both the veterans and those who choose to donate or become a sponsor.
“We’re wanting those who donate or become a sponsor to write a letter to the veteran, thanking them for their service. We, in turn, will send back pictures of the veterans with their harvest, with an included letter of appreciation from us,” said Aprill. “We want to make sure they see where their money went to and how much it was appreciated.”
George Briscoe with Coyote Crossing Ranch will be speaking to the Lions’ Club during their Aug. 18 meeting in an effort to get the word out regarding the hunts and assistance needed.
For more information on the hunt, how to donate or become a sponsor, contact Coyote Crossing Ranch at 903-496-2288.
Hunt can help heal Wounded Warriors
Wausau Daily Herald
The weekend of May 21, Wisconsin Angling Adventures hosted its second annual “cast and blast” for Wounded Warriors in Action.
Wounded Warriors in Action was founded in 2007 by retired U.S. Army Lt. Colonel John McDaniel as a way of supporting and helping to heal the wounds of decorated combat veterans from the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts through adventures in the great outdoors.
This year, central Wisconsin was proud to host two veterans for the “cast and blast” weekend — Matt Tennessen of Kaukana, an Army National Guard member from Rhinelander who was wounded in Afghanistan, and Josh Krueger of Hubertus, a U.S. Marine wounded in Afghanistan.
After arriving the evening of May 20 and purchasing licenses and spending time getting acquainted, the vets hit the rack in anticipation of two great days of turkey hunting.
As the sun rose May 21, the veterans were treated to a symphony of spring sounds, including sandhill cranes, ducks, geese and, of course, turkeys.
Josh and guide Tony Kopchinski had numerous hens and toms work the field they were hunting, but were unable to get a shot. Matt and I hunted hard but were disappointed in the number of birds we saw. After lunch, rain and rest, we headed out again in the afternoon to new locations.
Josh and Tony continued seeing birds, but Matt and I were struggling. As evening drew to a close, Matt and I made a decision to move our blind to a different field edge. Little did we know at the time, we had made the right decision.
Sunday morning arrived with some small thundershowers in the morning, but we anticipated having a great hunt. By 6 a.m., Matt and I still hadn’t seen or heard a bird. Matt had said walking out to the blind in the dark that he only wanted to hear a tom gobbling on the roost. Patience paid off and, at 6:05 a.m., a gobble erupted from the woods across from the field we were set up on. This was followed by another gobble, then a double gobble and, shortly after, a triple gobble.
Fog had set in on the field we were hunting when Matt leaned over and started counting: one, two, three … six, seven … 10. I threw up the binoculars and amazingly watched five jakes and five toms emerge into the fog-covered field. Within a minute, the five jakes engulfed our decoy spread and, for the next 10 minutes, entertained us as they milled around.
The toms shook the woods as they gobbled continuously but would not approach the decoy. Matt was treated to quadruple gobbles and, with the fog covering the field, you could not have asked for a better scenario.
As the birds started moving away, Matt made a decision to harvest a jake. Within seconds, the bird was on the ground. Josh also had great action that morning, as numerous hens milled around the blind and a tom worked within 30 yards without offering a shot opportunity.
As both veterans returned home May 22, another chapter for the “cast and blast” weekend came to a close. Great memories and friends were made. More importantly, the healing process from the war was hopefully helped.
This event would not have been possible without the help of several businesses and individuals from the Wausau area. Special thanks goes out to the Grand Lodge by Stoney Creek for outstanding accommodations, meals provided by the Log Cabin restaurant, hunting access to properties by Yaeger Auto Salvage and Sampson Creek Ranch properties and turkey mentoring by Tony Kopchinski of the Mosinee Sportsman Club.
Special thanks and recognition go out to all of our veterans who have given so much to protect the freedoms we enjoy. Stay tuned for 2012 as “cast and blast” will return bigger and better.
Todd Bohm is a guide with Wisconsin Angling Adventures and the assistant principal at D.C. Everest Senior High School.