Wounded Warriors In Action: Justin Wilson & John McDaniel Interview
KD Country 94 Local News
Derek Nester
Chief Petty Officer Justin Wilson and Founder of Wounded Warriors in Action, Retired Lieutenant Colonel John McDaniel, joined Wade Gerstner on Waterside Wakeup this morning to talk about the foundation, what it offers, and how you can get involved. Listen to the full interview below
Missouri–Kansas Ducks N’Bucks
mdconline.com
Adam Bracken and Roger Wolken
In November 2012, the Wounded Warriors in Action Foundation and the Conservation Department cosponsored the annual Missouri–Kansas Ducks N’ Bucks event held near St. Joseph, Mo.
Eight Purple Heart recipients traveled to northwest Missouri for a four-day guided hunt, multiple banquets, and an evening event including dinner and honors at the Conservation Department’s regional office in St. Joseph, made possible by funding through the Missouri Conservation Heritage Foundation.
Community involvement was remarkable. “We had a super group of volunteers that helped out during the event,” says Brian Roderick, Missouri-Kansas Ducks N’ Bucks chapter president. “Thirty-five wonderful volunteers had boots on the ground, helping transport, guide, cook and more.”
The Wounded Warriors in Action Foundation is a national nonprofit organization. They are dedicated to serving our nation’s combat wounded by providing world-class outdoor sporting activities as a means to recognize and honor their sacrifice, encourage independence and connections with communities, and pro mote healing and wellness through camaraderie and a shared passion for the outdoors. You can learn more about them and how to get involved at wwiaf.org or by calling 1-888-308-9942.
“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,” says founder John McDaniel, who is also a veteran.
“In my career, this was one of the most humbling and gratifying events I have ever had an opportunity to be a part of,” says Roger Wolken, Conservation Department northwest regional protection supervisor. “I was touched by the gratitude each of the veterans expressed to us. We are so blessed to be U.S. citizens, to live and work in the profession we dearly love, to raise our children in a free country, all of which is due to the veterans of our armed forces and their personal dedication and sacrifices.”
Rodman Reservoir Fishing Event
Airboating Magazine
Charlie Lawson
This year the lights in our house came on at 3:30 a.m. so we could have breakfast ready for the wounded warriors and their fishing guides. They would start arriving around 4:30 a.m. While my wife Jackie and United Sportsmen & Airboaters Alliance member Brian Gotcher started with the cooking, I went outside to take care of the last-minute details for their arrival. As soon as I stepped outside I knew the cold front was upon us, but I sure didn’t realize just how cold and windy it would get before the weekend was over, and not exactly Florida weather.
It wasn’t long before our 11 guests were enjoying a hot breakfast of eggs, sausage, biscuits and gravy with orange juice and coffee. At 5:15 a.m., the first group was out the door to endure what was going to be a cold, windy day, but it paled in comparison to what Sunday was to bring. The last group was on its way by 6 a.m.
My job Saturday was to take out a news photographer from one of the local papers. He wanted to get a few pictures of the wounded warriors while they were fishing at the Rodman Reservoir, in Palatka, in Central Florida.
Maneuvering through the stump fields on a calm day is bad enough; what seemed to be 20 mph winds really made it tough. We finally got to the third boat, snapped a few pictures, and then went searching for the fourth and final boat. Wouldn’t you know it, right after we left Wounded Warrior Brian Eisch caught the fish of the day, a 10 lb. 2 oz. largemouth bass. The professional photographer didn’t get a chance to get the picture, but as you can see the boat crew did.
On Sunday, the second and last day of the event, the thermometer had dipped to 28.6 degrees. After breakfast we bundled up and it looked like we were going ice fishing in the North rather than fishing here in Florida.
Wounded Warriors in Action Foundation uses hunting trips to heal vets
The airboat captain is desperate to spot a gleaming pair of eyes. In the middle of the St. Johns River, in the redneck heart of Florida, darkness is deepening and a chill envelops the swamp. For nearly five hours, six men have sat on thinly padded seats, wearing earphones to muffle the airboat’s roar. They swat prehistoric insects off each other in silence. Wind rattles their jowls, slices through their jeans. They chew tobacco to distract their empty stomachs.
In the front seat is a pale, thin, 24-year-old former Army soldier with two dead weights for legs. His back aches, and he shivers in the cold. Kyle Finley has been a duck hunter all his life. He survived a rocket attack on his Humvee in Afghanistan that left a ten-inch piece of shrapnel lodged in his leg. He knows how to hunt and kill things. But this alligator hunt is different.
Finley is here thanks to the Wounded Warriors in Action Foundation, a Florida-based nonprofit that takes combat-wounded vets from Iraq and Afghanistan on hunting and fishing vacations. For five years, the group has escorted hundreds of vets every year on trips based on a simple but counterintuitive idea: that the best way to heal men scarred by war is to arm them with deadly weapons and let them loose on wild animals.
“Recovery happens only in community,” says Jonathan Shay, a psychiatrist who believes in the concept. “Almost always, [it’s] a community of other combat-wounded veterans.”
John McDaniel, Wounded Warriors’ founder, looks exactly like the retired Army Ranger lieutenant colonel he is: broad shoulders, prodigious chest, twinkling eyes, and a smile that could charm the Taliban. Men on his trips call him “sir” or “the colonel.”
When he began taking wounded vets hunting, McDaniel was living in Delray Beach and running a private aviation company. He and his wife paid for the vacations themselves — hunting on land the couple owned in Wisconsin, and fishing in Tampa Bay. McDaniel had taken similar trips with buddies during his 20-year military career, and when he retired, he realized such excursions could help soldiers “deal with some of the wounds the doctors can’t fix.”
This year he has 43 hunting trips serving 100 veterans nationwide — hog hunting near Dallas, quail hunting in New York, elk hunting in Washington State, duck hunting in Missouri. The annual Florida gator hunt is one of the most popular trips. McDaniel doesn’t take a salary; his organization depends on volunteers.
His charity isn’t a novel concept, just one that has enjoyed renewed popularity thanks to the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. For at least two decades, nonprofits have taken vets skiing in Colorado, fly-fishing in Montana, bear hunting in West Virginia, and pheasant hunting in Pennsylvania.
Although officials from the Veterans Affairs National Center on Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) point out there is no study proving these trips cure posttraumatic stress disorder — the most common mental affliction of returning vets — the basic healing properties of men tromping through nature together are hard to miss.
Donald Stewart,a psychologist in Cocoa Beach who treats vets, says kayaking, fishing, hiking, and other outdoor trips have been “very, very successful” in helping the men recover. “With PTSD — shooting guns — ultimately, could it create flashbacks? Sure, it could create flashbacks,” Stewart says. “But if an individual has grown up hunting, it may also bring them comfort.”
Along with Finley, each of the four other men skimming over the murky swamp with McDaniel on this hunt has lived his own personal wartime tragedy:
• Ryan Olech, a 30-year-old Army Ranger, took two bullets in Afghanistan. He got out of the service in July and is living with his wife in Pennsylvania, planning to attend school for taxidermy next year.
• Kevin Johnson, a 44-year-old former Army sergeant with a round, kind face, leans on a cane necessitated by pain from diabetes. During the first Gulf War, he worked as an operating-room tech at Walter Reed. He re-enlisted to serve in the second Iraq war. In total, he gave 18 years to the military.
• Gary Horn was driving a Humvee near Kandahar, Afghanistan, in 2008 when Taliban fighters ambushed, launching a rocket-propelled grenade through the window of his truck. The pressure blew a hole in the now-26-year-old’s ear drum and left him with herniated discs and a traumatic brain injury.
• Greg Amira, 42, was a vice president for Morgan Stanley on 9/11, narrowly escaping when the South Tower collapsed. Six years later, serving as a reservist in Iraq, his convoy was hit by an IED. The truck in front of his exploded and flipped into a drainage ditch. During their rescue, Amira swallowed sewage and chemical waste, burning his esophagus. His face was mangled, and he suffered a traumatic brain injury.
They’ve each come to McDaniel’s hunt for different reasons. Horn, who is beefy and pale, with a mosaic of tattoos covering his bare arms, has been haunted by nightmares since returning to his tiny hometown near Clemson, South Carolina.
“When you’re talking to somebody that doesn’t understand, that hasn’t been there — it’s like you’re talking to a brick wall,” he says. “They don’t understand how surreal it is. To them, it’s just another scene in a movie.”
Finley, meanwhile, was set to hunt gators two years ago while recovering from his shrapnel wounds back in Kentucky. Then he got into a car accident and woke up with both legs paralyzed.
“I’m the most unluckiest person that is alive,” he tells the group.
As the sun sets, the group of vets follows McDaniel to a boat launch on the waterway, which winds north of Lake Okeechobee through 12 Central Florida counties. They get a quick tutorial on gator killing from Duane Wallace, a volunteer and master guide. The men have a choice between shooting with a crossbow or a giant spear that looks lifted from Dances With Wolves.
The men set out in separate airboats, with Amira in the lead. His guide quickly gets word they’ve had a bite. The low sun glints blue and gold off the water. Dark eyes rise above the surface.
With the crossbow, Amira takes a clean shot. He laughs and grabs the “bang stick” — a weapon that fires a bullet when rammed into the gator’s head. With a loud pop, he finishes the job. “Hooah!” he shouts. “That bitch be mine!” The enormous lizard’s eyes are still blinking, so Amira inserts a small knife into the creature’s forehead and wiggles it around to scramble the brain. The gator’s eyes close.
The next afternoon, in a hardscrabble West Melbourne subdivision, the wounded warriors gather in a volunteer’s back-yard garage.
They’ve gathered three bloody gator carcasses — Johnson’s, Olech’s, and Amira’s trophies. The corpses are stretched out on tables where a car would have been parked. The mottled hides are surrounded by tool boxes, a saw table, and a beer fridge. The sun is too bright, and the smell of dead reptile is nauseating.
McDaniel is freshly caffeinated, chatting with everyone, back-slapping, puffing on a cigar. Horn, who failed to bag a gator, admits he’s frustrated. “I don’t like being defeated, and those alligators defeated me,” he says. “I can’t sit here and say I wasn’t disappointed.”
But Horn also realizes the trip wasn’t just about him. Before the weekend is over, he talks to McDaniel about joining Wounded Warriors as a volunteer and running his own fishing trips for vets in South Carolina.
Back near the garage, the exhausted, exuberant troops linger in the sun, swapping stories. They divide the gator meat equally among themselves, regardless of who was victorious that day. Laughing, telling tales of a mission accomplished, they are a unit again, a brotherhood. And for now, that is enough.
Vets find healing in outdoors
Florida Today
Matt Badolato
One evening in the spring of 2004, Kevin Johnson, a truck driver in the Army National Guard, took his post for guard duty in the Iraqi desert. As the sun went down, he jerked to attention as enemy mortars burst into a checkpoint across the base. Moments later, three missiles sailed into his post, exploding just a few meters away.
Fast forward seven years to Oct. 1.
I’m sitting with Johnson at a table beside the St. Johns River, listening to his story. A walking cane rests across his lap, the result of a brain injury from the attack and a regular reminder of his sacrifice.
On my lap, a plate of fried alligator fritters and slow-cooked wild hog reminds me why I’m here.
It’s the third annual alligator hunt put on by the Wounded Warriors in Action Foundation. They’ve come together with the Brevard County Airboat Association, American Legion Post 81 and Camp Holly to organize the hunt for Johnson and four other wounded vets.
Founded by retired Lt. Col. John McDaniel in 2007, the hunt offers Purple Heart recipients their choice of cost-free, guided outdoor adventures across the nation. Other trips this year included a turkey hunt in Alabama, an upland bird shoot in New York and bass fishing in Texas.
“The outdoors has remarkable mental and spiritual healing power, and these guys deserve it,” said McDaniel.
A veteran parajumper himself, McDaniel retired from the Army to follow his dream of bringing as many combat vets back to the outdoors as possible.
“I knew I could do better out than in (the Army),” McDaniel said. “I decided to devote my time to my passion.”
I work my way through the camo-dressed crowd at Camp Holly — a home base for airboaters, bikers and, of course, gator hunters. There I meet the wheelchair-bound Kyle Finley, a 25-year old vet whose truck was ambushed while serving in Afghanistan.
“I retired from the Army after the attack, but I got in a car wreck at home and was paralyzed,” said Finley, who lives to hunt and fish in his home state of Kentucky. “I have the best luck,” he said with a quiet laugh.
The next veteran I met was 30-year old Ryan Olech, who came from Tennessee to hunt a Florida gator. He’d been shot twice — once in the arm and once in the shoulder — and was awarded the Purple Heart.
“I remember getting knocked to the ground by the shots, and that’s it,” Olech said. “I woke up five days later in Walter Reed Hospital.”
Enemies on motorcycles ambushed Gary Horn of South Carolina, a 26-year old Air Force medic, while on a raid in Afghanistan. A rocket-propelled grenade went right through the driver’s side window of Horn’s truck. He suffered a bad concussion and herniated disks, but he says he’s lucky to be alive.
Greg Amira of New Port Richey was wide-eyed and ready to hunt an alligator. Amira worked for Morgan Stanley on the 73rd floor of the World Trade Center during the 9/11 tragedy. He suffered full-body injuries, but still served in Iraq after the attacks. Amira was injured overseas after diving into a chemical-laden canal to save a group of soldiers whose vehicle went off the road.
The former soldiers stand around getting ready for their gator hunt — practicing harpoon throwing, crossbow shooting and safety. Meanwhile, Jim Rosasco, treasurer of the Brevard County Airboat Association, invites me on a quick airboat ride through the St. Johns.
We hover through dark cypress swamps, with banana spiders above us wielding nests large enough to catch birds. Baby gators zip around the edges of the trails.
Back at the dock, our heroes are piling into airboats with five of the finest gator guides in Brevard. One by one they ride out into the sunset, their hopes set on harvesting a trophy. They’re wearing camo, but it’s meant to blend into the swamp this time — not the Arabian Desert.
Oh yeah, I almost forgot. The guys nabbed three gators that night, each about 9 feet long. The meat was processed the next morning and the hides preserved.
Wounded warriors seek out alligators
FloridaToday.com
R. Norman Moody
Gregory Amira, a former stockbroker, was injured after being buried in the collapsed rubble of the World Trade Center in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. The retired Army captain was wounded again while fighting in Iraq in 2007. Now, he can’t wait to go on another alligator hunt.
“I’m looking forward to it,” he said. “I’m even more looking forward to cooking it up later.”
Amira, 42, who lives in Trinity, near Tampa, is one of five veterans wounded in the wars in Iraq or Afghanistan who will participate in the Third Annual Wounded Warrior in Action Foundation’s Gator Hunt today in Brevard County.
The Brevard Airboat Association, American Legion Post 81 and Camp Holly are working with the foundation to coordinate the hunting trip for the men, who arrived Friday in Melbourne. Legion Riders will escort the veterans this morning from their hotel in Palm Bay to Camp Holly in Melbourne.
“It’s really a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” said Duane Wallace, an associate of Wounded Warrior in Action. “There is an element of danger. You have to be careful because you could become the one hunted.”
Wallace said the men are veterans wounded in combat who chose the gator hunt instead of deer hunting or ocean fishing. They relish the opportunity in part because there are some risks capturing and killing a large alligator.
“It’s just that element of danger they are comfortable with,” Wallace said.
The men will be briefed on safety, harpoon throwing and crossbow shooting. Organizers have specially rigged crossbows for those in the group who are unable to throw a harpoon because of their injuries.
John McDaniel, a retired Army lieutenant colonel and founder of Wounded Warrior in Action, said the hunt is a way of giving back to the troops and to express gratitude to them in a meaningful way.
“We help heal the wounds that doctors can’t fix,” he said. “With alligators, they are hunting a dangerous animal here, and they are amped about it. They are in their element.”
Wounded Warrior in Action, a non-profit based in Apollo Beach, provides combat-wounded Purple Heart recipients with outdoor sporting activities such as bass fishing, deer, hog and duck hunting.
In addition to Amira, other veterans are coming from Kentucky, Minnesota, South Carolina and Pennsylvania for the alligator hunt.
Amira, who was a vice president for Morgan Stanley at the World Trade Center, was trapped in the rubble of the collapsed building for five hours and suffered back, neck and head injuries. He was in the lobby of Tower One, trying to help with evacuations, when the second tower collapsed.
A captain on ready reserve, Amira was called back into the Army in April 2006 despite his injuries. He was sent to Iraq, where he spent 13 months. He was injured when he dove into a canal to help save fellow soldiers after a roadside attack that sent a vehicle in his convoy into the water. He suffered head injuries and the effects of chemicals in the water.
“Racing up to the scene, people were shooting at me,” he said. “If I hunt animals, they don’t shoot back at me.”
Amira said he went gator hunting last year and couldn’t wait to go again this year. As he and others were trying to pull in a live gator during his first hunt, he fell on the slippery ground and slid toward the water.
“This is no way near as dangerous as somebody with an AK-47 shooting back at you,” he said.
Kuneytown Annual Patriot Day Youth Hunt
Kuneytown Sportsmens Club
Keith G Tidball
On or about September 11th each year, the Kuneytown Sportsmen’s Club joins forces with Charlie and his great staff at Whispering Pines Hideaway Shooting Preserve to remember the 2,977 Americans killed during the attacks of September 11th, 2001. At the same time, we honor the many soldiers, sailors, law enforcement personnel, emergency responders, and others who daily risk their lives, and sometimes sacrifice it, for our protection and the protection of our freedoms.
We take this time every year to be grateful to be Americans, to make a point of acknowledging our Constitution and the Bill of Rights, and to be sure to never take for granted our rights to keep and bear arms.
This year, we were honored to share our celebration with veterans of current wars, all Purple Heart recipients, associated with the group Wounded Warriors in Action. It was a moving and proud moment, after a group photograph, to observe the youth of Kuneytown approaching the soldiers and offering them a handshake and a heartfelt “thank you for your service.”
When you have a chance, say thanks to Steve Sandroni and Eric Riegel for coordinating the hunt, and to Charlie Buisch of Whispering Pines for donating pheasants and creating a great space for the hunt and picnic to take place. Tell your kids that you are proud of them, and that you are proud of our servicemen and women.
Perhaps most importantly, drop my friend John McDaniel, Lieutenant Colonel (retired) US Army and founder of Wounded Warriors in Action a line at info@wwiaf.org — tell him thanks or donate to a great cause.
Thanks to Elon Weinstein for the photograph. More photos can be found and downloaded here
OUTDOORS: Wounded Warriors return to Whispering Pines
Charlie and Carol Buisch hosted a 2010 event at their hunting preserve, Whispering Pines Hideaway, for the extraordinary Wounded Warriors In Action Foundation. Not only did they host the upland game hunt, they donated the entire package for the special warriors.
“I had to do this again,” Charlie Buisch said during the 2011 hunt Sept. 10 at his preserve just south of Lyons. “There was no question about our involvement.”
WWIA is a program for veterans that focuses on hunting and fishing, outdoor activities that retried Army Lt. Col. John McDaniel believes are essential in the healing process of these soldiers.
The goals of the WWIA are commendable. They want to:
- Increase self-reliance.
- Bolster self-confidence.
- Enjoy the great outdoors.
- Promote spiritual healing and wellness,.
- Instill a sense of belonging to each vet that joins them for hunting or fishing experience.
McDaniel, who founded WWIA, lives in Apollo Beach, Fla. He is a veteran of Special Forces. He spends seemingly every waking moment on behalf of “his guys,” seeing that they get as many great outdoor opportunities as he can arrange and deliver.
“When I retired from the military, I decided that my personal mission would be to help veterans, McDaniel said. “I started the organization in August 2007, and WWIA’s mission — our only goal — is to get our wounded warriors back in action.
“Many great Americans throughout the history of this nation have experienced and truly believe in the tremendous healing power of the great outdoors. There is no greater healing potential than connecting with nature and pursuing great achievements both afield and on the water. Hunting and fishing provide excellent niche opportunities to assist our wounded veterans in recovering — mentally, physically and spiritually — from their war experiences.”
This year’s participants were:
u Army Staff Sgt. Paul Fritzsche, of West Jordan, Utah.
u Marine Corps Gunnery Sgt. Shawn Horsley, of Holly Ridge, N.C.
u Retired Army Master Sgt. Tony Wisyanski, of Naples Fla.
All three were severely wounded in battle, either in Iraq or Afghanistan, and have spent lots of time in recovery. Each was awarded the Purple Heart.
The soldiers started early Sept. 10 with gun and hunting safety classes, followed by several rounds of shooting at sporting clays with shotguns donated by Jim Reisdorf, a WWIA associate.
Reisdorf was instrumental in connecting Buisch and McDaniel last year after he watched a television program about wounded veterans experiencing an upland bird hunt.
This pheasant hunt would be a first for the wounded warriors. All three have hunted, though none had tried their skills with upland hunting.
Tane Kehlenbeck, a hunter and guide at Whispering Pines, volunteered to lead the warriors.
McDaniel describes the hunt as “a very humbling experience that is shared with real heroes. Each and every WWIA hunting or fishing event should be considered a trip of a lifetime.”
McDaniel said he limits the number of vets that experience these special adventures.
“Any specific event is generally limited to one to three individuals, with two being the most common number,” McDaniel said. “The idea is to offer a total experience, and to be effective, you need a one-on-one-type of atmosphere.”
WWIA’s various destinations would make any outdoor enthusiast envious, from trophy deer hunting in South Dakota to elk hunting in Colorado to fishing for giant tarpon and scuba diving in the Florida Keys.
Following the Sept. 10 hunt, the soldiers were treated to a game dinner that boasted such treats as pheasant stroganoff.
A day later, the three soldiers returned to the preserve for more pheasant and chucker partridge hunting. Once again, the guides and dogs performed well, allowing each of the hunters to have many shots at the flushing birds.
After the Sunday hunt the final numbers tallied 20 upland game birds felled over two days of hunting. All of the bagged birds were cleaned and frozen; they went home with the soldiers Monday afternoon.
For as long as I’ve known them, the Buisches have always been the perfect hosts. Over the years, they’ve opened the purse strings for events deemed important.
“This one is easy,” Charlie Buisch said. “These warriors gave lot of themselves in their effort to preserve liberty and freedom for me and this country. Everyone at Whispering Pines wanted to say thanks with more than just words.”
Anyone who’d like to donate to Wounded Warriors In Action Foundation can make out a check to them and send it to 6516 Dolphin Cove, Apollo Beach, FL 33572. If they include “Whispering Pines hunt” on the memo line, their donation will be dedicated to paying for this hunt.
Wounded Warriors In Action Foundation is an approved 501(c) (3) non-profit organization.
Wounded Warriors Take To The Pheasant Fields
Len Lisenbee
My first glimpse of the group of real heroes was from a hilltop as they followed the dogs into a weed-choked swale. Their hunter-orange vests and hats made their movements easy to follow from my distant vantage point. And when two pheasants flushed and flew in different directions, four shots rang out.
I fell in behind them as they worked the rest of that cover and then headed for another nearby field. The three hunters moved along quietly as the dogs made castes in front of them, their attention focused on the hunt and the possibility that more pheasants might explode upward in front of them at any instant.
My first impression was that these were men obviously enjoying the excitement of this hunt. Every aspect was serving to make their quest memorable, from the pleasant temperatures, gentle breezes and clear, blue skies to the efficiency of four well-trained and expertly-handled bird dogs.
Then, without warning, there was the classic point as one of the dogs locked on a bird. Two of the hunters moved up quickly on either side, and the cock pheasant exploded skyward. One shot, and the bird fell 25 yards away in a weed thicket. The dog raced in, located the downed bird, and retrieved it, bringing it directly to the hunter who fired the shot and placing it in his hand. Perfect! Just perfect!
These three men, American heroes all, were participating in a quality upland bird hunt organized by Wounded Worriers In Action Foundation (WWIAF) and donated by Charlie Buisch, owner and operator of Whispering Pines Shooting Preserve in Lyons, NY. Each had been severely wounded in either Iraq or Afghanistan, and each was awarded the Purple Heart medal for his sacrifice.
The soldiers were Paul Fritzsche, Staff Sergeant, USA, from West Jordan, UT, Shawn Horsley, Gunnery Sergeant, USMC, from Holly Ridge, NC, and Tony Wisyanski, Master Sergeant (Ret), USA, from Naples FL. All of them were severely wounded in battle, and all had spent a lot of time in recovery.
After the day’s hunting was over on Saturday, I had an opportunity to talk with each of these incredible men. Each was soft-spoken and humble as they spoke of their hunting activities and how exciting this hunt was. Tony said he enjoyed this pheasant hunting experience immensely. Shawn was equally impressed, and thought it was “pretty cool.” Paul told he he had lots of fun and he “enjoyed the great country” (on the preserve).
Their first activity upon arrival at Whispering Pines was a gun and hunting safety class, followed by shooting lots of rounds on a sporting clays course with shotguns donated by Jim Reisdorf, a WWIAF Associate. Then, after a hearty lunch, they took to the fields to hunt some pheasants. I managed to catch up to and follow them during this time.
While all of them had hunted before, none of them had ever hunted ringneck pheasants. This was a whole new experience. Paul had hunted deer, elk and birds in his native Utah. Shawn had hunted deer, rabbits and quail in North Carolina. And Tony had hunted deer in NC and Canada geese on the Eastern Shore of Maryland.
Tane Kehlenbeck, a long time employee of Kodak in Rochester and a hunter and guide at Whispering Pines, volunteered as a guide for the Saturday hunt. His two bird dogs were awesome, and accounted for their share of the birds in the bag for that day. He told me that this was “a great experience” for him personally. His broad smile served as proof of that statement.
John McDaniel, a familiar face from a similar WWIAF hunt that occurred last September at Whispering Pines, is the organizer and coordinator of WWIAF activities nation-wide. He lives in Apollo Beach, Florida, and is himself a veteran of Special Forces. And after talking with him extensively, I believe his every waking moment is spent on behalf of “his guys” and seeing that they get as many great outdoor opportunities as he can arrange and deliver.
The goals of the WWIAF are truly laudable. They want to: Increase Self-Reliance, Bolster Self-Confidence, Enjoy the Great Outdoors, Promote Spiritual Healing and Wellness, and Instill a Sense of Belonging to each vet that joins them for a hunting or fishing experience.
John also voiced his opinion on this hunt. To him, “it is a very humbling experience that is shared with real heros.”
Each and every WWIAF hunting or fishing event could be considered a “trip of a lifetime.” But the wonderful part of this organization is that those trips are offered as an almost non-stop stream of opportunities.
Because the quality of each experience receives the most emphasis, the number of vets participating in any one event is generally limited to one to three individuals, with two being the most common number. And the various destinations read like a list of dream hunts and fishing trips, from trophy deer hunting in South Dakota or elk hunting in Colorado to fishing for giant tarpon and SCUBA Diving in the Florida Keys.
Accommodations range from first class hotels to stays at private hunting and fishing lodges. And transportation, more often than not, is on private jets with the use donated by various individuals and corporations.
Saturday night these guys were treated to a game dinner that boasted such treats as pheasant stroganoff and may other entrees best described as a culinary delight. A lot of friends and neighbors stopped by to meet these three guys and enjoy the food with them. Jim Reisdorf probably said it best with, “It was a memorable event.”
On Sunday the three soldiers returned to the preserve for more pheasant and chucker partridge hunting. And once again the guides and dogs performed well, allowing each of the hunters to have many shots at the flushing birds.
So how did they do? They managed to take a total of 20 upland game birds over the two days of hunting. All of the bagged birds were cleaned and frozen, and they went home with the soldiers on Monday afternoon.
Whispering Pines is a first class hunting facility of rolling hills, classic swales, weedy thickets, woodlands, and crop and hay fields that is owned by Charlie and Carol Buisch. While memberships are encouraged, it is open to the public for day hunts by reservation. It is one of the most picturesque pieces of real estate I have ever had the pleasure of hunting.
Buisch’s opinion of this hunt was simple and direct. According to him, these men gave a lot of themselves in their effort to preserve liberty and freedom for him and his country. He wanted to say thanks with more than just words. Donating a hunt, complete with lots of pheasants and the use of the entire hunting facility for several days, was his display of gratitude.
Much of the logistics required to put a hunt such as this one together, such as travel and equipment, are donated by individuals and corporations. But there are other expenses that must also be covered. For this hunt, the “extra” costs amounted to nearly $2,000.00, which McDaniel is responsible for. And in this tight economy, donations are way down.
If any of my 93 semi-regular readers would like to donate to this worthy program, they can send their check to Wounded Worriers In Action Foundation, 6516 Dolphin Cove, Apollo Beach, FL 33572. If they include “Whispering Pines hunt” as a memo, their donation will be dedicated to paying for this hunt. More information is available at “info@wwiaf.org, which is an approved 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.
Len Lisenbee is an outdoor writer living in Rushville, NY and the Canandaigua Daily Messenger newspaper’s Outdoor Columnist. Contact him with questions or comments at lisenbee@frontiernet.net.
Third Annual WWIAF Gator Hunt comes to Melbourne
Duane Wallace
Third Annual Wounded Warriors in Action Gator Hunt in Melbourne FL, Sept. 30 – Oct. 3, 2011.
Contact: Founder John McDaniel at 1.888.308.WWIA 1.888.308.WWIA (9942) or email info@wwiaf.org
The Wounded Warriors in Action Foundation (WWIA) www.wwiaf.org partners with the Brevard County Airboat Association http://brevardairboatclub.com/ and the American Legion Riders Post #81 to host the third annual WWIA gator hunt event.
Melbourne, FL
The Third Annual Wounded Warriors in Action Foundation (WWIA) Gator Hunt came to Melbourne on the east coast of Florida this year, hosted by local organizations rich in Florida history and service to our country.
Organizations such as the Brevard County Airboat Association (BCAA), who trained Special Forces troops in airboat operation during the Vietnam War, American Legion Post #81 in Melbourne, FL and Camp Holly (established on the St. Johns River in 1923), enthusiastically joined the WWIA in their mission to show appreciation to our combat wounded veterans from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Five combat wounded, Purple Heart recipients from across America participated in this year’s hunt. They were; Kevin Johnson from Minnesota, Ryan Olech from Pennsylvania, Gary Horn from South Carolina, Kyle Finley from Kentucky and Greg Amira from Florida.
Local sportsman such as Scott Smith from the Brevard County Airboat Association summed up the attitude of the locals as follows: “I know I speak for the club as a whole when I say we feel honored and privileged to give back to these individuals in whatever way we can. If it’s a gator hunt these guys want, then by hell an ’high water that’s what they’ll get! Yeeee Hawww! Let’s show these men some of our Southern Hospitality and git ‘em some gators.”
Well, “git ‘em some gators” they certainly did, but more on that later.
The event took place over the weekend of Friday, Sept. 30 – Monday, Oct. 3, and the action was non-stop from the moment our heroes’ plane landed Friday evening until they departed Monday afternoon.
Upon arrival, our heroes were taken from the airport to American Legion Post #81, who invited them to stop by for a delicious, good old-fashioned Southern fried chicken dinner with all the fixin’s. The warm reception by the post included a standing ovation and several minutes of applause as our heroes entered the building and were seated at the table of honor. The guests were presented with honorary memberships into the post. The warmth and heartfelt appreciation shown to these heroes by the members made a lasting impact on everyone in attendance.
On Saturday morning, the American Legion Riders Post #81 gathered with their fellow motorcyclists to escort the pickup trucks containing our heroes to the Brevard County Airboat Assn. clubhouse. There were over 70 motorcycles in the escort. The Brevard County Sheriff Dept. also participated with several police cruisers. The parked bikes extended across the entire front and side parking lots of the Tropical Inn Resort in Palm Bay where our heroes were staying for the weekend. Once on the road, the motorcade stretched for almost a mile. A special thanks goes to Frank Sewell, Chapter Director of the American Legion Riders Post #81 for making all this possible.
Upon arrival at the BCAA clubhouse, Boy Scout Troop #365 performed the flag ceremony to begin the day’s activities. Cheyenne Sandburg sang the national anthem accompanied by her mother on the flute. Lt. Col. John McDaniel (Ret.), founder and CEO of the Wounded Warriors in Action Foundation, presented a plaque to the BCAA in appreciation for their hosting of the event. The BCAA presented commemorative t-shirts to the WWIA and heroes that were custom made for this year’s event.
After spending some time visiting and smiling for the cameras, it was time to head for the swamps to experience some real Florida! Everyone loaded up in airboats and toured some of the local campsites set up in the swamps for hunting season. BCAA members also educated the riders on local history and lore, including the still visible railroad grades used to harvest timber in days past and tales of Indian mounds and artifacts.
They also visited the only two remaining hunting cabins (Bozeman’s and Bulldozer) on this part of the St. Johns River. One of the campsites would be the “rally point” during the hunt later that evening, and several of the wounded warriors spent the night in camp during the hunt from Sat. PM to Sun. AM.
After the airboat tour of the local area, everyone returned to the BCAA clubhouse for an awesome meal of wild game, including hog, frog legs, and Carol Smith’s soon-to-be-famous gator cakes! A big thanks to Chuck Pierson who killed, slaughtered, provided the cooker and cooked the two wild hogs for lunch. Other cooks included John Little and Mitch Gordon. Chuck also participated in the hunt later that evening and serves as one of the leaders of Boy Scout Troop #365.
As lunch was concluded, it was time to head over to Camp Holly (www.campholly.net) on the St. Johns River to enjoy some live music and fellowship. The band and folks in attendance gave special recognition to our heroes and thanked them for their service.
As evening grew near, the anticipation was building for the gator hunt. WWIA Associate Duane Wallace led a safety briefing of what to expect during the gator hunt, boat safety, and PFD use. The warriors were given opportunities to practice harpoon throwing. Then it was time to “suit up and head out”!
Wounded Warrior Greg Amira was the first hero to get a gator. He was hunting with professional guide Scott Swartley, and they bagged a 9’6” gator before 8 PM! The sun was setting and it wasn’t even dark yet! Warrior Kyle Finley joined Scott on his boat, while Greg’s gator was loaded on another boat and taken back to camp.
The guides and heroes hunted hard that night. As anyone who has hunted gators will admit, after the first week or two of the season, they get really skittish around bright lights and loud sounds! Just when you think you might be in range of a gator, they go under or disappear. Our guides and hunters had their work cut out for them since they were already 6 weeks into the season.
In spite of these challenges, Warrior Ryan Olech harvested an 8’6” gator that didn’t go down without a fight! Between a lot of thrashing and even biting the boat, he was quickly sent to gator heaven compliments of a bang stick and knife to the spine.
Warrior Kevin Johnson followed suit later that evening by harvesting a fine 9’1” gator.
Our remaining heroes, Kyle Finley and Gary Horn hunted hard through the night and into the next morning, but the gators remained elusive. The campfire kept burning in the hunting camp all night, with heroes, captains, guides and others all coming and going, putting forth their best effort to make this a memorable experience.
On Sunday, everyone rallied at Chuck Pierson’s shop on Story Lane (appropriately named) for the inaugural “Skin ‘em & Bag ‘em” gator processing experience. With the NASCAR race on the TV in the background, and plenty of chilled beverages in the cooler, our heroes, guides and everyone else swapped stories and recounted the adventures experienced over the last few days.
By the time the last bag of gator meat was zipped closed, and the last hide was rolled up Sunday afternoon, you could pretty much stick a fork in the crew because they were “DONE”! Several folks, including some of the wounded warriors, had been going non-stop since their day began before 8 AM the previous day! Honorable mention goes to BCAA Secretary Scott Smith and Guide Dave Popplein. These legendary men were up for the entire 34 hours of the event coordinating, supporting, guiding, and skinning until the last hero left. No sleep, just hard-core devotion to doing everything possible for a world-class experience for our veterans.
After a hearty all-you-can-eat meal at the Olive Garden, the Warriors retired to the Tropical Inn Resort for some much needed rest Sunday evening.
Monday morning dawned early, and with a 12:30 PM flight for our heroes to catch, final preparations had to be made quickly. Newly purchased coolers were loaded with gator meat, hides, ice and dry ice in preparation to accompany our heroes on their flights home.
Our heroes arrived at the airport with less than an hour to go before departure, but everyone made their flight with a lifetime of memories and cooler full of some of the best meat and hides known to man!
There were literally hundreds of people from the local community involved in this event to honor our wounded veterans. The following list will obviously miss some folks, but recognition is due to the best of our ability to give thanks where due.
First of all, thanks to John McDaniel for founding this great organization that connects American Heroes and American Sportsmen. Thanks also to Capt. Phil Walters of GatorGuides.com who got the WWIA and BCAA together to host this year’s hunt.
Scott Smith of the BCAA is the true foot soldier and key person responsible for the success of this event. Scott was the liaison between the WWIA and BCAA and also was the principle “guide in charge” in coordinating the hunts with all the captains, guides and hunters. WWIA Associate Duane Wallace and Scott worked closely together for this event and the team delivered outstanding results.
Thanks are certainly due to the following as well:
Captains/Guides: Dave Mannes, Scott Swartley, Doug Jones, Chris Kelly, Jim Roscasco, Joe Koehler
Bait Boats: Joe Koehler, Wade Hamant, Dave Popplein, Chuck Pierson, Kenny Sandberg
Others: Walt Lorraine, Tommy Knecht, Frank Weare, Doug Hawley, Dennis Meyers, Dave Porterfield
WWIA Associate Duane Wallace, who began the annual gator hunts with the WWIA 3 years ago provides additional insight; “Our overall theme for the WWIA is ‘American Heroes – American Sportsmen’. There is a very strong bond between the American sportsman and the men and women who put themselves in harm’s way serving our county. Many of the strongest supporters of the WWIA are those who have served our country in the past. It is the one-on-one interaction between those who have served and today’s sportsman that provides healing; mentally, physically and spiritually from their war experiences.”
“During this past weekend, we experienced an unprecedented outpouring of support and appreciation from the entire community for this gator hunt. This was a positive experience for all involved. We already have heroes booked for next year’s hunt and are eagerly looking forward to doing this again next year.”
Established in 2007, the Wounded Warriors in Action Foundation is a national 501(c)(3) non-profit organization headquartered in Apollo Beach Florida. The WWIA is dedicated to serving our nation’s combat wounded, Purple Heart recipients, by providing world-class outdoor sporting activities. This is our Nation’s opportunity to give something back and to express in a meaningful way, our collective gratitude for their service and great sacrifices these heroes have made.
To learn more or lend your support to the Wounded Warriors in Action Foundation, please visit their web site at www.wwiaf.org or for more information of how you can be a part, contact Founder John McDaniel at 1.888.308.WWIA 1.888.308.WWIA (9942) or email info@wwiaf.org