Into the Wilds with Wounded Vets
New Holland Acres
It is the unseen side of War. Wounded soldier heroes return from combat and carry on their normal lives as before… or do they?
These are the heroes Whose War continues, a War fought every day, unseen inside their minds. For in addition to their bodily injuries, these heroes carry with them the terrible affects of traumatic stress and depression inflicted by the horrors of War and for Which there is no medicine.
But at a 410~acre Wilderness camp in northern Wisconsin, the Wounded Warriors in Action (WWIA) Foundation is bringing together these Purple Heart heroes from the Wars in iraq and Afghanistan for a few days of Work, play, learning, and socializing. The goal is to get these Veterans “back in action” as civilians by healing emotional Scars of War that cannot be readily seen.
Hunting trip’s fellowship designed to aid wounded soldiers’ recoveries
FLORIDA TODAY
R. Norman Moody
The camaraderie among wounded soldiers on a night hunt for alligators can serve as soothing therapy for the invisible wounds of war, veterans say.
The Brevard County Airboat Association will host a gator hunt tonight for eight soldiers, selected by the Wounded Warrior in Action Foundation.
“We’ll enjoy that camaraderie and work on those wounds that won’t heal in the hospital,” said Patrick Corcoran, an Army sergeant major who was critically wounded in Afghanistan and who will be among the hunters. “This is therapy for your soul.”
Wounded Warriors in Action Foundation serves Purple Heart recipients by providing outdoor sporting activities to honor their sacrifices and promote healing and wellness. The eight participants in tonight’s hunt come from different states.
The foundation organizes, in addition to the gator hunts, fishing outings, hunts for turkey, deer, duck and black bear. More that 100 wounded warriors have been on outings this year organized by the foundation, which is based in Apollo Beach.
The soldiers will be escorted from their hotel to the airboat association’s clubhouse off U.S. 192 near Camp Holly by more than 100 motorcyclists from American Legion Riders. There they will participate in a brief ceremony and lunch before heading off for the hunting camp around 3 p.m.
Mike Tipton, a member of the Brevard County Airboat Association, said it was a great opportunity to give back to the soldiers who have sacrificed so much.
“I’m really excited about being a part of this,” Tipton said. “It makes me realize how blessed I am.”
Corcoran, 44, who lives with his wife and two children in Orange County, is participating in an alligator hunt for the first time. Healso helped to coordinate the event.
“I’m tickled to no end to be able to participate,” said Cocoran, who was left paralyzed from the waist down after a roadside bomb exploded under his vehicle on Aug. 13, 2009, in Afghanistan. “It’s a valuable part of therapy.”
Corcoran suffered injuries to his spine, in addition to broken legs, pelvis and arm. Five days after the attack, he said he woke up in Germany, spent months at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center and at the Department of Veterans Affairs hospital in Tampa.
Corcoran, who has been in the Army for more than 27 years and expects to be medically discharged in coming months, said he’s looking foward to the adventure of the alligator hunt.
“It’s stalking, sneaking under the cover of darkness,” he said. “That’s what we’re used to.”
Local man turns disappointment into generosity
thedailyreview.com
TIM ZYLA
Last month, Towanda resident Bradley Fulmer entered into a “biggest fan” contest run by the popular television program Duck Dynasty. The reality show follows a Louisiana family, the Robertson’s, who operate the now nationally known business, Duck Commander.
Out of thousands of entrants, Fulmer reached the top ten and gained a following not only in Bradford County but across the country for a picture he submitted of himself sporting a long beard, a trademark that all of the Robertson men share. Many of Fulmer’s fans pointed out that he looked similar to show star Willie Robertson.
Unfortunately for Fulmer, the contest ended on June 2 with Jake Roehl, of Texas winning the grand prize, a trip to Louisiana to meet the Robertson’s and be featured in a nationally aired commercial for the program’s upcoming season.
After a few days gathering his thoughts and resting from all of the campaigning for votes he participated in, Fulmer decided that his new found “fame” could still be used for a good cause. He formed a group called the “Camo 9,” a collaboration between Fulmer and the other eight finalists who were not winners in the contest, with the goal of raising money for the Wounded Warriors in Action Foundation.
“The plan is to raise as many funds as possible and present one check to charity at the Duck Commander Headquarters in West Monroe, Louisiana,” Fulmer explained, “If we meet the Robertson’s along the way it would be a bonus on the way to our final destination. (of raising money for charity)”
Although this idea has yet to receive official approval from Duck Dynasty executives, preliminary talks have been positive, Fulmer said.
Fulmer had a table set up at the July First Friday event in Towanda selling gun raffle tickets and t-shirts and is going to continue his fundraising efforts, he said.
On July 20 from 9 a.m. until 9 p.m., Fulmer is holding an event at Mountaineer Park in Monroeton which will feature a motorcycle poker run, Chinese auction, food and entertainment provided by the bands Dying Broke and The Rightful Kings as well as acoustic music by Jon Anderson. DJ Bill Keene will also be in attendance fueling the party. Admission for the event will be $10 or $15 with adult beverages included.
Gun raffle tickets and t-shirts will also be available at the event.
“Let the fundraising begin to help out an awesome foundation that does amazing things for awesome individuals who risked their lives for our freedom,” Fulmer said.
Tim Zyla can be reached at (570) 265-1634; or e-mail: tzyla@thedailyreview.com.
Oshkosh North’s newest hall of fame member
theNorthwestern.com
Ashwinraj Karthikeyan
After much discussion North’s hall of fame committee has decided upon a new Hall of Fame member. Retired Lieutenant Colonel John J. McDaniel was nominated this past year for his outstanding service to our country and his work to help wounded veterans. McDaniel served on active duty from November of 1987 to November of 2007. In that time he served on many challenging assignments and attained the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.
Throughout his high school days at North McDaniel said that some of his biggest inspirations were his coaches, who thought him the determination to never give up.
McDaniel started his career after graduating from The University of Wisconsin Madison, and going thru the ROTC program. During his career as a former Infantry officer, Airborne Ranger, and Master Parachutist he earned such awards as the Combat Infantryman’s badge, the Master Parachutists Badge and the Ranger Tab.
McDaniel is also the former CEO of a familyowned business concerning the aviation sector, as well as a certified US Coast Guard Captain, and a senior certified USA Hockey Coach.
Before the end of McDaniel’s illustrious career he started bringing wounded Purple Heart recipients on fishing tripsin the Florida Keys and Tampa bay.
McDaniel’s then took his passion to a new level with the start of the Wounded Warriors in Action program, or WWIA for short. His program in a short few years has expanded hugely to now contain a movement in 30 states and has affected more than a thousand lives.
Every year, his organization takes Purple Heart recipients on extreme outdoor sports trips to, in his words, “give them a chance to recover their body, soul and mind.”
McDaniel’s has also started four regional Healing Centers across America. These eco-friendly complaint healing centers will be designed, run and admitted by WIAA members. This will not only give the members a chance to recover from their injuries but will also give many of them an n opportunity at a job. One of these centers is called Camp Hacket and is located by Phillips, Wisconsin.
WIAA is a program made by Veterans to help Veteran and would not be possible without the support of American Sportsmen and Women. His website https://wwiaf.org/ contains hundreds of stories of wounded warriors and their stories, and how WWIA, and McDaniels have helped to turn their lives around.
Tidball uses green space to heal returning veterans
Cornell Chronicle
Krisy Gashler
As soldiers return from war, they may need medical care, counseling and help finding new jobs. But they also need access to nature, says Keith Tidball, a senior extension associate in the Department of Natural Resources.
Extensive research supports the value of green space in urban contexts and of nature in helping people with a variety of disorders. Tidball, an Army veteran, wondered what restorative powers nature might hold for soldiers and other trauma victims.
“There’s no ‘magic green pill,'” Tidball said, “but this is clearly an untapped, important resource.”
“Greening in the red zone,” as Tidball calls this concept, includes such activities as tree planting, community gardening, hunting and time alone in nature. He is researching the validity of the concept as principal investigator for an $85,600 federal grant, “Returning Warriors: A Study of the Social-Ecological Benefits of Coming Home to Nature.” Among others, Tidball is working with veterans’ organizations and the Army’s Fort Drum in northern New York to promote greening practices.
“Fort Drum is a huge base. It would be 70 percent Adirondacks if not for the occasional tank rolling through,” Tidball said. “Unfortunately, there are many, many issues limiting soldiers’ activities on base. We’re trying to open up their awareness and opportunities.”
Tidball first realized the importance of nature in his own life when he moved from rural Minnesota to Detroit in middle school. Oppressed by endless views of dilapidated parking lots, Tidball searched for any bit of nature.
“Any little creek or tiny patch of woods or even some of the tributaries of the famously polluted rivers — if they had anything that had imprinted on my mind as nice, green space, I would seek those out,” he said.
In his research, Tidball has demonstrated a role for nature in helping people recover from war, political upheaval and natural disasters. And yet, in the immediate aftermath of such traumas, green space is rarely considered by policymakers and planners.
“In the effort to hurry up and show progress, what gets overlooked seems to be the human-nature relationships in the people and places affected,” he said.
For example, after Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans, authorities were so eager to restore power, they cut down or damaged many trees on streets to access to power lines.
“That ended up being even more devastating for some people than the flooding,” Tidball said. “Yes, we need to hurry up and get the lights on, but there may be ways to do that without denigrating the natural environment and our relationship with it, which is so critical for recovery after these kinds of traumatic events.”
Tidball also studied Soweto, South Africa. In the power vacuum that followed apartheid’s end, one area of Soweto became notorious for its violence. It included a dump filled with mountains of old tires. Thugs created a ritual of “necklacing” their opponents — placing a tire around someone’s neck and lighting it on fire.
To combat the violence, a group of youth in the area slowly reclaimed the dump and transformed it into community gardens. “And little by little this mountain of horror came to be known as a mountain of hope,” Tidball said.
Within the past decade, “greening movements” have become more common and politically acceptable, Tidball said. Individuals, universities and governments are all paying more attention to the importance of nature in health and well-being.
“They’re all kind of flowing together like tributaries converging into a river of activity on this idea. It remains to be seen, however, whether there’s enough current in this river to change business as usual.”
Krisy Gashler is a freelance writer for the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.
Wounded Warrior takes aim at local wildlife
Courtesy of the Atchison Globe
ADAM GARDNER
Across the nation, Wounded Warriors in Action helps organize outdoor sporting activities for military personnel who have been wounded in action.
Atchison welcomed one of those individuals, Sgt. John Knight of the United States Army, who suffered gunshot wounds to the head and neck, as well as shrapnel from an RPG blast while stationed in northern Afghanistan.
Through WWIA, Knight was connected with sportsmen in Northeast Kansas and went duck and deer hunting Friday.
Knight, a Michigan native, said he grew up on a farm and has been hunting his entire life. He said he enjoyed the opportunity to hunt in the heartland.
“It’s amazing, this is some of the best hunting in America right here,” Knight said.
Knight wasn’t the only Purple Heart recipient in the area, as seven others came to Kansas and Missouri for weekend hunting trips.
According to Jake Whipkey, associate with WWIA, those wounded in action can fill out an application form on the organization’s website. From there, WWIA contacts different sportsmen around the country who have expressed interest in hosting a wounded warrior.
“All their costs are covered,” Whipkey said. “From (hunting) licenses to the cost of driving or flying in. We link them up with the sportsmen and everybody has a nice, relaxing weekend and they get to spend some time with some awesome people.”
Nelson Curry, an Air Force veteran and environmental tech in Atchison for the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism, went with Knight on his hunt, which included deer hunting on the land known as the Benedictine bottoms.
Typically, to hunt the Benedictine bottoms, a hunter has to have a permit, but Curry said special approval was given in the case of Knight.
Knight said he enjoyed the opportunity to be around other people who were wounded in action.
“It’s an amazing time, just to hang around with guys that know what you’re going through and have shared the same experiences in life,” he said.
According to the WWIA website, more than 47,000 members of the military have been combat wounded in the past 10 years. The goals of the WWIA include increasing self-reliance and self-confidence, promoting spiritual healing and wellness, and instilling a sense of belonging, all through these outdoor activities.
For more information on the WWIA or to find out how to get involved with the organization, visit www.wwiaf.org.
Adam Gardner can be reached at adam.gardner@npgco.com.
Wounded Warriors embraced on deer hunt in Elbert County
Online Athens
WAYNE FORD
Three men wounded in Middle East wars traveled to Elberton last weekend to hunt deer, but found themselves in a small community that embraced them as heroes.
The hunting trip was arranged by the Wounded Warriors in Action Foundation, which provides hunting and fishing opportunities for Purple Heart recipients.
“The hunt was excellent. … I’ve lived in Georgia off and on since 1972 and I went to the University of Georgia, but I had never been to Elberton and what a neat community,” said U.S. Army Ranger Col. Dixon Gunther, a representative of the foundation, who joined the soldiers on the trip. “I have never seen a more generous outpouring from a community.”
The nonprofit WWIA Foundation, headquartered in Apollo Beach, Fla., has provided hunting and fishing experiences for hundreds of combat veterans since it was formed in 2007, Gunther said.
The trip to Elbert County was hosted by Slabco International Granite and Marble.
“It’s something we wanted to do, but with that being said, there were so many volunteers and so many people involved that it was really a community effort,” Slabco co-owner David Dye said. “We had so many people call and offer places to hunt, hanging deer stands and offering meals.”
These former soldiers taking part in the hunt hailed from Tennessee, Texas and Missourri. Each were wounded during combat in places like Iraq and Afghanistan.
“This was the first father-son event we have done, so each of the Purple Heart recipients brought their sons with them,” said Gunther, who lives in Auburn, Ala.
Last Friday night, the soldiers attended the Elbert County High School football game.
“I haven’t been to a high school football game since I was in high school,” said Gunther, who was impressed by the football fans welcome for the soldiers. The high school’s ROTC unit provided a saber arch as the solders walked onto the field, where they were introduced prior to the National Anthem.
On Saturday morning, they went deer hunting, then were treated to dinner that evening by the local Elks Club, which gave the foundation a $1,000 donation. In addition, T-shirts with the Wounded Warrior logs were sold as a fundraiser in the community.
They ventured into the woods again on Sunday morning.
“We had several farms that I’ve hunted and grew up on all my life,” Dye said about the places they hunted.
The hunters took seven deer on the hunt.
“They all had deer in front of them and that was our main objective,” Dye said. “When I signed up for it, I told the guy I wasn’t promising anything but a good time. I think we achieved that goal. The deer was a bonus.”
A turkey hunt for another group of soldiers is planned for the spring, he said.
Dye saw how the people of Elbert County stepped up when it came to being guests to the men who served overseas in combat.
“I couldn’t be any (more proud) of my community,” he said. “As small as we may be, they never cease to amaze me when it comes to helping someone in need. They always come through.”
The soldiers enjoyed the hunt, said Gunther, a career military man who could feel a sense of community pride in this rural county.
“The thing about being in the Army or service is you’re moving all the time. I moved 17 times in 25 years and until very recently hadn’t been anywhere longer than two to three years,” he said.
But in Elbert County, Gunther found people, who like blocks of granite, had anchored their lives in one place.
“I can’t thank them enough,” he said. “It was a tremendous outpouring of support from David and his friends and the entire Elbert community. It was overwhelming.”
Newman’s Own honors charities, support groups
Navy Times
Karen Jowers
Charities providing retreats for wounded warriors who are burn patients, assembling a traveling museum of military children’s artwork, and sending Purple Heart veterans to hunt and fish in outdoor sporting events around the country are among the six diverse groups recognized in this year’s Newman’s Own award competition.
This year’s competition awards a total of $100,000 for the groups’ work to improve life in the military community, an increase from the total in previous years of $75,000.
The competition is sponsored by Newman’s Own, Fisher House Foundation, and Gannett Government Media Corp., which publishes the Military Times newspapers.
Since its inception in 1999, the Newman’s Own awards have recognized 145 programs with grants totaling $825,000.
The overall winning entry this year was the Moonlight Fund of Bandera, Texas, receiving $25,000 for its mission to provide tailor-made retreats for wounded warrior burn patients and their families. The retreats are held at a peaceful site in Texas hill country, about an hour’s drive from the burn unit at Fort Sam Houston’s Brooke Army Medical Center.
Since 2007, the organization has held 29 retreats, each with about 25 families, said co-founder Celia Belt, who is herself a burn survivor, as is co-founder Henry F. Coffeen III.
“We’re humbled and blessed to be part of such a life-changing program for our wounded soldiers,” Belt said in accepting the award in Sept. 20 Pentagon ceremony. She said she hopes that $25,000 will pay for five more retreats.
The late Paul Newman, who founded Newman’s Own and its charitable works, “was so proud of this award,” said Tom Indoe, president and chief operating officer of Newman’s Own, Inc. “He felt the people in the groups that focus on the military represent the best America has to offer, people giving of themselves to help military families.”
While these awards recognize six groups, Indoe said “there are many more. I want to thank all of the organizations that work with our military men, women and families to make it a better place.”
Army Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs, thanked the organizations for their work. “When you think about what we have to do to take care of this generation of veterans, we’re going to be in this for a long time,” he said. “We certainly want you all in that fight with us, both while we remain in contact with the enemy and well beyond.”
The Moonlight Fund retreats began in 2007 as a result of the requests from case workers at the burn unit when Belt was volunteering there.
Activities are tailor-made for each group, but include archery, fishing, swimming in a pool or river that runs through the property, and massages.
But “the best activity is rest and relaxation,” away from schedules, she said.
She also brings in long-term burn survivors who inspire the burn patients.
The money is important for the work of these charities, but officials said they equally appreciate the recognition that the awards bring to their work.
“There’s something about being a military kid and being recognized for helping military kids,” said Donna Musil, executive director of Brats Without Borders, Inc., which received $15,000 for its work in assembling a traveling museum, designed to educate and raise awareness of the military kid subculture.
“There’s also something special about being surrounded by people working so hard to help military families,” she said.
The $15,000 will pay for much of the costs to assemble and frame about 70 pieces of art and historical artifacts, reproduce exhibit signs and instructions, and create an interactive exhibit for continuous data collection, Musil said.
They expect the museum to go on the road between January and April, opening in Washington, D.C., then moving to museums outside military installations.
The award winners have stepped forward to do what government can’t, said Tobias Naegele, editor in chief of Military Times, at the ceremony.
“We need people like you who can step forward and say, ‘I have a solution that would work and would solve that problem,’ ” Naegele said. “You’ve done that. You’ve stepped forward and said, ‘I have an idea.’ … When you do that, you add a human dimension to a human problem. I thank all of you for thinking of those things and for believing in them.
Other $15,000 winners:
Wounded Warriors in Action Foundation provides hunting and other outdoor sporting opportunities around the country for Purple Heart recipients. The $15,000 will allow about seven or eight veterans to participate in these events designed to help in the healing process, welcome them home, and repay a debt of gratitude for their sacrifices, said retired Army Lt. Col. John McDaniel, the group’s founder.
It costs an average of about $2,000 per veteran for travel, licensing, lodging, insurance, and other expenses. A number of sportsmen have donated services and resources.
The foundation sends small groups of veterans on trips ranging from hunting alligators on air boats at night in the swamps of Florida, to fishing charters, to elk hunting in Montana.
With these small groups, they can provide a support staff to work with veterans, said McDaniel, who is on the road about 43 weeks a year.
In 2012, the foundation expects to do 45 independent events in 30 states with 100 combat-wounded veterans, he said.
“When I started the foundation in 2007, I knew hunting and fishing would be something that would help the veterans,” he said. “But I didn’t know the American sportsman community would turn out and offer so many opportunities.”
Fishing trip donated
Mining Journal
The Mining Journal
Daybreak Charters LLC recently donated a local fishing trip to The Wounded Warriors in Action Foundation. Shown with some of the fish caught during the outing are, from left, Douglas Wenzel, Capt. John Tomczyk of Daybreak Charters, and David Smith. The foundation provides world-class outdoor sporting activities to Purple Heart recipients to assist in the healing process, welcome them home and to thank them for the sacrifices made.
Wounded Warriors In Action Foundation has support in Phelps, says Lyle Spurgeon
VILAS COUNTY NEWS-REVIEW
SHARON GIFFORD
The Wounded Warriors In Action Foundation (WWIA) was established by John McDaniel in 2007, who set up corporate headquarters in Apollo Beach, Fla. A retired Army officer, he said his service to the American nation was not yet finished.
WWIA, a 501(c) organization, assists more than 100 Purple Heart veterans with recovery by providing various outdoor sporting opportunities at no cost.
Combat wounded veterans who have been given a Purple Heart receive numerous opportunities through WWIA, according to the foundation’s website, including first-rate sporting activities like huntingelk in Washington, hunting pheasant in South Dakota and wreck fishing off the coast of New Jersey.
“The foundation is now growing by leaps and bounds, thanks to the generous support of the Military Order of the Purple Heart Service Foundation, devoted federal employees in the Combined Federal Campaign and concerned patriots,” reads the website.
Purple Heart recipients participating in WWIA events can connect with other service members who have been through similar experiences.