B. Knapp

When I first met John, he grabbed us off the plane in Jacksonville and we got a hotel. John was easy to talk to and very enjoyable to be around. I met the other wounded guys and we immediately became brothers. The next day we drove to Lake Lochloosa to meet the local airboat club. Before this event I had never been on an airboat. The club had speed airboats on the water along with many others. After having lunch we rode on the airboats. Our driver took us in the marshes for a tour. When we were able to drive the airboat, which blew my world! To be in control was amazing. When we came back we talked to the club members and the southern hospitality was something I’ve never experienced before. When I met my guides for the gator hunt they had high hopes and so did I. I used a bow to take a gator. I tried all night to take a gator over 5 feet. That was my limit. After failures all night I shot my first gator which was 6 feet long. When I used the bang stick to finish off the gator it went all over my face. I had a grin ear to ear. The whole trip was truly amazing, and I would have never hunted a gator if with wasn’t for the WWIA. John is an amazing person and the things he is doing for the wounded cannot fully be put into words. Thank you, John and the WWIA, United Sportsmen Airboat Alliance, Lunelle, Tommy and Tommy Jr. and Duane!