Thank you, thank you. You don’t just heal once. Being with my fellow wounded warriors heals with stories and some tears. The volunteers that give their time and resources always restore my faith in American pride. WWIA is the most amazing program that pours their heart and soul into healing America’s Warriors.

R. Healy, US Army, Purple Heart recipient

I cannot say thank you enough for the opportunity of a lifetime. From the Hosts to the Guides, I say thank you. Most all for me it is connecting with fellow wounded warriors. Great people all around. One of our Guides, Eddie and I were in theater at the same time during OIF in 2005. Amazingly enough, we were both wounded in Iraq in October 2005, just 10 days apart at the same location. Thank you again.

P. Gerovac, USMC, Purple Heart recipient

Thank you all for such a good time. This event has helped me with my antisocial behavior. Everyone is so great and friendly towards me. I hope you guys will keep it up and help veterans know there are people out there that care.

J. Smith, US Army, Purple Heart recipient

The MoKan Catfishing event at Napier Hunt Club this past summer did not disappoint. There were 4 of us invited to this annual event and we all caught fish. The Missouri River was high and the trash was coming down the river but it did not interfere with the catfish bite. If you have an opportunity to attend this once in a lifetime event by the Wounded Warriors in Action Foundation, GO. You will not be disappointed. Napier Hunt Club pulls out all the stops, so you are never hungry and make you comfortable. Thank You Brian, the Guides and Napier Hunt Club.

S. Woelk, US Navy, Purple Heart recipient

To start off, this is a top-notch event. From the start to the finish. This event was packed with stuff to do, and they were very adaptive to the situation. The knowledge of their area shows and they provide an enjoyable experience for all.

James Rissler kept us updated on the plan and kept us on time and on task. Making sure we knew of the changes in the plan when we had conditions change. He always helped John with cleaning and fileting the fish. One of the top-notch guides that I have had on any of the events I have been on.

John runs an amazing trip. Always keeping us up to date on what the plan is and changes that needed to be made due to weather or weather/water activity. Always keeping in mind to have the best course of action to get the most bang for the buck. Adapting to change from halibut fishing to red salmon. This varying the plan does increase the experience of the fishing trip and provides a better experience and knowledge of fishing.
John’s knowledge of cooking will help in the home cooking of the 100 pounds of fish we took home. He showed us many ways to prepare each of the fish that we caught. From simple meals to a complex layout of fish dishes.

I would highly recommend this trip to any of my fellow Warriors to go on.

J. Smith, US Army, Purple Heart Recipient

First of all, I greatly appreciate the opportunity to go on this trip and work with and meet such great people. This trip has been amazing and John, Jeanette and Terry have been overly accommodating. Wes and Doug as well. The atmosphere in Alaska was something I have never experienced, the Halibut, Rockfish, Gray cod, and Salmon fishing on top of it was a lifelong dream, and something I will carry with me for the rest of my life. I am grateful for James and his leadership as we prepared for the travel and partook in this event. James made this event very enjoyable; he was very conscientious of everyone and everything around the group. Seward, Alaska is a trip I will forever remember, thank you. Lastly, I want to thank John McDaniel for starting this foundation for Wounded Warriors, it is the definition of giving back. Also, a huge thank you to Corrina, she was/is amazing in helping to coordinate this trip and made sure we had everything we needed. Huge thanks to WWIA.

H. Grothaus, USMC, Purple Heart Recipient

First and foremost, I am extremely grateful for WWIA and the opportunity. I was blessed to be a part of the Alaska Halibut fishing expedition. The initial coordination with Corrina was easy. She communicated efficiently and emailed all expectations. James Rissler reached out to us all collectively and insured we were squared away and answered all of our questions. The departure from home station to Alaska went well, we all showed up within a reasonable time of each other. Our host, John bent over backwards for us. He went above and beyond to ensure we were cared for, fed properly, and fished to our hearts content. Even though John was overcoming some challenges with his home and weather he was resilient and went out of his way to ensure we caught fish, and we had a place to stay. All in all, those are numerous sustains and no improves. This trip is perfect the way it is. This is the first trip I have had with WWIA and this is the first time I have been surrounded with fellow Purple Heart recipients. My path to recovery has been challenging and I am still overcoming many trials. However, this trip deeply moved me and changed me for the better. I have this and new friends because of WWIA. I cannot say thank you enough. I will pay it forward. Thank you from the bottom of my heart and I look forward to working with WWIA again soon.

B. Kirsch, US Army, Purple Heart Recipient.

First of all, I want to say thank you for giving me the opportunity to participate in a great fishing event in Alaska. Beginning with my departure from San Antonio, Texas all airline employees were professional and guided me to the right gates, and the flights were outstanding. Upon arrival I contacted James Rissler our guide, he was outstanding and kept me informed where to go after arrival into Anchorage. He greeted us with kindness and respect. James continued to be an outstanding guide throughout the fishing trip keeping us updated on any new information needed to keep us safe on the fishing trip. After introductions to the Host/Boat captain, John showed us all professionalism and respect. Each day John continued to do an outstanding job as boat, captain and host, his boat crew, Terry and Jeanette were great helpers and very respectful. Our snagging guide was outstanding and a very respectful guide. He knew what he was doing and I’m very thankful. After all is said and done, I definitely enjoyed the Alaska fishing trip. Best time ever. Thank you again for your support.

D. Pankey, US Army, Purple Heart Recipient.

The logistics involved getting me from Jacksonville, Florida to Seward, Alaska were totally seamless. After I contacted Corrina and identified my interest to participate in the fishing trip she handled all aspects of the trip. All travel was taken care of which made travel easy. James, the WWIA guide for the fishing trip reached out to the group a week before the trip to provide information and provide a formal welcome and what to expect during the trip. It was great that he created a message thread, which helped us stay in contact during the first travel day. Link up in Anchorage was great. John and his crew, Terry and Jeanette gave everything possible to make this trip a once in a lifetime event. They took time to make sure we were taken care of from chow and lodging to all the extras. I hope all WWIA events are run this well. You can tell that John cares for veterans.

D. Sidman, US Army, Purple Heart Recipient

To say I am honored would be an understatement. There are truly no words to describe how this weekend makes me feel every year, knowing that the time my husband and I put in is benefiting our Heroes in ways we could never understand. To be able to have our Heroes come in, relax, build bonds, eat good food and have great conversations leaves our hearts full. To say thank you is never enough.

J. and C. Clifford, Volunteers