Serving Without Regret

Jon has no regrets.

A native of Colorado, Jon enlisted in the Marine Corps after high school and served from 1993 - 1997.  Jon had served honorably and had moved on to a new life.

The events of 9/11 had a huge impact on Jon, as it did on many in our country.  Still, living in Colorado, it would have been easy for him to continue on with his new life.  And yet, it changed his entire outlook.  He reenlisted and deployed to Kuwait in January 2003. On March 23, enemy forces fired on his 5-ton truck.  Wounds sustained have led to lower leg paralysis and nerve damage.

Despite his injuries and his slow recovery, Jon has never regretted his decision to reenlist. He remains proud of each and every day of his service.


On Top of the Mountain

Photo taken by Reed Hoffman

Jon has also never given up on new goals.  Always an avid skiier since childhood, Jon was reintroduced to the sport after his injury.  Today, he is the 2012 Standing Men's Adaptive National Champion in both Downhill and Super Giant Slalom.  He was also named to the US Adaptive Alpine B Team. 


Tunnel to Towers

When Jon is not speeding down a mountain, he is working hard to stay physically fit and continue his recovery.  He has utilized a handcycle for training in his off season and cycles 5 - 15 miles per day. 

Jon has also never forgotten the impact of 9/11.  Last year, he joined Hope For The Warriors® at the Tunnel to Towers Race, a 5K run that remembers the path of a firefighter on the morning of 9/11.  Each year, members of Team Hope For The Warriors® start in the front of the race and lead the crowd through the Brooklyn Tunnel and towards the fallen towers.  The very front of the start are the handcyclists from the Team.  Each are a wounded service member who utilizes athletic goals as part of their rehabilitation. 

Last year, Jon left his handcycle at home and worked his way through the 5K course on foot.  He pushed his way through the streets both running and walking and had a great time meeting the former mayor of New York City at the finish line.

Jon is not alone.  There are thousands of military members who have served and continue to serve this country.  In spite of their injuries and challenges, they do not regret their choice to defend our nation.  Hope For The Warriors® thanks each for their service and remains focused on restoring self, family and hope in each.

Returning to NYC

This year, Jon is returning to the Tunnel to Towers race.  His goal this year is to run the entire distance.  As a Marine, we have no doubt that he will meet this goal.

Go Jon and Semper Fi!

Surprise Hunting Trip

The weekend came with a big surprise. 

Wounded service member, SPC Lance Gieselmann, USA, was invited to join Hope For The Warriors® at this year's Buckmaster's Expo, held in Montgomery, Alabama.  For a man who grew up hunting, the expo alone was exciting.  He met many of the people that he sees on his favorite TV hunting shows.  In the above photo we see him with Jackie Bushman, founder of Buckmasters and star of The Jackie Bushman Show.

The big surprise however was the reason that Lance was on stage and reading the letter.  He has been invited to the next Classic Life Hunt, a weekend long hunting trip that is hosted by Jackie himself.  Each year, Jackie invites wounded service members to attend this hunting trip with him. This is truly a once in a lifetime opportunity for someone who loves the great outdoors.

Lance with the Bone Collectors

Hope For The Warriors® was excited to invite Lance to the Buckmaster's Expo as part of our Outdoor Adventures Program.  The program provides adaptive opportunities for wounded heroes to participate in sporting activities in the great outdoors.  Thank you to Buckmasters for making this opportunity possible for service members.

And Lance's reaction?  We are proud to share his words:

I want to personally thank...Hope For The Warriors®. You were professional, personable, more than accommodating, warm, and caring towards me and my wife. Unless you have rolled in my chair or suffered like I did and still do, no one will ever know how much being picked over so many more deserving soldiers means to me. I had few words the other night because it is still overwhelming to grasp. Shock, honor, blessing, grateful are just a few words that have been running through my mind since I left the stage.

Hope For The Warriors® has made me feel proud to be a veteran again. That what I did and what I sacrificed mattered to more than just my family. That the organization "gets it". They really understand how important it is for us broken, beat up warriors to get back in the woods and pick up where we left off before war changed us. And to get in the woods with a hunting icon, it's an indescribable feeling of honor, that people think enough of you to grant you the opportunity to do something like this. It has been a prayer request of mine for a long time, and for a long time, I never thought it would be answered.

I am honored to be selected, I'm blessed to be in such good company with Hope For The Warriors®, I'm grateful to have met you, and shocked that I didn't have some kind of stroke or mild heart attack when I read that letter on stage.


To learn more about the Outdoor Adventures Program, visit the Program Web Page.  To contact the director for outdoor opportunities, e-mail outdooradventures@hopeforthewarriors.org.

Mother's Day Wish-Update

Veteran with his wife, parents and service dog

Hope For The Warriors® is always quick to highlight that we do more than just assist wounded service members, we also assist their families. By including family members, we recognize the personal sacrifices that families have also made.  The family serves alongside their son or daughter, husband or wife, mother or father.

In honor of Mother's Day, we posted a story on this blog about a wounded service member, his Mother and A Warrior's Wish® to go on a trip with his family.  His mother, always supportive throughout the years, was now struggling with cancer.

A Warrior's Wish® Program supports the long-term goal of hope beyond recovery through financial grants.  These Wishes fulfill a desire for a better quality of life or support a quest for life-gratifying endeavors.  Knowing that Wishes can come true directly affects service members' spirits in addition to the families and communities that support them.  Whether realizing a dream to sail, ride a bike again, or own a home adapted to specialized needs, Hope For The Warriors® honors the goals and desires of wounded service members and their families.

We are happy to share that this family has returned from their trip.  The mother's health continues to be a concern for this veteran.  However, by granting this Wish, he will always have this wonderful family time to reflect on in the next months and years. 

Hope For The Warriors® was proud to grant this Wish.  Our thoughts and prayers go out to this family as they continue to meet their challenges together.

Visit the A Warrior's Wish® Program web page to learn more about the Wish program and to read other inspiring Wishes that Hope For The Warriors® has granted.

Family Picnic at Walter Reed

Steve Azar mingles with Military Families

Last week, Hope For The Warriors® hosted a Family Picnic at Walter Reed Military Medical Center.  This family event is part of our efforts to provide Hope & Morale to families as they undergo the long process of rehabilitation.  For most, the medical center is far from their families and friends.  Hope For The Warriors® was glad to introduce them to our family and provide support and assistance in whatever area they need.

We were joined by some special guests too.  First, the crew from the Rumble to the Rockies arrived at Walter Reed that day.  Up to that point, the five members of the FDNY had already ridden more than 4,000 miles on their Harleys in an effort to raise funds and awareness of Hope For The Warriors®.  Together, the five guys raised more than $18,000!!

They were joined by more than 20 other members of the FDNY.  Hope For The Warriors® is always thankful to this group--they have donated countless hours for wounded service members, military families and our organization.  We cannot thank this group enough!

Another guest was singer/songwriter Steve Azar. Steve performed several songs for the group including, Soldier Song, written to honor the service and sacrifices of military families. Beyond performing, Steve was also able to speak one-on-one with several of the service members.

Hope For The Warriors® thanks restaurant, Cafe Rio for sponsoring this event and providing food for all attendees. Cafe Rio has already donated more than $20,000 to Hope For The Warriors® in the form of financial and in-kind donations. They are truly devoted supporters to our military families!

Favorite Memory-Racing Again

"So often, people think that handcycles are only for service members who are amputees or paralyzed.  However, we have a number of service members who have wounds  that prevent them from running.  We talked to one service member who didn't think he would qualify for a handcycle and had resigned himself to no longer race.  At a local Run For The Warriors® event, we loaned him a handcycle and he entered the half marathon.  At the end of the race, he rolled to the where the other service members were waiting and after a pause, threw his arms up and shouted 'THAT WAS AWESOME!'  It was great to see the positive effect of the handcycle and the race."

Favorite Memory-New York Thank You

Photo Provided Courtesy of ONeil Campbell

"On September 11, 2001, firefighter Stephen Siller had just gotten off the late shift at Squad 1, Park Slope, Brooklyn.  He was on his way to play golf with his brothers when his scanner told of the first plane hitting the Twin Towers.  He returned to Squad 1 to get his gear and headed for the towers.  When Stephen drove his truck to the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel, it was already closed to traffic .  With sixty pounds of gear strapped to his back, he ran through the Tunnel, hoping to meet up with his own company, Squad 1." 

"Years later, Hope For The Warriors® and thousands of others run that same route.  A few years ago, I had the honor to join our group and a young Marine, Matt Bradford.  Matt is a blind, double amputee and through Team Hope For The Warriors®, he is able to race on a handcycle.  As I exited the tunnel, I found the line up of firefighters, holding banners with photos and the names of those lost on 9/11. Just as tears began to stream down my face, I heard Matt's voice coming up behind me. He was cheering with all his heart for the firefighters that gave the ultimate sacrifice with no thought of his sacrifices."

"I am so proud to be a small part of the organization that made it possible for him to experience this event and even more, allow the firefighters of New York to experience him."

What is Your Mission?

“When I got injured, my mission changed.”

Those are the first words spoken in the video that highlights Nathan Cruz, wounded Army Veteran and member of Team Hope For The Warriors®.  It is a sentiment that many service members and veterans can understand.  Injuries have changed career goals, future plans, hobbies and activities, family relationships and more.  These changes are often times unwanted and unwelcome.  Nathan however has utilized sports to bring positive changes. 

The video does a great job highlighting Nathan’s progress.  He served ten years in the Army, six years in Special Operations.  He was first injured while deployed and was sent back to the states.  Once stateside, he was hit by a car.  Along with his physical injuries, he struggles with the invisible wounds of PTSD.

Prior to his injuries, Nathan enjoyed biking.  Post-injury, he assumed that those days were behind him and he sold his bike. When he discovered handcycles, it gave him a great new focus. 

“The Three Amigos.”

Not only has handcycling given him a great activity for his physical and emotional rehabilitation, it has given him a new group of friends.  He handcycles regularly with two other wounded veterans.  They train together, they depend on each other, they understand each other.

Nathan has already completed a number of marathons and bike rides.  His list includes the ING Miami Marathon, West Palm Beach Marathon, Melborne Music Marathon, and a marathon in Bogota Colombia.  He has also completed two Soldier Rides (Boston and Tampa) and participated in the Warrior Games in both 2011 and 2012.  His injuries changed his mission, but he has utilized handcycling to make those changes positive.

Army 10-Miler 

Next up for Nathan is the Army 10-Miler in Washington D.C. in October.  As part of Team Hope For The Warriors®, Nathan and three other Special Operations veterans will compete in the race, representing Team Hope For The Warriors®.  Nathan continues to demonstrate that his injuries have changed his mission, but that new mission is a positive one.  Through his athletic events, Nathan is defined by his accomplishments, not his injuries.

Hope For The Warriors® is focused on our mission to restore self, family and hope to our wounded service members and military families.  Team Hope For The Warriors® is one program that helps us accomplish our mission.

YOU can support our mission, Nathan’s mission, and others.  Join Team Hope For The Warriors® and raise funds to support combat wounded service members and their families.  Join Nathan and the other Special Ops guys on our Team at the Army Ten-Miler.  We still have bibs left for this sold out race.  The fundraising requirement is low and easy to meet.

Nathan has a mission.  How about you?  

Learn more about joining the Team!