AHERO Magazine SUM / FALL 2024

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ON THE MOVE

AHERO Needs You!

AMERICA’S HEROES ENJOYING RECREATION OUTDOORS AHERO Mission Statement

Reports of Military and Veteran suicide* statistics vary widely. The figure quoted can range from 20 to 30 per day when even one is too many. The number most often given for these great losses, however, is 22.

The mission of AHERO is to reverse the upward trajectory of this statistic – and to do that by recognizing and uplifting those who are most at risk of adding themselves to it. They are the men and women whose military-service injuries to body, spirit, and soul have made them more likely to take their own lives. AHERO works toward this goal by introducing them to programs and resources that can increase their overall quality of life. These include:

• Developing an informal support network of Veterans across the country

• Encouraging constructive communication and engagement

• Boosting Veteran morale with shared outdoor activities and meaningful gatherings

• Drawing on our interconnected organizations that provide additional important holistic pathways to healing and wellness

AHERO will accomplish this by welcoming Veterans into communities willing to donate the time, recreational equipment, and the natural and financial resources necessary to support events that facilitate fellowship, communication, and mentoring. Through these activities, AHERO will establish and support a network of Veterans with personal experience in learning to deal with the emotional and physical wounds caused by the stress of service and combat. The network will be self-sustaining and support Veterans across the United States of America.

On September 11, 2001, our courageous First Responders rose to be the first line of defense against a focused terrorist attack on our nation. Since then, the country has seen numerous occasions of bravery and self-sacrifice by the dedicated men and women who fight our fires, protect our lives, and provide us with emergency medical treatment and transport. AHERO therefore counts America’s First Responders among those uniformed service members (many of whom are military Veterans in their own right) and Veterans we serve.

AHERO is a 100 percent volunteer-run, 501(c)(3) charitable organization. Approximately 90 percent of all donations received go directly toward benefiting the Veterans and First Responders we serve.

*For purposes of the AHERO mission, the word “Veteran” refers to all who are currently serving our great country in a military capacity or have previously served in any branch of our United States Armed Forces.

A Conversation with Lee Stuckey on the Facts, Features, and Future of AHERO

When Major Lee Stuckey returned to the US after multiple tours in Iraq, he found himself in a mental battle in a way not unlike the combat he’d been in over there. Except this was a different kind of war.

Back there, he’d been directly on top of an IED as it exploded when the tire directly underneath him on his Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicle initiated the bomb. He’d lost many friends in past deployments and had started a retreat of his own – into a bottle. Returning home, his personal war raged on.

The highly-decorated Purple Heart recipient couldn’t face this invisible, insidious enemy. Depression, it is said, is anger turned inward, and one night, after losing all clarity through the help of “liquid courage” as he sat with Glock in hand in the living room of his cabin, the deeply depressed Stuckey made the decision to get it all over with. Then, just as he was about to pull the trigger, his cell phone rang. The screen read: Mom.

He dropped the Glock, feeling the jolt of a different kind of guilt. How could he be so selfish as to deprive the mother he loved of her son?

After that moment, he began to find the resolve to build an organization to help people like himself beat the odds against the inner demons of pain, anger, guilt, and depression to not simply survive, but thrive.

And, in 2009, AHERO was born.

Recently, AHERO Magazine (AM) requested an interview with this extraordinary man, Lee Stuckey (LS). Here is much of how that conversation went between Lee and one of our star writers.

AM: What was your initial vision or mission when you created AHERO? How did you ensure it was different from other VSO’s?

LS: The mission was initially to serve those who, like me, had sustained largely invisible wounds in Iraq and Afghanistan. The folks who hadn’t gotten the kind of holistic treatment that would keep them away from self-harm, such as by drinking or abusing drugs. I couldn’t find the help I wanted and needed, so I decided to create my own solution. The idea was to build programs grounded in the things that had always given me emotional and physical strength and clarity of thought. Being outdoors, or around a community of like-minded individuals and engaging in a shared activity or objective, breaking bread with my brothers and sisters while keeping my faith strong – all of that was important to me.

AM: Specifically, though, as you were starting to implement a program, what sort of activities did you include?

LS: Well, hunting was in my blood, and with a good management program on our farm in Central Alabama and an amazing community of patriotic neighbors, I organized hunts with the help of my dad, Alva Stuckey, and friends Thomas Crews, Johnnie “Gene” Flournoy, Jody Thrasher, Joe Whatley and Marine friend and co-worker Master Gunnery Sergeant Jeff McKenney. We invited others who had also been deployed into harm’s way and now wanted to share our blessings with other warriors. After each hunt, we would hang out on our screened porch and begin the listening process, hearing the airing of grief as a way to start the healing in a non-threatening, safe environment.

AHERO ON THE MOVE

AM: Your famous “Screened porch therapy” model, right? But also a bonding experience?

LS: [Smiling] Exactly – and we’re still calling it that almost a decade and a half later! Recently we added firepit therapy, as well, since both kinds of gatherings are typical now at AHERO. Plus, we’ve begun serving First Responders who have basically “gone through the fire” – ignoring their own safety to save the lives of others within their own community. They serve this country, too, by protecting its people and, unlike a military deployment, are always “in combat” and never really know who their current “enemy” may be from day to day.

AM: After you were able to get AHERO established as a nonprofit, what were the initial hurdles you faced?

LS: Funding. Always funding. And we’re still always up against that! For a long time, we just self-funded. We would put on the events with the support of our close core group that would help, or I would help with paying for those Veterans who couldn’t afford the travel, getting them here and feeding them. But I couldn’t do that forever … There was never enough. I thank God every day for the folks that come forward to help us out.

AM: But what changed? I mean, AHERO has grown to serve so many! What kept you going through those lean times?

LS: Our core group of AHERO volunteers is always my inspiration to keep going! We’re all volunteers – nobody gets paid – and from the get-go, we’ve all worked crazy hard. So the message was getting out. A few big-hearted folks started coming to the table.

A pivotal moment was when I met retired Marine Dave Glassman and he agreed to come on as our vice president. He became my brother. He carried me through many times of need, when I was struggling, and we were there for each other in so many tough circumstances. Together, we established our methods and started developing programs that we could explain to would-be donors to show them why AHERO deserved their support over other VSOs.

AM: Did it take a couple of years or did the ranks of supporters start swelling, so to speak, right away?

LS: That began early on. New members came on, with more and more following. People like Lex McMahon, Jeff Tuggle, Ken Odom, Dave Riley, Doug King, Matt McDonald, Mike Kelley, Mike Corrado (AHERO Records), Kevin and Carmen Adair, and Erin and Chris Petersen. All of them have really poured their heart and soul into growing AHERO and ensuring that our programs are helping our participants physically, financially, emotionally, and – most importantly – spiritually. We have, as mentors, some of the top leaders in this country, such as Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient Major General Jim Livingston, Ambassador Ted Britton, and Lieutenant General Jim Laster, the current CEO for Marine Toys for Tots. They have been pivotal in our strategic guidance. We have been so blessed with past board members like Kirby Caddell, Mark Oliva, our Music4AHERO musicians and friends Rusty Tabor, Jeff Silvey, and Kevin Adair. My wife, Tamar Doull Stuckey, has also been such a blessing by working seven days a week to keep the AHERO Livingston Lodge running and fully supporting everything we do. She is simply amazing, and I am blessed to have her by my side!

The fact is, there are so many people who, together, make us one hundred percent effective through their amazing love and support. We appreciate all of them and anyone I didn’t mention here knows very well that I know who they are, and that I honor them for their help and constant love.

AM: It is certainly impressive how dedicated they all are to the mission. But what made you see outdoor recreation as effective in turning around a Vet’s deep desire to end his or her life?

LS: It’s kind of fundamental. When a Veteran or firefighter – or a police officer or EMT tech – comes to us, he or she may voice one or two physical problems, but they’re probably suffering with multiple issues. Everything is connected. Marital problems are connected to financial issues, on-the-job trauma scenarios, drinking issues, anger issues, etc.

Which is why we start with physical wellness – exercise, activity outdoors, getting vitamin D from the sun – and the sort of mental wellness that comes from appreciating God’s great gift of this country full of natural beauty. It just seems to me that being active in nature raises the spirits and lifts the soul.

AM: Given the high rate and sheer complexity of Veteran suicide, though, what other aspects did you build into AHERO’s process to combat it?

LS: As our non-profit grew, we saw the benefits of communal activity and drew more and more on those to develop and improve our healing programs. As part of the charitable group called VSOs, we realized that we needed to act within the community of non-profits. We had our own unique role to play and wanted to knit it together with other, well-vetted 501c3 organizations to more fully serve our Vets.

In simple terms, AHERO would become what we now call a landing zone – an LZ. It’s why you’ll hear us remind the

Retired Marine Corps Col Doug King leads AHERO event attendees (Veterans and First Responders) in an hour of Yoga.

AHERO Needs You! -

Veterans and First Responders who could use real help that “AHERO is an LZ.” Meaning, their first port of call.

AM: Like a place of calm, where they can relax? Among others who are their peers, having gone through similar situations and upheavals?

LS: Yeah, but more than that. It’s where they can begin the healing process. Where, once we’ve gotten to know them –have chatted and broken bread with them, walked or hunted together in the woods here – we’ll understand what they’re going through and which of our trusted partners can best help them. That might be a specialist from the VA, or a financial advisor, or a certified physical and mental health professional. We even have vocational specialists such as Tall Timbers Private Land Director John McGuire and lead instructor John Stivers, who helped train approximately 90 Veterans and First Responders through a certification program for those wanting to learn to perform prescribed burn management in Alabama. This wouldn’t have been possible without the generous support of our friends at Mid-South RC&D, who funded the course through their amazing grant.

AM: And at no cost to the Vets AHERO works with, right?

LS: Correct. The specialists we bring in to help or advise our Veteran and First Responder participants generally donate their time and services. The participants themselves pay nothing.

AM: Your mission is to help reduce the rate of suicide that’s taking the lives of so many of our Vets. What sort of feedback on your methods for doing that have you had from professionals who understand and study the complexity of Veteran suicide?

LS: Well, in addition to the positive feedback from the professionals I mentioned, folks like USMC retired Colonel Doug King, a yoga expert, whose Mindful Resilience Yoga program is a staple at AHERO, our methods have also been praised by Dr. Thomas (Ben) Suitt III, one of the top scholars researching and writing about Veteran suicide. His 139-page paper on all aspects of the subject was part of The Watson Institute’s brilliant Cost of War Project at Brown University, RI, in 2022. That project raised national awareness of the problem. And Dr. Suitt’s ongoing willingness to write on the subject for AHERO Magazine is an honor and a great help to this organization.

AM: One thing that doesn’t seem simple is how you manage to respond to every Veteran or First Responder whose situation qualifies them to come to you. I would guess that there are so many different needs and personal troubles that these folks are dealing with!

LS: That’s true. We know we need to cover all bases. Probably one of the most effective ways is by building relationships with partner organizations who have assets and programs different than our own, but with our focus on help and healing. For example, I’ll always pick up my phone to talk to a guy or gal who is struggling. But if for some reason I’m unable to do that, another volunteer Veteran or First Responder will. Or if a Vet with a debilitating physical wound or mental trauma needs a service dog, I can connect them with AHERO friend and volunteer Ira Verbois at Service Dogs Alabama, or SDA.

Also, Vets and First Responders find understanding and encouragement from others they meet at our events. Many of them later connect via WhatsApp and other platforms to basically establish their own self-help networks, which are very effective.

AHERO's Veterans enjoy great discussions around the Lodge's firepit.

At the Lodge library, retired Marines Maj Lee Stuckey and SgtMaj Bobby Parker stand at a photo display honoring MajGen James E. Livingston (MOH), whose heroic actions in the Vietnam War are legendary and whose name the Lodge is honored to bear.

AHERO ON THE MOVE

AM: Here’s the 64-million-dollar question: What critical, enhanced services could AHERO provide with greatly increased funding?

LS: One of the key drivers of suicidal ideation is lack of purpose. But we’re convinced that learning new skills, retraining, getting certifications in various vocations and careers such as land management, can reignite the desire to live. The broader the range of job training and opportunities that we can offer those who come to us, the more likely they will be able to look forward to new beginnings. So, at the top of our to-do list, if we can get the funding for it, is to build a training center right here and provide the skill sets our folks will need to build those promising futures.

AM: A pretty heavy lift, really. Even with your incredible all-volunteer organization where everyone works their tail off without getting paid!

LS: Well, that’s what it is to be a true non-profit. At least, for us it is. Some organizations use 50 percent or more of their funding to pay administrators and board members. All of us

here are volunteers and our board members don’t get paid. We have an overhead budget, of course, for things like the production of AHERO Magazine. But it’s our volunteer citizenwriters who bring it to life – people like Jeremy Clarke, Norm “Frenchy” LaFountaine, Lynn Feehan, who pour their hearts into regularly researching and telling stories that inform us all. Not to mention the many, many Veterans and involved civilians who volunteer to write articles we know will be of interest to our readers. But at least 90 percent of all funds donated to AHERO go directly to pay for Veteran activities.

Over the years, we’ve had incredible support from bighearted souls, who enable us to continue to do what we do for more and more folks at risk of suicide. Friends and donors like Matt McDonald, Ken Odom, Mike Karol, Great Southern Wood, JR Smith and Guns To Hammers, Sabel Steel, The Solon and Martha Dixon Foundation, and Todd Holt continue to be the superstars that enable us to thrive through hard times with their generous donations and mentorship. But with even the most generous of supporters, at some point we must invite not just feed money, but seed money.

Veterans getting together to talk about what matters can be a huge help – even to those who don't suffer depression. AHERO calls it "screen porch therapy," but it's really just finding friendship and communion with others who can relate to your story.

AHERO Needs You!

AM: Now you’re talking about endowment funding.

LS: [Nods emphatically] Exactly. With a solid endowment fund, we could focus less on fundraising and more on raising up our Vets and First Responders. And we could relieve our core donors – most of whom are military, themselves – who have been so tirelessly loyal to us for years.

So we need to reach out to the wider community of civilians and corporate entities. Every year, Americans donate around $500 billion to nonprofits.* Almost half goes to religious institutions, but only one percent goes to Veterans. I know that even one percent seems like a lot, since it’s about 5 billion dollars a year. But there are an estimated 40,000 Veterans service organizations … and the disparity is greatly uneven as to how much and to which charitable organization this funding goes.

As more than a budgetary matter, we are a nonprofit that doesn’t provide alcohol during our events. We don’t permit drinking during any of them. We want to honor our supporters’ generous donations by giving our warriors an extended, meaningful weekend connecting with others who have been through tough times like they have – a great, enjoyable weekend experience they’ll have the mental clarity to actually remember afterward.

So I wonder: How many other nonprofits are spending donor dollars on alcohol for their event? And what are their participants knowingly or unknowingly going through, where alcohol will likely have a negative effect on them during the event and possibly make any difficult situation in their lives back home worse?

AM: Those are hugely important points – something most organizations, I’m sure, don’t think about. But I’m still trying to do the math in my head. Of course, as you said, it’s not evenly distributed.

LS: It’s not. Plus, according to charity watchdogs, most Vet nonprofits are grossly inefficient and, frankly, wasteful of their donors’ dollars, paying out half to their administrators and high-paid board members.** A big majority of Veterans’ nonprofits act in isolation, too, whereas we realized a while back that to provide real help to Vets, we need to do two things. First, specialize and stick to our lane; and second, work with other, complementary organizations to give 360-degree service to our own folks who are in need.

AM: So the takeaway is – ?

LA: That when you donate to AHERO, you’re not just supporting a nonprofit organization dedicated to Veterans and First Responders potentially at risk of suicide … you’re investing in an actual, verified approach to reducing the rate of suicide among those who have given so much to protect us and this beautiful country we love.

*For the statistics on annual U.S. charitable donations, visit www.doublethedonation.com

**For an eye-opening “reveal” of how VSOs operate using the donor dollars they take in, visit www.CharitiesforVets.org

AHERO Vets & First Responders participate in a controlled-burn certification class.

A Message From Our Editor in Chief Dave Glassman, Vice President of AHERO

Hello to our AHERO family and those of you who are new to AHERO, it is our pleasure to be presenting our 10th edition of AHERO Magazine!

Back in 2018, we set out to capture the stories of Veterans and active-duty service members who were, in many instances, forever changed by their experiences in the military. More than anything else, these stories pointed up the need for the activities, care and services that AHERO was set up to provide.

The previous eight-plus years of organizing hunting and fishing trips with the huge help of our generous donors, had already presented countless opportunities. As an allvolunteer organization, we were able to help more and more Vets.

Since then, new friendships and steadfast support have continued to lead to positive outcomes and productive course corrections for many, in terms of their previous negative behaviors and treatment of themselves and their loved ones. For AHERO, this reads like hundreds – if not thousands – of success stories. It’s extremely gratifying, but there is always much more to do!

As a concerned service organization, we noticed the similarities between the struggles faced by Veterans and those our First Responders must deal with every day. Following up, we implemented our board of directors’ unanimous decision to extend AHERO’s programs and services to those men and women who face the tragedies and trauma of daily life in our communities, and who carry on despite the heavy toll it takes on their personal lives.

We are forever thankful to the contributing writers and photographers who have brought those too-often untold stories of sacrifice and sorrow to life on our pages. Without their remembrances, courage, and testimonials that have inspired us here at AHERO Magazine, we would not be able to continue to present our publication in this traditional medium in an otherwise digital landscape where, these days, most of us derive our information.

And without the amazing feedback and generous praise we receive from so many of our readers, we would, quite frankly, have none of the passion that fuels us to keep publishing. Thank you!

LtCol Dave Glassman, USMC (Ret)

We are now transitioning from a semi-annual publication to a quarterly schedule, with this interim year’s three issues as a bridge to that goal. As always, we will feature the stories of those who have served … and, going forward, we’ll continue to shine an ever-brighter light on AHERO’s ability to enhance the physical, emotional, financial and spiritual wellbeing of the heroes of our communities and the protectors of our nation.

Semper fi, – Dave

My Week of Self-Healing: Planting a Chestnut-Tree Grove at AHERO Farm

By Justin Hays

Lee Stuckey and I have been friends since the late 90’s, when we met as students at the Marion Military Institute in Marion, Alabama. We lost touch over the years following graduation, but I was following him and his AHERO activities through social media.

About five or six years ago, we reconnected. Lee was participating in military exercises at the US Army War College in Carlisle, PA, my hometown. I believe this was right around the same time that Lee met Tamar, who was also there for the same exercises. In fact, I accompanied them on their “second date,” an outing during which I helped Tamar catch her first rainbow trout in a small stream near my home.

In the years since, Lee has often asked me to come to Shorter to spend time on AHERO farm. This past January, I decided it was finally time to get back there to see Lee and Tamar again and to put in some sweat equity working at the farm.

GAINING PERSPECTIVE AND STRENGTH … BY GIVING BACK

Navigating family issues had become difficult for me. Although sending my oldest off to the Air Force was a proud moment, it also underscored the fact that I, like all parents of teenagers, had limited time left to influence my other children as they prepared for lives of their own. And complicating all of this were the marital struggles my wife and I were experiencing.

Sometimes it’s best to step away, rest your mind, and take in a wider view of your world. I needed to do that. But I also wanted to do something for our Veterans.

Turned out, working outdoors with Lee, Tamar and, of course, Pinecone*, did both. And Allen Deese of The Wildlife Group also joined us, bringing his considerable tree expertise, and he kept us all busy. The whole experience became pure therapy for me.

We planted more than 175 young chestnut trees that week! Trees have a great impact on their surroundings, whether several are planted as a group, or a single chestnut takes root in good soil and “decides” to grow. That single American chestnut tree can produce abundant and highly nutritious food for wildlife year after year.

Some call the chestnut “the perfect tree.” Not only are they beautiful, their strong root systems and autumn leaf litter also enrich the

Creating the great Chestnut Grove. Stakes show where each young tree will grow to spread its branches, benefiting everything from the quality of our air to the spirits of those seeking the solace of peace in its shade.

Retired SgtMaj Bobby Parker, USMC, prepares to work the fertilizer.

AHERO ON THE MOVE

soil. As we planted, it was easy to imagine how the outdoors-loving Veterans and First Responders that AHERO brings here will enjoy these trees and even be inspired to learn about sustainable land management as a possible career path – all while appreciating the beauty of God’s creation.

Because “appreciating” is what happens here. It happens whether you’re farming, hunting, fishing, hiking … or just spending time soaking it all in!

My time at AHERO Lodge was amazing, to say the least. The care and craftsmanship the Stuckey’s and the organization’s volunteers continue to pour into the Lodge is powerful. But just feeling the love when you’re there is therapeutic on its own. To my mind, everyone involved in creating such a space to benefit those who have suffered in service to our country is a hero.

My week at AHERO re-energized me, setting me on a path to become a better person, to live life fully with purpose. We spent much of the week working, but Lee and I did enjoy ourselves walking in the woods most mornings as well as evenings after a long day of planting.

I appreciate the opportunity I had to come to the farm and have the conversations I had with Lee about service, life, love, and spirituality. It had a great impact on me. I returned home determined to pursue the positive changes I had previously implemented but now felt a stronger drive to continue.

HOLD THAT THOUGHT

Recently, I was blessed to be able to attend AHERO’s Orange Beach Warrior Hookup. I met many other Veterans and First Responders there. The sharing of stories and struggles by all present was truly remarkable and, I think, therapeutic.

AHERO continues to blow my mind with its offerings. The pleasant accommodations, the generosity of the boat owners whose vessels took us deep-sea fishing, the value of learning from massage therapists, financial planners and VA support staff – all these aided in providing us with a very positive, informative, and healing week.

I have a way to go yet, a bit like those chestnuts we planted that are just starting out. But I’m glad to be on the journey, working each day to strengthen myself in the areas of AHERO’s four pillars: fitness, mental wellbeing, finances, and spirituality. Goals I stay focused on, every day.

Habitat for Heroes - These young chestnut trees are soon to be happily "re-homed" as arboreal citizens of the Great AHERO Chestnut Tree Grove at AHERO Farm. First one in!

LEE STUCKEY ADDS HIS APPRECIATION ON BEHALF

OF AHERO

A very special thanks to Amanda Ward and her team at the Coosa Valley Resource Conservation & Development Council for providing AHERO with the grant to establish this extremely therapeutic chestnut-tree orchard: When we approached you with this project you quickly supported us and stood behind our efforts to help heal our warriors.  Tremendous thanks, also, goes to our good friends Allen Deese and Eddie from The Wildlife Group. For more than 14 years, The Wildlife Group has been dedicated to helping AHERO Farms become a one-of-a-kind place by assisting us in developing our orchards and creating a beautiful place where Veterans and First Responders can escape their current storm.

*Loyal AHERO volunteer Alva Stuckey is affectionately called “Pinecone” for his loving care of AHERO Farm.

Being the message! Wow - what a Great logo! H2O = Habitat Heroes Outdoors!

Justin Hays wrote his story for us to show how AHERO’s philosophy of reconnection with nature through work and play can lift the spirits and self-confidence of those in depression and/or pain. Here, Justin and his noble buddy, Napoleon, take a well-earned pause from helping to plant the AHERO Farm Chestnut-Tree Grove.

Inspiring Lowe’s Gift to AHERO: A Navy Veteran Takes It to the Top

By Mike Dwyer, Lowe’s Store Manager, Milton, Florida

“I was born in Massachusetts into a Navy family,” says Chief Petty Officer Mike Dwyer, USN (Ret), whose story appears here below. “My parents, both active-duty Navy (Dad retired as a master chief petty officer), met in Hawaii and married three months later.” His older sister served in the Navy as did his younger brother, who retired with the same rank as Mike.

But it wasn’t simply the full-fledged military family aspect that prompted us to ask Mike for his story. It was our gratitude for what happened when he heard about AHERO. Read on. You’ll see what we mean.

~ The editors

HOW I LEARNED ABOUT AHERO

I am as proud to work for Lowe’s as I am of my 22 years of service in the Navy, from which I retired in 2006. By November that year, I was working at Lowe's as human resource manager. Thirteen years later, I moved up to assistant store manager. Recently, I was promoted to manager of the Milton, Florida, store.

Lowe’s CEO Marvin Ellison is not only exceptional at leading our excellent company – he is a good man who values people, community, and Veterans. Together with Executive Vice President of Store Operations Joe McFarland, a Marine Veteran, they set the stage for this in symbolic and practical ways.

Lowe’s offers employees the option to wear camouflage vests to show pride in their military service. Reserved parking close to the store for Veterans as well as discounts for them are other ways we show our gratitude to those who have served our nation.

I MEET A GUY CALLED FRENCHY –A GREAT MARINE VETERAN MAKING GREAT CONNECTIONS!

At Lowe's, we maintain a “Pro” desk, where contractors and others get questions answered or conduct bulk purchases. I received a request to come to the Pro desk, where someone was asking for me.

I went over, and here was this guy who says, “Are you Michael Dwyer from Massachusetts?” He had a serious Boston accent. I said, “Yes. I’m originally from up there.”

“Then we must be related!” he boomed. Such was my introduction to Frenchy LaFountaine, whose real first name is Norm, except apparently nobody calls him that. It was also my intro to AHERO. To this day, I have no idea how Frenchy knew my name or how he found out I was from Massachusetts.

We hit it off instantly. Because – our shared birth state aside – we’re both Veterans. Frenchy let me know about AHERO and its mission to stop Veteran suicide. I knew this was a serious problem. What I hadn’t realized

was the devastating number of America’s Vets that take their lives here every day. Next day, Frenchy dropped a copy of his organization’s magazine along with other information about the group.

I took the magazine home and shared it with my wife, Shari. AHERO’s mission inspired us both to begin thinking about getting involved. SHARING OUR GOOD LIFE BY HELPING OTHERS I married my high school sweetheart, Shari, 40 years ago. We were blessed with two children who, with their spouses,

Lowe's provides special parking spaces Veterans ... and NOT just on Memorial Day or Veterans Day!

AHERO Needs You!

heaped more blessings upon us: four beautiful grandchildren. All the way through, community service has been a part of our lives, mostly lead by Shari and her Random Acts of Kindness group.

Last August, we were invited to volunteer for the 2023 AHERO Warrior Hook-Up event in Pensacola Beach by AHERO Vice President Dave Glassman, a retired Marine, who, like all officers, members, and “staff” of the organization, receives no compensation for his tireless work. We met an amazing group of these volunteers, all of them committed to our Veterans and First Responders.

This included AHERO Founder and President Lee Stuckey. Lee talked about the massive project they have taken on, renovating AHERO’s lodge and cabin in Alabama. The goal is to be able to accommodate the growing number of folks they help, heroes who sustained traumatic injuries that left them depressed and vulnerable.

LOWE’S GIFT

My company is always focused on maintaining good relationships with vendors as well as with our customers. As store manager, I was aware we had a cabinet reset coming up, which meant phasing out the current line of cabinets to introduce a new line. When this happens, vendors sometimes give us the option of donating the discontinued product to nonprofit organizations. This was the case with these cabinets.

Right away, I thought of AHERO and its huge renovation project.

The inspiration for doing this is simple: It’s the constant, positive work AHERO does for our Veterans and First Responders. I’m amazed by the passionate commitment shown by everyone we’ve met who is associated with this organization. And I am humbled to have had a small role in assisting in their project.

I always value being a part of the Lowe’s family. Ours is a company that acts in real ways to show its strong commitment to our community and to those who have served our nation.

AHERO’s mission to reduce the rate of Veteran suicide is inspiring. What makes it even more compelling for me are the people –the human beings who truly care about what they do and the heroes they do it for. So now Shari and I are looking forward to partnering with Dave, Frenchy, Lee, and AHERO’s many other volunteers in the future.

Upon completion of the Josh Burnett cabin reconstruction at AHERO Farm, the beautiful kitchen cabinetry donated by the Milton, Florida Lowe's store will be installed. The gift was inspired by Lowe's Store Manager Michael Dwyer. AHERO is grateful!

Mike Dwyer displays Lowe's own beautiful flag.

Mike and Shari Dwyer

Mike in Lowe's cabinet department ... The gifted cabinets are as yet uncrated and installed but have already been delivered to "Josh's Cabin," where, upon the cabin's reconstruction, many Veterans enjoying AHERO events will bunk and relax.

How I Met That “Guy Who Talks a Lot”… and Joined AHERO!

By AHERO Volunteer Erin Petersen

“I met a guy at work today when he picked up a shooting house,” my husband, Chris, said when he came home from Bass Pro Shops, where he is general manager. “He talks a lot, but he runs a Veterans organization. They’re having a music fundraiser coming up. Interested in going?”

What he said would be my first knowledge of a man named Lee Stuckey.

A couple of weeks later, we attended the event called “Music4AHERO.” That was my initial exposure to the AHERO organization and what it does for our Veterans and First Responders. I loved what I learned about their mission and the different opportunities they have for people to participate in their work.

At the event, I had a moment of meeting Lee myself. Little did I know, though, how much that night was about to impact our lives!

A TREE NAMED “MATILDA”

That was three years ago. As Chris and I became friends with Lee and his wife, Tamar, we continued to witness what AHERO was doing for Veterans in so many ways. And when, in March of 2022, we had a crisis in our own family, we found out just how much Lee and Tamar cared about people in general.

Our youngest daughter, Peyton, age 17, had failed at a suicide attempt. Chris, usually unwilling to let people into his personal life, was somehow willing to reach out to Lee, who encouraged him simply to talk.

In the weeks that followed, Lee and Tamar invited Peyton out to AHERO Farm to plant a tree. This turned out to be a cathartic experience for her. Being out in nature, around people who genuinely cared about her, seemed to bring out Peyton’s once-natural enthusiasm again.

Next we knew, she had named her tree “Matilda.”

Time went on, and Lee continued to speak with Chris and listen to him. My husband isn’t a big talker by nature, but it was comforting to

Chris and Erin Petersen

Tamar lends a helping hand as Peyton plants her own seedling chestnut tree at AHERO Farm.

him just knowing here was someone listening who had real understanding of something Chris himself knew so little about.

By then we had realized how important AHERO was. It wasn’t only about outdoor therapy or individuals who were struggling. It was about bringing people into a community where comradery was shared, where they weren’t alone in their suffering and there was hope for their broken spirits to heal. AHERO gives out that kind of powerfully effective hope in spades.

In April 2023, Lee asked if Chris and I would help by volunteering at that year’s Orange Beach Warrior Hook-Up event. I knew afterward that I wanted to help AHERO however I could.

Because, during the sheer fun of the event, I watched my husband open up and other participants unfold emotions they’d never expressed or were unaware of feeling. I saw hope bloom and connections made. It was beautiful.

CALL ME AHERO’S “HOUSE MOM”

I was given that unofficial title on that first trip, and I wear it now with pride, ready to meet those whom AHERO serves and show them how much they are valued. AHERO’s mission is an incredibly motivating concept for me, and I want to answer its call by my actions and with all my heart.

People need to know we listen to them. The number of Veterans suffering and contemplating suicide are particularly huge. First Responders, too, can be subject to considering it, given the life-and-death nature of their work. So they all need to know that this organization won’t stop finding them the resources required to help them resist the worst and reclaim their lives, instead.

AHERO’s participating Veterans or First Responders are not notches on any belt of its success; the few that may ultimately succumb are not indicative of failure. AHERO sees them all. I see them. That’s my job.

I work daily now with AHERO helping with administrative duties, and I’m at events as House Mom to meet our heroes as they walk through the door. I absolutely love what I do. AHERO is changing how we see people and affecting, in positive ways, how we interact with them. I wouldn’t have it any other way.

"Planting the tree reminded me that no matter how small you feel, you can grow into something strong and beautiful,” a thoughtful Peyton told us later about her AHERO experience. “It just takes time."

AHERO ON THE MOVE

Bringing the Vulnerable Back Off the Ledge

By Jeremy Clarke

In April of this year, Naval Air Station Lemoore, California, hosted retired California Highway Patrol Sergeant Kevin Briggs as he delivered a talk on The Power Of Listening. Briggs, who as a young man joined the U.S. Army, had his military career cut short by a cancer diagnosis. Once healthy again, he went on to serve in another extraordinary way: by saving hundreds of lives as a career-level Highway Patrol officer tasked with overseeing safety on San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge. And, upon retirement, he did not stop doing that.

Over the years, the many talks Briggs has delivered on ways to communicate with persons intent on committing suicide has doubtless resulted in even more lives saved. AHERO Magazine is very proud to present the story of this exceptional First Responder, as told by Jeremy Clarke.

~ The editors

What is a hero? An actual hero?

Someone who puts someone else’s life before their own – that’s my definition. And something else I’ve noticed about such individuals: They tend to be quiet.

Heroes are often ordinary people who have acted to help others in the face of violence, inhumane behavior, or even savagery. Those who, having witnessed such horrors, may bury the pain of what happened and how they fought it, becoming withdrawn. But there are those who go on to use the pain of their experience in service to others.

On this day in late March 2024, we’re on a Zoom call with Kevin Briggs, certifiably a hero by anyone’s reckoning. “We” are Dave Glassman, VP of AHERO and boss man of AHERO Magazine, Connie Conway, its senior editor, and me.

Briggs is quiet. He offers a smile. He has kind eyes.

We already know he’s the man they call the “Guardian of The Gate.” A California Highway Patrol (CHP) officer for 23 years, he was chiefly tasked with operations in southern Marin County, north of San Francisco.

That city’s Golden Gate Bridge, as you may already know, is a magnet for folks who feel compelled to end their lives. Legend has it that the bridge’s two towers represent two worlds, this world we live in and the next; the bridge is the passage between, and the water the cleanser of all ills that came before.

This is, of course, utter BS.

In March of 2005, Briggs managed to engage Mr. Kevin Berthia in conversation over the rail on San Francisco’s storied Golden Gate Bridge. The despondent Berthia had gone through considerable trauma and was intent on ending his life. Watching from the bridge, San Francisco Chronicle photographer Jon Storey caught the scene’s poignance and its importance on film. “This photo changed our lives,” says Briggs. The full story was originally told on NPR’s Morning Edition and recorded for Story Corps.

WE ASK BRIGGS TO CLARIFY

“Anyone who plummets from the bridge hits the water in four to five seconds at about 7075 miles per hour,” Briggs says. “That impact breaks bones which puncture arteries and vital organs. Those who don’t die on impact flail around in the treacherous waters and usually drown.”

We draw in a quiet, collective breath, picturing this. Even from our couple thousandmile distance, the “view” is horrific.

“Yeh, it’s a painful, grisly and often slow, lonely death,” Briggs agrees somberly. “Of the approximately 1,600 folks who’ve jumped, a tiny percentage have survived. Most said they regretted it – the second after they jumped.”

So, what kind of person is drawn to be the “Guardian of the Bridge”? It’s a title our interviewee is clearly uncomfortable with. He doesn’t see himself as extraordinary.

He explains to us that, while the contributing factors culminating in suicidal thoughts (“suicide ideation” in psychology speak) may be complex, the first steps towards convincing someone off the ledge and back onto the bridge are relatively simple.

“Be respectful. Keep a certain distance. Listen. Be there,” he says, adding, “Then listen some more.”

A FAMILIAR THEME

Briggs believes that most who’ve lost hope, have also lost connection. At AHERO, this is the basic tenet of those who come searching for the help they need to heal. Connection with friends, family, military service peers who became their buddies – all seem to have vanished. Critical connections, they’ve frayed or been bitterly broken. Often, there’s the loss of a key relationship.

The good news is, there’s a very high chance that someone planning to end their life off the bridge won’t jump if Kevin Briggs, or one of the many other trained and skilled CHP officers, is on deck. Briggs himself has a success rate of approximately 99.8 percent over his 23-year career.

He’s lost two. “That’s two too many,” the thoughtful Californian tells us. He recalls the names of both folks who did finally jump, adding that one of them had shaken his hand, thanking him for his concern and his time before quickly departing down, off the rail. In truth, confesses Briggs, it felt like a part of his own soul died when he lost those two souls.

As

years, saving many, many lives.

ONE HAS TO WONDER …

What kind of person can do that job Briggs has done, day in and day out, for 23 years? What kind of toll does it take? And how does anyone find the kind of powerful motivation required to continue doing such difficult and nerve-rattling work?

The answer, I suspect, is that Briggs, like many at AHERO charged with helping others, carries the kind of old wounds and scar tissue best soothed by offering help where needed.

He had a very tough childhood. He joined the Army at 18, was deployed overseas, and imagined a military career before him until cancer at age 21 abruptly ended that ambition. Chemotherapy ensued. In time, he picked himself back up and embarked upon a further 23 years of service wearing a different kind of uniform – but serving, just the same.

FINDING KEVIN BRIGGS

How had we come across such a prince of a guy, you might be asking. Simple. We asked Google, “Who has prevented the most suicides?” Up came the name Kevin Briggs.

a Retiring First Responder, Highway Patrol Officer Briggs paused to bid farewell to The Bridge he patrolled for

Briggs & Berthia would go on to become friends, telling their story in various publications & video productions and appearing together at a conference at LivingWorks, a leading suicide prevention training center. Briggs has also given a Ted Talk.

AHERO ON THE MOVE

Kevin poses with Security Officer ENS Glenn Rakoski at Naval Air Station Lemoore after delivering his talk on using the power of listening to save lives.

Credited with talking hundreds of people off the ledge, he’s the subject of scores of articles, has done a Ted Talk and sat for hours of recorded interviews. But he’s always the same quiet, unassuming guy. Just very, very mission focused.

He’s a man who, for 23 years, has prevented so much pain. An individual who understands that, at some moments in life, checking out might seem like the right thing to do, or the less painful thing, maybe, than sticking around. Times when you think:

• There’s is no “realistic” future

• Your faith in someone was misplaced. Again.

• You feel like a burden.

• You’ve failed. Again.

• No one gives a crap about you, anyhow.

I tell you this, my fellow Veterans: I think about it pretty much every day in the early hours. It often makes no sense for me to be here. It really doesn’t. At least, it wouldn’t if I didn’t have a commitment to those around me. And thus, a purpose.

Kevin Briggs isn’t perfect, and he doesn’t think he’s a superstar. But he does understand a couple of important things: Tell a little of your own struggle and be honest. Then shut up and listen. Because we don’t want to be told

what to do or what we should have done when we’re thinking of jumping. We just want to be talking to the right person. Someone who will … just STFU and listen.

WHY AHERO?

If you flick through the pages of this magazine, you might think AHERO is here mainly to take folks hunting or fishing. Or diving. Or to a singer/songwriter event.

But that’s just the lure. In fact, we are here to open our AHERO arms and our AHERO ears to hear what you have to say about why you’re still here and why sometimes you think, or almost think, maybe you shouldn’t be.

Which is another way of explaining why we are incredibly grateful to Kevin for reinforcing the reason for doing what we’re here to do, and to let us know some ways in which we might do it better.

In the coming months, we hope to have him come for some AHERO hunting and fishing and connecting with our Vets and First Responders. Meantime, check out the QR code below for the TED Talk this kind and caring man, Kevin Briggs, did a while back in 2014.

With the honor of the president's own best "ride" – Air Force One – as his backdrop, Briggs showed five of the top arguments for suicide, as heard from those aiming to take their own lives. The audience of rapt listeners here were all AF crew & pilots.

Speaking to Utah University students about preventing suicide.

AHERO ON THE MOVE

Golden Gate Bridge Suicides - Jumpers and Families

When it comes to suicide, there are two kinds of survivors. The first are those people who survive a suicide attempt. The second are those who survive the death of a loved one’s suicide.

The vast majority of people who survive a suicide attempt don’t go on to kill themselves. Despite the common misperception that suicidal people are so intent on ending their lives that they will resort to any lethal means, the fact is that most have a preferred method. If that method isn’t available to them, they don’t try something else; instead, they choose to live.

According to the American Association of Suicidology, up to 100 people—family members, friends, schoolmates, and coworkers—are personally affected by each suicide. Loved ones are left emotionally shattered, and oftentimes end up contemplating suicide themselves. Whatever pain people are feeling that leads them to kill themselves, it rarely ends when the person dies. On the contrary, it is transferred to the living.

A death by suicide is sudden and sometimes confusing to all surviving family and friends. They have to deal with the consequences of that—emotional trauma with feelings of anger, shame, and guilt on top of the grief, loneliness, and despair that any kind of death generates. There may be added trauma for the person who first discovers a completed suicide. And there may be little support from within the network of family and friends.

The impact of suicide on society is deep, too. All of us lose out on the skills or potential skills that people who end their lives prematurely have or could have developed— doctors, nurses, engineers, teachers, artists, caregivers, and more. It’s in everyone’s best interests that suicides are prevented.

Reprinted courtesy of the Bridge Rail Foundation, a tax-exempt non-profit dedicated to stopping suicide on the Golden Gate Bridge and other suicide prone public facilities.

“Work began on the project in 2017 … The nets come after years of advocacy from local groups including the Bridge Rail Foundation, which comprises people in the community with personal connections to the issue.”

~ From “Kilometres of suicide-deterrent nets installed under Golden Gate Bridge,”a story by Ben Dreith in the January 18, 2024 issue of Dezeen, a highly influential online architecture, interior, and design magazine based in London, England. Dreith is the U.S. editor.

AHERO ON THE MOVE

Just … Please … Listen

By Jeremy Clarke

What do you do if someone presents you with a problem?

Well … you investigate, you prod, you probe. You take the thing apart. You look at each part from all angles, scratch your chin.

Eventually you think you’ve figured out what’s causing the problem then rummage through a raft of possible solutions until you find your answer. Then you implement it. Right?

We’re programmed to fix. It’s what we do. It’s part of our self-validation. We hunt, gather. Family won’t get fed if we sit, ponder, and listen to the universe! So we take accountability. Some might say of us that, having understood the problem, we take command. Others, that we take over.

(Which … might be why many of us are divorced!)

A wise man once reminded me that we have one mouth and … two ears.

If you find yourself sitting around a group of people some time, try this: watch how many are eagerly waiting to talk, rather than are actually … listening.

We live in a fast-paced world and when we have something we wish to contribute, it’s kinda understandable we want to blurt it out.

However.

Things change when you’re with someone in trouble. Someone in need. In peril.

If you’re as arrogant as I am, you wish to dispense advice: “Hey, I’ve been there. I get that. Here’s what I did. This’ll help.” Nope.

A few years ago, before or after an AHERO hunt, I heard Lee Stuckey talk about something he named screened porch therapy. To be honest, I dismissed it as, “We can’t afford a professional therapist, plus we’re from the South and we don’t buy that psycho-crap you Northerners do. We just get together and talk.”

But that wasn’t really what he was saying. He was talking about listening.

Dave Glassman has a similar “therapy” platform, based around just having a coffee with someone. Or sitting around a firepit. Sitting and listening.

It’s a curious thing, to let your own stuff go and just listen to someone else. Even when

they seem to have finished talking or have paused. It can be hard to just … STFU and keep listening.

Because when someone is trying to unload the thing that’s been weighing on their mind for maybe years, it’s … like a baby being born. Or a dam fixing to burst. It. Takes. Time.

And if you interrupt, you stop the flow. You stop the thought. And maybe it recedes – that thing they were trying to tell you. Gets stuffed back down to stew in frustration. It was so

hard to say. Too … embarrassing. Better to just let it lie.

But is it? All that courage that had built up to finally be able to spill … Better to let it go?

Here, we invited you to read about a man who, over a period of 23 years, is credited with saving the lives of several hundred people intent on jumping off the Golden Gate bridge. His name is Kevin Briggs. His secret? Not to beat a dead horse, but it’s just that same one word.

Listening.

Listening as a Preventative Safety Net

By Thomas Howard Suitt III, Ph.D.

In January of this year, San Francisco finally installed safety nets along the Golden Gate Bridge after a herculean effort from the Bridge Rail Foundation. This installation is a massive win for suicide prevention, as Kevin Briggs’s reflection notes in the article on these pages, and those who survive an attempt are extremely unlikely to try again.

Indeed, reducing access to lethal means, including access to potentially dangerous public spaces like bridges, has been associated with a 30-50 percent decline in suicide rates. A recent study of public health initiatives near high-frequency jump sites – like those from the Golden Gate Bridge – found a statistically significant reduction in suicide attempts after the implementation of barriers, fences, and nets.

Simply put, the safety nets work, and their integration along the bridge is undoubtedly cause for celebration.

According to a report filed by the Office of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention in 2019, while reducing access to lethal means is an effective deterrent, nearly 70 percent of Veteran suicides involve firearms, and over 70 percent of suicide attempts occur within one hour of deciding to do so. To make significant strides in suicide prevention, both nationally and among the Veteran and service member populations specifically, we must consider preventative safety nets. As Jeremy Clarke profoundly muses in his reflection, listening is vital.

Listening is a significant protective measure against suicidal ideation. Using what clinicians call active listening or empathic

communication, those wishing to help people in distress need only listen without interruption. Importantly, they need to avoid suggesting advice or passing judgment. When appropriate, the listener should clearly show that he heard and understood what the distressed individual had to share before letting the person continue speaking. This method of listening forms the basis for multiple successful suicide prevention trainings, including:

• Support, Appreciate, Listen Team (SALT),

• Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST)

• Talk Saves Lives training from the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

Additionally, it is one of the main reasons that access to suicide prevention hotlines has had a significant impact on suicide prevention and why communication-based suicide prevention is effective. Active listening works, and as we continue fighting to relieve feelings of low belonging and high burdensomeness, the simple act of listening without judgment can be the safety net under a bridge.

If you or someone you know needs help, contact the Veterans Crisis Line. Dial 988 and press 1 or text to 838255.

Thomas (Ben) Suit III, Ph.D. is a highly respected scholar and a leading expert dedicated to researching and publishing detailed, informative articles on the causes, triggers, and effects of Veteran suicide

AHERO ON THE MOVE

Jenny Kimbro has a Beef With Some Mental Health Providers

By Jeremy Clarke

“Feeling a little down? Hey, don’t worry. We got a pill for that.”

In 2020, the CDC reported that 20.3 percent of U.S. adults received mental health treatment in the past 12 months, including 16.5 percent who had taken prescription medication for their mental health and 10.1 percent who had received counseling or therapy from a mental health professional.*

Depending on which source you believe, between 25 and 40 percent of teens suffer from some form of anxiety “disorder.” And … these children are prescribed extremely heavy medications to be ingested by their young, still-forming bodies.

This all sticks in the craw of one doublecertified psychiatric nurse practitioner in the Gulf Coast region with a practice in Pensacola, Florida: former EMS and firefighter, Jenny Kimbro.

Her mission: Get to the root cause of mental illness. Treat with a minimum of drugs.

In early 2023, Kimbro set up her STABLE practice with fellow double-certified psychiatric nurse, and Air Force combat Veteran, Ryan Shelton.

“We decided to create a practice based on what the patient needs,” Kimbro said, “not on how do we get paid the most? We want to be able to spend the time we feel is needed with each patient, not the time the insurance company dictates we can spend with them.” Radical stuff.

“I see too many people put on a ‘health care’ production line and run through offices that don’t have the time to talk to them,” she explained. “I know, and Ryan knows, that if we spend time with our patients to dig down and find the core reasons why they feel the way they do, we can find non-invasive, actual resolutions to their issues. Resolutions that don’t rely on the permanent dependence on pharmaceuticals. It’s not easy, but it is simple.”

Kimbro is refreshingly blunt.

“The important part is to listen. Many patients have been told to come to us, they’re not here of their own volition. The first hours with a patient are by the far the most

important,” she said, indicating that ongoing treatment is usually verbal. It’s human. Forging a connection so that in reopening old wounds to start the healing, she knows where to look, when to push, when not.

She’ll ask gentle, but probing questions, but knows when to shut up and listen. “Most people want the help. They want to talk. You have to make them feel safe, and that you actually care. And that this will not cost the earth.”

She considers drugs to be like a crude, constant Band-Aid, although in some instances, they can be temporarily prescribed to “open a door” or as a temporary solution while working on a permanent solution. At least in most cases. But far too many patients are prescribed meds without the physician even being aware of what else the patient might be taking.

“So whenever I prescribe any medication, I grill patients to get them to open up and tell me all the pharma they’re on. Some meds have reactions with others and shouldn’t be taken together,” said Kimbro.

There is something called a drug interaction checker (see Google for listings). It does what you think it does: checks that one drug can, or cannot, be taken with another. Asked if

most physicians utilize this before prescribing, Kimbro was of the opinion that many did not. “Also, patients do not always supply an accurate list of all medications they are on. This is equally as important,” she said.

Kimbro feels that most people should probably “talk to someone.” That it needn’t be a lengthy or an overly expensive process. That a lot of us bury stuff, which is not good.

It is a serious public concern, symptomatic of our times, that almost all our young people are subject to such powerful difficult or negative pressures that they’re frequently unable to cope or process. Prescribing them meds too quickly when a few hours of talking with a trained professional can put them on a far better path seems counterintuitive and a decision based on expediency (or profitability!) that could do more harm than good.

We all understand the importance of maintaining our own good mental health and that of our loved ones. Caring enough to give time, attention and even a bit of research into “what’s ailing us” – as Kimbro recommends –before eagerly administering or swallowing a pill, seems the smarter way to go.

*AHERO Magazine’s staff members are not medically trained, nor is it the policy of this magazine to recommend professional health providers, treatments, or use or non-use of any medications.

Jenny Kimbro is certified and licensed in psychiatric nursing and also as a family nurse practitioner.

Dr. Kyle Runnels, Kimbro Associate at SMH, Shows His Heart

By Jeremy Clarke

AHERO is not a machine.

It is a disparate collection of mainly former service members who have either experienced trauma in service and/or have a deep-seated desire to help those who have done so.

They understand that the wounded and injured Veterans and First Responders who come to us rarely spit out exactly what’s “wrong” with them or request some specific area of assistance. Instead, they tend to be attracted by our events, and when they attend one, find themselves starting up a dialogue with our folks or with Lee Stuckey directly. It’s only through that kind of easygoing conversation that we get a sense of what they might be suffering from and what they might need.

So it’s not a “one and done” situation. Only if, and when, real connection is achieved with someone who seeks it can real progress start to be made. And no two cases are exactly alike. Psychiatric APRN Jenny Kimbro knows this well and demands that the medical professionals working with her know it, too.

There are rarely any cut and dried, black and white, cookie-cutter situations. But by now, many years into carrying out our AHERO mission, we have fine-tuned our process and methodologies step by careful step. We don’t do judgment. We go slow. We listen and learn.

That’s the beauty of AHERO. It’s organic, intuitive. Where every Veteran or veteran First Responder is welcomed, seen, heard, and hopefully helped. We’re mindful that anyone coming to us will not only have multiple issues (trauma/PTSD, a sense of loss, maybe guilt or isolation … the list goes on), they may also be prone to anxiety and/or mood swings.

One appointment at the VA can go well. Go quite well, in fact. But sometimes it can go really badly.

Compound that with the effects of whatever multiple meds the Vet may be on, and you can have a constantly changing landscape. Calm during one interaction, nervous during the next. Holding it together to begin with, but maybe distant or aggressive or deflated the next.

Which is another reason why there is no One Cure Fits All.

That fact informs our methodologies at AHERO. We listen with an open heart and mind to the multitude of medical or nutritional measures and recommendations that can help and will do no harm. We know alcohol and “recreational” drugs are not among them. They are not anybody’s friend.

If there is a natural remedy available, we encourage our Vets to explore that in tandem with whatever pharmaceuticals their doctors may be prescribing. And when requested, we are glad to introduce them to our growing network of qualified professionals who can offer our heroes an ever-expanding array of options.

But. Anyone we refer our Vets and First Responders to must first be vetted. Which is why, in mid-May this year (2024), Dr Kyle Runnels, a highly skilled physician with more than 15 years of experience in psychiatry, drove nine hours up from South Florida to meet with Dave Glassman and myself. We were in the process of getting to know Kimbro’s practice associates at Stable Mental Health (SMH).

Runnels has a special interest in reproductive perinatal psychiatry and psychopharmacology, as well as extensive experience and training in holistic and cannabis medicine and treating opiate dependency.

What might have seemed to him like it would be a congenial meet-and-greet turned into a three-hour interrogation.

Our questions were personal, probing, rapid-fire, and maybe even a bit over-the-top. But it takes time for the “mask” to slip – the mask that we all tend to wear when we’re meeting new folks.

Sure enough, the mask slipped.

We saw the human being we were hunting for as Runnels described how, several years ago, he’d made a diagnosis on a patient and recommended a course of action that he passionately believed was correct. It was, he was convinced, the only course that could help this individual.

Dr. Kyle Runnels, who works with Jenny Kimbro at SMH, believes that “the complexity of mental illness and the health of the mind should be reflected in a treatment approach that does not overly rely on one intervention, such as medication,"

But it was controversial. Thus, he was faced with a life-changing decision: step back and protect your own reputation and income or push forward and risk losing everything. Not just his medical license, as if that wouldn’t be tragedy enough. It meant risking his wife, family, everything he loved.

Runnels seemed near tears as he related this. But he believed he was right, acted on that, lost his license, and had years of pain. He still believes he was right.

He now has his license fully restored and has been back in practice for some time. Happily, his patient took his counsel and is fully recovered. But the good doctor had a number of very dark years “in the wilderness,” so to speak. What Glassman and I found after vetting this dude was that he would put his career on the line for what he believed – and he’d do that as the smart, highly educated medical man he is.

So, welcome aboard, Dr Runnells, sir. And thank you for taking that long ride up from South Florida!

IN SERVICE TO OUR COUNTRY The Frenchy Connection Keeping It Real

Since I am the old guy at AHERO, I'm more connected to the old-guy scene, i.e., Vietnam Veterans. AHERO has a big focus on preventing suicide, and articles in this magazine about that often reflect on the suicides amongst our younger Vets, and how to address that issue.

Frankly, I have always believed that my generation of Veterans dropped the ball on the younger generation – something many of us swore we’d never let happen.

STILL, WE ALL WANT TO HELP IF WE CAN

For some time, I have been frequenting two Veterans breakfast groups. One is the motley collection of “old” Vets that I spotlighted in my column a few years ago. We call ourselves the Crispy Warriors, and every Thursday at 0730 we gather at Crackings, a restaurant in Destin, Florida.

The more-recently formed group that I also make a point of hanging out with meets at a mom & pop restaurant in Milton, Florida, called Ace’s, on Wednesdays at 0800. Same folks own Ace’s Hangar, which is also in Milton and where we hold special functions honoring Veterans.

We try not to follow the Kiwanis club model. No offense to Kiwanians – it’s just that we aren’t that big on formalities! We do, however, open with a prayer covering the usual things: asking God to continue watching over those still serving in harm’s way; and giving thanks for the gift of all of us still being able to grace our meetings … and we mostly mean it! (Just kidding!)

The Crispy group started with only a few Vets enjoying a morning out, about 30 years ago, and as we’ve grown, we have continued to embrace our own mess-hall style experience and sharing some of our favorite personal war stories. Gotta say, the first “liar” doing the story tellin’ don’t stand a chance!

By Norm (Frenchy) LaFountaine

(Everyone knows the difference between a war story and a fairy tale, right? A fairy tale begins “Once upon a time,” but a genuine war story begins with “This ain’t no shit – !”)

ONE WAY WE “OLD GUYS” STEP UP

What I have described above is a “microcosm” of aging Veterans who, beyond simply meeting together, also are reaching out these days to our younger counterparts. By gathering socially and sharing lessons learned from good and tough times, we’ve discovered how this valuing of one another’s experiences can make a positive difference to young and old alike who participate.

Our members are from all walks of life, age groups, eras, and branches of service. People coming into the restaurants where we meet will often ask, “Who ARE you guys?” The answer: “Just a group of Veterans enjoying breakfast and one another’s company.”

Then we ask, “Are you a Vet?” An affirmative gets them an invite: “We’re here regularly for breakfast every Thursday morning. Feel free to join us!”

So I’m thinking that this is a way we older Vets can help reduce the numbers of younger Veterans even thinking about resorting to suicide. In fact, I believe it is. Bringing those who have served in our more recent wars into the brotherhood of the Veteran family can allow us to do more than just tell our old war stories to “new blood.” I believe there’s a kind of healing help we can offer these younger warriors who are still suffering the painful physical and psychological wounds of war just by listening to their stories and concerns.

THE UPSHOT

I know that few people understand like we do the value of being heard to a military Veteran who's been through rough times. In

ACE'S LUCKY BROS ... a growing group of great guys!

our group, we want to be here (while we still can) for those younger Veterans. We want to hear them and offer whatever wisdom and experience we have that might help.

Because the fact is that someday, in a very real sense, they will be us. And it’s likely that, as members of their generation’s “nowseasoned Veterans,” they will be needed to help those younger, newly minted Vets get through the challenges of reintegrating into civilian life.

FRENCHY PONDERS:

On a Lighter Note, What’s in a Name, Anyway??

Military types tend to be “unit oriented.” It’s a pride and morale thing. We may be a “mixed bag” of folks, but we’re still a unit! So … a name for the new group at Ace’s was

inevitably in order. We called three individuals of the original four to suggest a name, and it had to be the right “fit” so we could be easily identified.

The fourth member of the original group, retired Capt. Jim Jowers, USN (Ret) had passed away and we were planning to eulogize his life the next week. It would give those of us who had known him a chance to describe what he meant to us.

A little background to describe Jim: He was pushing 100 when he died. And before I spill the beans on how we came up with the name, I should tell you that as a young mud Marine,* Jim survived WWII – the big one, the one we won – and then continued his career as a Navy pilot, retiring as a commander. With all that

BREAKFAST AT ACE'S Poster

Coffee and chow prepped and ready, Ace's Wednesday morning crew fall in to wait as the Lucky Bros meeting comes to disorder. Standing l-r are Michelle Gilley, Vickie Powers & Melissa Kidwell. Taking a commanding knee below is Ace's owner, John Bright.

IN SERVICE TO OUR COUNTRY

The Frenchy Connection

“surviving” he did, Jim would know full well why the name we agreed on was chosen!

Jacob “Jake” Nowland, a Navy Vet and one of the original four, piped up pretty early on as we debated names.

“The Lucky Brothers!” he suggested.

“Why Lucky Brothers, Jake?” we asked.

“Because Lucky Bastards would sound rude!” Still: why Lucky? we wondered. Then it came to us. It’s because considering how old most of us are, we’re just plain lucky to be anywhere on a Wednesday morning! And as for the “Brothers” part, that worked pretty well, but what about shortening it to “Bros”? Thumbs went up. Perfect!

It is true that we do have a number of notso-old guys, and some women Vets who keep us in our lanes, and we are thankful for that. I mean, it’s a good thing. They keep a watchful eye on us senior guys, because every week someone forgets their phone, glasses, jacket, whatever, and somehow things get found.

The system does sometimes fail, though: We’re still looking for the guy – whichever one of us it was – who managed somehow to drop his dentures under the table and then just head home, leaving them there. I, personally, think they’re probably enjoying a rest in a jar somewhere in the back room at Ace’s … but oh, well.

The other two original members, to round out the “founding four,” are Phil Webb, who is still gainfully employed as a pilot, and Captain Tom Anaston, USN (Ret), who enjoys just being exactly that – retired. Great guys who, out of the kindness of their hearts, have allowed the rest of us to crash their weekly party!

FRENCHY POSTS:

A Reunion, and Another Passing of the PopA-Smoke Torch.

One of the most recent “youngsters” to join us is retired Marine Major John (“Psycho”) Ruffini, a CH-53 driver still working as a helicopter maintenance test pilot at NAS Whiting Field here in Milton.

John is also president of the USMC/ COMBAT HELICOPTER & TILTROTOR ASSN.

The organization meets every evennumbered year somewhere in the East, West

or Midwest for the reunion now known as Pop A Smoke.

Little-known fact: “Pop A Smoke” was the name originally given to the group’s newsletter because, back in the day (the Vietnam war), it referred to a specific form of communication between a pilot and a grunt. The pilot would ask the grunt to “pop a smoke,” meaning the throw out a specific color of smoke grenade, and once the pilot correctly identified the color, he (the pilot) would be able to approach the area.

If the pilot identified and approached the wrong color of smoke, he’d find out pretty quickly, as the enemy Vietcong or the North Vietnam Army “confirmed” that aggressively with their own red or green tracers!

John’s election to president of this great association signals the passing of the torch

to the new generation. As with its founding members, the association still consists of active-duty and retired military and military Veterans.

We are Marines, corpsmen, flight quacks, and chaplains who have served aboard helicopters and tiltrotors as pilots, crew, maintainers, squadron personnel, and their guests, from before there even were flying machines (1775) to … whenever everyone’s Eternal Commandant SAYS it’s over!

You get the point, right?

With a few exceptions, I think that about covers our reunion crowd. But do let me expound on that. Because the early on Helo Bubbas are thinning in numbers, and not quite as able to stay up with things the way they used to do. Meaning “things” such as telling war stories, which, by the way, have gotten SO

much better over the years.* So now it’s the younger crowd that’s tasked with closing up and turning out the lights when we depart.

This year’s reunion was held in Pentagon City, Arlington, Virginia, from 31 July to 4 Aug 2024. You can learn more about Pop A Smoke’s reunions by going to: www.popasmoke.com/reunions-rr/

Semper fi, Frenchy

*The reason our stories have gotten SO much better over the years is because the older we get, the better we were!

~ F

“It’s my pleasure to serve the ones who served. I love this rowdy bunch!”

~ Melissa Kidwell

“Wednesday mornings with all the Vets showing up for their catch-up gab-session breakfast, I’m thinking that, given so many requests for good old SOS, we’ll just make it the Wednesday Morning Special: SOS like your mama NEVER made!”

~ John Bright, Owner Ace’s Restaurant & Ace’s Hangar

“I love the stories they tell! Some have actually brought tears to my eyes.” ~ Michelle Gilley

“It’s fun to see these crazy fellas every week!”

~ Vickie Powers

“Ace’s waitstaff ladies’ unending patience with us is legendary! Melissa and Michelle never let my coffee cup get low, and Vickie is married to a Marine. Crazy? She knows whereof she speaks!”

~ Frenchy

Lucky Bros flanking Mrs. Catherine Jowers (by the names we know & love) are - back row, l-r, Kirk, Bill, Frasier, Dan, Skeets, Sid, Jerry, Grunt, Mike, Karl, Bob, Dave, and front, l-r, Mike, Jake, (Catherine), Capt. Tom, Dave, Clark, Bill, & Frenchy!

An early edition of the Pop A Smoke Newsletter.

IN SERVICE TO OUR COUNTRY

The Frenchy Connection

“We are All Equal Vets” Another Great American Hero Passes the Baton

By Navy Veteran Jacob “Jake” M. Knowles

I first became acquainted with CDR Jim Jowers USN (Ret) in October of 2018, when I was invited out to breakfast at a place called Cisco’s in Milton, Florida, by LCDR Phil Webb USN (Ret). I also met retired Navy Capt. Thom Anaston there, too.

So here’s me, a little enlisted petty officer, a Navy Veteran, sitting at a mess table with three high-ranking retired officers, remembering how, when I joined up in July of 1957, “enlisted” did NOT fraternize with officers. I was so uptight and nervous – and it really showed!

But I was soon shown the true character of the man that I would come to admire. Because the next week as we attended the breakfast, Jowers took me aside, put his hand on my shoulder, and said, “Jake, I noticed you were very nervous last week. Just relax. There are no ranks or privileges at this table. We are all equal Vets.”

Jowers was a native of Lexington, Tennessee. A graduate of the University of Tennessee, he came to have a 28-year career that included service as a U.S. Army combat engineer, a USMC jet and helicopter pilot, and a U.S. Navy combat search and rescue pilot.

Here’s a little rundown of some of this great American military man’s accomplishments:

• He served seven tours in Vietnam, completing 212 combat rescue missions flying the SH-2A and SH-3A helicopters. He flew these search and rescue missions with the HC-7 combat squadron known as the Sea Devils.

• He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, eight other flying medals plus awards and ribbons, having flown 16 different types of fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters … for a total of 5,629 hours of flight!

Now, getting back to our Wednesday Morning Veterans Breakfasts: after a few weeks at Cisco’s, we decided we’d move over to Ace’s Restaurant, where we’ve been ever since. These gatherings have grown over the last several years, and I hope they will continue to do so.

Jim Jowers celebrated his 90th birthday here with us in June 2022, but sadly passed away the following year. I knew this special man for four and a half years. We became very close as the time passed, so organizing a tribute breakfast to remember him was extremely important to me.

The turnout was a large one, with Jim’s widow, Catherine Jowers, graciously honoring us with her presence. She spoke to us about her husband, and Tom Anaston and several others spoke, too.

What I should have realized about Jim Jowers was that he was an unforgettable character, with or without a special occasion to remind us. That he was someone who touched us and so many others with his kindness along the way that none of us who knew the man will ever forget him.

On May 25, 2022, Retired USN CDR Jim Jowers posted a photo of his and Catherine's wedding painting. "67 years ago, this beautiful lady became my wife, and pinned on my Gold Wings," he wrote. "What a beautiful and fantastic life."

A collage honoring the life and love of a great Navy flyer - CDR Jim Jowers.

IN SERVICE TO OUR COUNTRY

Lynn's Corner

A Gold Star Journey

By Lynn Feehan

As a young girl in the early 1970’s living in base housing in Germany, there were no Gold Star Flags or Gold Star Families. By the midseventies at Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska, we kids were outside playing, television was limited to three channels, and news was on a couple times a day. Happy Days or The Brady Bunch reigned on our tv’s – and they were definitely not about parents who had lost a beloved child due to military service as Gold Star moms or dads.

My own family’s history of military service dated back to World War I. There was a Purple Heart recipient, but each person served and then went home. None had died due to service; there were no conversations about Gold Stars. Then, twenty-nine years after my first son was born, someone did die. But still no one was thinking of a way to formally honor the greatest sacrifice families of military members can make.

MY INTRODUCTION TO THE GOLD STAR

I met Dave Glassman in 2018. We talked about Veteran outreach programs like Operation Song, which I had participated in, and AHERO. Dave’s positive energy fuels his great gift for communicating, especially in talking about Veterans. We discussed my son, Air Force SSgt Christopher Shane Riordan, how his ten years of service included a total of 18 months in Iraq, after which he was treated by the VA for PTSD. And how, in September of 2015, a year after separation, he died.

Dave then referred to me as a Gold Star Mother. Sadly, I didn’t really know what the term meant. Even today, years on, many people don’t know what it means.

Dave also talked about something called the Gulf Coast Gold Star Families Memorial Monument and mentioned that I might want to join the committee working on getting it installed at Pensacola Veterans Memorial Park. The great WWII Medal of Honor recipient, Woody Williams, he explained, had developed his Gold Star Families Foundation with the goal of having such a monument installed in every state and in Washington, D.C. I was

Lynn Feehan has been writing for AHERO Magazine for some time now. AHERO is very grateful to you, Lynn!

Shane in gear, headed back to base

AHERO Needs You!

honored to become the seventh member of our committee.

While we were working on the monument, the committee encouraged me to contact the VA for an official determination. I did so, and four years after Shane died, I received a form letter confirming that my son’s death was service-related. Was I officially a Gold Star Mother now?

STARS: EVERLASTING SYMBOLS OF HONOR & LOVE

During World War I, an Army officer, Captain Robert Queissner, designed and patented the Blue Star Banner for his two sons who were serving on the frontline. As a patch, it became the unofficial symbol for parents to wear. As the casualty numbers increased, mothers of the fallen sewed gold stars over their blue stars to signify their children’s ultimate sacrifice for their country. They called themselves Gold Star Mothers.

When the government officially embraced the Gold Star designation during World War II, the meaning became fractured. The U.S. Congress passed legislation in 1947 specifying the designation as applying only to service members who died during overseas operations or terrorist attacks. This left out thousands who had died due to military service but outside the specified parameters.

While Congress has since updated its criteria to be more inclusive, the initial exclusionary language initiated an impression that only certain families could claim Gold Star status. That inaccurate and hurtful assessment persists to this day, denying the honor families

deserve for their loss of their loved one who sacrificed his or her life for this nation.

Last year my committee attended a beautiful ball with a special table that honored family members who had died. The pictures I saw were lovely. But even though Shane’s PTSD and death were officially service related, honor is still reserved for those that died based on parameters set by Congress in 1947. Sadly, he was excluded because of the separation date on his DD214.

Our Gold Star Families Monument at Pensacola Veterans Memorial Park was installed on Veteran’s Day 2020. With the Woody Williams Foundation’s blessing, it bears a plaque stating that the Monument is

“dedicated to Gold Star Families who lost a loved one while on active duty or as a result of service in the armed forces of the United States of America.” Hopefully, similarly worded plaques will follow on all such installations, thus honoring ALL who have made the ultimate sacrifice. A Veteran is someone who, at one point in their life, wrote a blank check made payable to the United States of America for an amount up to and including their life.

The National Gold Star Family Registry has extensive information on a variety of qualifying circumstances and on the organizations that cover them, such as the Tragedy Assistance Programs for Survivors (TAPS), the Honor Flight, and the Patriot Guard Riders.

Shane (left) with his biological dad, USN Petty Officer 1st Class Chris Riordan.

A precious Christmas photo–Shane at home with family. L-R, brother Michael Feehan, Mom Lynn, Shane himself with dad, Navy Veteran Brian Feehan.

Shane in action, in Iraq.

IN SERVICE TO OUR COUNTRY Heidi Luke: Precious Mentor, Beloved Friend

By Mathew Rumple, Veteran, U.S. Army

People often describe successful or heroic individuals that they’ve met or heard of as “inspiring.” To Indiana-born Veteran Mathew Rumple, the late, much-loved Veteran, Heidi Luke, fully embodied the word.

Mathew served from 1993, when he joined the Air Force, to 2013, when he was medically retired as permanently disabled from the Army, to which he had switched. Prior to meeting Heidi, his service-connected PTSD and TBI conditions had led to the failure of his marriage and estrangement from the family he loved.

In 2013, after leaving the military, I moved to Pensacola. I’d heard about a Veterans peersupport group that met nearby, one I felt could help me. I met retired Air Force CMSgt Frank Dailey there. He introduced me to the Heroes on the Water group that Heidi Luke was also attending.

Frank knew my situation and Heidi’s, too. One day he handed me her number, saying “You two have a lot in common. I think you can benefit from being friends.”

Being a typical man and separated from my wife, I figured Frank was talking about us dating. But when Heidi asked me to go out to eat and talk, she let me know what she needed was not a date but a friend. She was working on her own problems and felt we could support each other in healing.

From then on, our friendship grew. Together with many other supportive people, we started our own peer group, using any empty space we could find for meetings. Originally sponsored by Wounded Warrior Project, we had more than a hundred Veterans attending at different times.

NEW ENGLAND GAL HEADS SOUTH

Heidi was born in 1978 and raised in Vermont, not leaving until she joined the Army Reserve. She married (divorcing later), worked full time, but also graduated with high honors from college. Moving to Milton, Fla., she transferred into the Air Force in 2001, achieving the rank of Master Sergeant and working on base until cancer forced her retirement.

The group where we had initially met had people of different ages and generations who had been in various wars and conflicts. All had been through considerable trauma,

but they tended to separate themselves into groups of folks who had served during specific conflicts. Heroes on the Water was different. Participants shared as a group together, detailing the trauma they’d gone through –including as children – and had suppressed for a long, long time. Heidi's story, and her great spirit, somehow connected them all.

When I met Heidi, we’d become friends quickly, sharing intimate details about our similar struggles and experiences. We participated together in activities such as hunting, even though I would have to avoid seeing the blood of an animal I might shoot. Heidi would claim that she shot it just so I could avoid being around the blood. We kind of worked as a duo that way. And we did the same when it came to sharing our stories of both childhood and military trauma.

HER HERO ARRIVES

Heidi had gone through so much in her 16plus years of service. She suffered assaults that caused her to have a tough time socializing or even just going outside. She was diagnosed with both PTSD and MST (military sexual trauma). Then, in 2017, she decided to apply for a service dog.

After completing the three-month program at Healing Paws for Warriors, a VSO run by Mike Arena in Ft. Walton Beach, Fla., she was paired with “Hero,” a black German Shepherd. In a story about her by Tristessa Osborne and published in the Spring/Summer 2019 edition of AHERO Magazine,* Heidi described how she bonded with her new canine friend during the training process. The two of them were “ … tethered together all the time,” she said. “It’s like an umbilical cord. Hero went

Heidi began her up close & personal story as a Veteran here with her new service dog that she named Hero. Along with friends like Matthew, it was Hero who made a good life possible for Hero’s MST & cancer stricken, beloved human companion, Heidi.

everywhere with me. I answered the doorbell, he came with me. I’d be cooking or in the bathroom, and there he was.”

Soon Hero was helping her to go out into society again. She was getting out without worrying about getting attacked. She could talk to people, even strangers. Hero was enabling her to share her story with so many folks –from children in elementary school to senior executives in major corporations.

As our friendship grew, even our kids got close. They’d literally call us “mom and dad.” To this day, I still take Heidi’s kids to dinner, and we just talk about life. Her oldest son is an Army paratrooper stationed in Germany. He and I talk about that together. They are my adopted family, and I love them like I loved their mom. I have three girls ages 29, 27, and 24 – the oldest two have two children each – and we have a strong bond now, thanks to Heidi helping me learn how to love and be a father and a husband to my wife.

Finding Heidi Luke for me was like finding a long-lost sister who would never judge me. Someone who would always listen and be honest and genuine when we talked. This caring way of hers helped me really learn about myself, even how to communicate, which has always been a struggle for me.

NOT ALONE

When the end got near for Heidi, after her 13 years of fighting cancer, we all prayed. When, unexpectedly, her loyal companion, her Hero, died two weeks before her passing, we all knew later that it was exactly as her obituary at myKeeper.com said: that Hero “was there waiting to help her with her journey.”

Heidi Luke taught me the things I needed to live a better life. I am forever grateful that she loved me enough to give me that part of herself when her own life was so precious, and her time left was so short.

Remembrances of Heidi and Hero

Mathew and Heidi rode together in Matthew's Jeep during a cancer awareness ride involving several hundred other Jeeps. Smiling in this photo shoot with (l-r) Mike Arena, CEO of Healing Paws for Warriors and his service dog Orion, Heidi shows off her beloved Hero alongside WEAR reporter, Laura Hussey, and Matt (with his own first service dog, Scout.)

IN SERVICE TO OUR COUNTRY

Honoring Chris Noel, an Enduring (and Endearing!) American Hero

By Kimberly Damon

AM Radio in Vietnam

During the 1960s and 70s, AM radio proved a powerful morale-lifting force for our American troops in Vietnam as they braved the violence of everything from morbidly saturating heat and icy rain to the tangled, ambush-thick terrain through which they moved to meet a maniacal enemy. AFVN was one of the top three primary targets of the enemy in Saigon,” broadcaster Harry Simons later told Radio World about the American Forces Vietnam Network (AFVN) in an interview.

In the documentary made by Simons and fellow broadcaster Mike Bates in 2015 and referenced in the Chris Noel Story below, a recording of one such attack in 1968 is included, narrated by Scott Manning. That attack delivered 250 pounds of plastic explosive to the AFVN side of the compound in a taxicab.

Simons and his colleagues endured those and other attacks. Not the kind of work hazard one typically meets in a U.S. broadcast facility. Later in Saigon he added the job of disk jockey to his duties, hosting the nightly “GO Show,” a request rock and roll program.

Norm LaFountaine was a helicopter crew chief stationed near Danang in 1968 and ’69. In the documentary, he discusses the importance of AFVN to the spirit and the motivation of the troops.

“One night we were flying a medivac mission. It was raining like crazy, and it was cold,” said LaFountaine. “I dialed into AFVN, and here comes Sam and Dave singing ‘Hold on, I’m Coming,’ a popular tune in the ‘Sixties, and that’s what we were doing, coming to get these guys. That always stuck in my mind.”

“Brace for impact!” the helicopter crew chief yelled to the cute blonde Hollywood starlet aboard. Shocked by the command, Chris hugged her knees and tried not to think about the $10,000 bounty the Viet Cong had placed on her head. The pilot expertly autorotated the aircraft to a controlled crash in a rice paddy.

The situation wasn’t good. Chris was okay, and there were no injuries among the soldiers on board, but they were on the ground in enemy territory. The soldiers quickly surrounded their downed aircraft, ready to defend it and Chris with their lives. Armed figures were beginning to emerge from the trees surrounding them – but were they friend or foe?

Fortunately, they were fellow American troops who had seen the helicopter drop from the sky and immediately headed to assist. No one had died, but, seeing that this young woman was a famous Hollywood actress, they

wondered: Why was she here in a combat area in Vietnam?

BECAUSE SHE WANTED TO BE THERE FOR THE TROOPS

To Chris, they were her troops. She wanted to bring them a few minutes of joy and hope and let them know how very much they were appreciated. While other entertainers stayed in the relative safety of “the rear with the gear,” Chris Noel took it upon herself to visit the forward operating bases. And not just once – many times. She continued returning, even after the hydraulics failure had caused that helicopter to go down.

She felt then, and still feels now, that aiding America’s active-service forces and Veterans was her calling. She answered it then, and she’s answered it ever since.

GIs serving in Vietnam during those war years listened to AFVN Radio, the American Forces Vietnam Network (the radio station

Kimberly Damon wrote this story. AHERO is grateful to Mike Bates and Ms. Damon for helping us to publish this story of the talented Chris Noel's lifelong dedication to our American troops and Veterans.

portrayed in Robin Williams' 1987 movie "Good Morning, Vietnam"). Each weeknight, the troops, her eager fans, were greeted with, “Hi, Love,” cooed in her seductive voice as she opened the broadcast of the show, “A Date with Chris.” She would play the top hits of the day, read some of the thousands of servicemen’s letters she received, and affectionately dedicate the songs they requested.

The impact “A Date with Chris” had on troop morale was immense, and the Pentagon noticed. In 1966, Chris was asked to visit the troops in Vietnam during the Christmas and New Year’s holidays. She volunteered for the first of what became several visits to Southeast

Asia until1969, delighting our grateful troops with songs, dancing, friendly chats, and autographed pictures.

But what she mostly brought them was love. Always making it her priority to visit hospitals, she spent many hours comforting the sick and wounded with her compassionate smile, a tender hug, and words of encouragement. She loved the troops, and the troops loved her.

Even so, Chris Noel found herself shunned and ridiculed for her support of the servicemen in Vietnam. Blackballed in Hollywood, she returned to her hometown of West Palm Beach, Florida, where she suffered from anxiety, nightmares, depression, and

unexplained panic-attacks. She endured personal tragedies and losses, including the suicide of her first husband, an Army captain she had met in Vietnam. Chris herself was ultimately diagnosed with PTSD.

But Chris Noel is not a quitter. She focused her energy and dedicated her life to helping Veterans of the U.S. military. In 1993, she founded Vetsville Cease Fire House, a group of shelters in Florida providing emergency residential lodging, food, clothing, and employment opportunities to disabled, homeless, and hungry Veterans.

Beloved by the troops ... Chris in turn clearly adored THEM!

IN SERVICE TO OUR COUNTRY

The Boynton Beach residence is the last Vetsville still in service. At one time comprising eight facilities, however, the organization’s 32 years of overall operation has provided more than 100,000 nights of sanctuary to homeless Veterans!

In 2011, Chris Noel was interviewed at length on videotape for the Veterans History Project of the Library of Congress American Folklife Center, created by the United States Congress in 2000 to collect and preserve

firsthand remembrances of U.S wartime Veterans.

At 83, Chris Noel is still active with the remaining facility, the Vetsville Cease Fire House. She continues to champion Veterans with mental and physical disabilities, including those suffering the permanent effects of PTSD and Agent Orange. When able, she attends Veterans events and troop reunions around the country.

In 2015, Harry Simons and Mike Bates produced “AFVN: The GI’s Companion,” a ten-hour radio documentary about the American Forces Vietnam Network. Truly evocative as a piece of history, the production was built around recordings Simons had made of his AFVN radio shows while serving in the Marine Corps in Saigon and Danang from 1967 to 1969.

Chris’ broadcasts, though, went on until 1971. Recently, broadcaster Randy Nichols

A breath of beautiful fresh air from home!

heard the 2015 documentary and was moved by the interview with her. He had an idea and contacted the documentary’s producers, fellow broadcasters Simons and Bates.

All three realized that Chris had received many awards and commendations for her relentless support of America’s Veterans, but there was one she hadn’t received (and still has not). So they created a website to tell her story and get signatures on a petition to go to the president of the United States.

Because, they reasoned, if the president were to be informed of Chris Noel’s heroism during the Vietnam War and her ongoing help to Veterans over the years since then, and if he saw just how many people love her and want her to receive the highest civilian honor possible for her work, he would honor her with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Thanks to these three gentlemen, now you can be part of this effort to award Chris Noel

the much-deserved Presidential Medal of Freedom. Please go the website noted below and add your name on the petition there. Let’s see what we can do to fully honor this amazing lady!

Note: The modern interviews heard in the referenced documentary were recorded by Simons and WEBY Program Director Mike Bates; the task of assembling the elements fell to Bates.

A rousing US Troop WELCOME to Chris!

IN SERVICE TO OUR COUNTRY

Visiting the sick and wounded, bringing her radiant smiles as she does here, visiting this young warrior.

While other entertainers stayed in the relative safety of "the rear with the gear," Chris Noel took it upon herself to visit the forward operating bases.

Genuine concern shows on Chris' face as here, she encourages a wounded soldier by her care and interest.

By AHERO volunteer Erin Petersen

When Veterans and First Responders unfamiliar with AHERO pull up to a Warrior Hook-Up event venue, I’m sure they’re apprehensive. They are coming from different places into a new setting with new people from various branches of service – but all with one goal in mind: To find something that might help them heal.

They had come to the right place this past April when they parked at the beach house provided by co-owners Jimmy Adams, Justin Moody, and Robert Moore. It would be home base to them as honored attendees of AHERO’s 5th Annual Orange Beach Warrior Hookup celebration.

Throughout the four-day weekend, each would have a chance to recharge, connect, and relax. And as always, thanks to its supporters, AHERO would be blessed to be able to bring great resources for them to benefit from and enjoy.

AHERO takes its “Four Pillar” approach in support of those who have experienced extraordinary stress, injury and trauma while protecting us all. The Pillars comprise beneficial emotional, physical, financial, and spiritual services made available to interested attendees and provided by knowledgeable speakers and practitioners.

During every Orange Beach Warrior Hookup experience, morning devotions set the tone for each day. This year’s participants were invited to take part in massages and TENS* therapy. They could talk individually with a seasoned entrepreneur who offered valuable perspective and advice. And several volunteers with extensive VA experience were available to give them rating information and some wisdom about navigating the VA in general.

FISHING THE GULF’S DEEP BLUE WATERS

Owners of three amazing boats, the Breathe Easy, Southern Charm, and Devotion, donated their operating expenses for that Friday so that these worthy warriors could spend the day deep-sea fishing. As a result, all who fished scored a very respectable cumulative poundage of fish!

That night, a feast was prepared from the catch with options like grilled and/or baked fish and bouillabaisse. For those who preferred land fare, there was venison meatloaf – and who can forget those side-dish options? We had a farro and vegetable salad as well as fresh fruit.

During the event, participants were able to enjoy a round of golf on a nearby course, and many took advantage of a gym that donated passes to our group.

THE PRINCIPLE OF PAY IT FORWARD … A MEGA-MULTIPLIER OF THE GOODWILL AFFECT

As always, attending this Warrior Hookup afforded each Veteran or First Responder time throughout the weekend to walk side-by-side with new friends who may have faced similar difficulties or challenges. Because there is something healing about new friends sharing their thoughts and experiences over a meal or during a gathering on the porch in the evening.

This is AHERO’s “screen porch therapy” at its best. It allows our heroes time for camaraderie and to develop a sense of community with the group. Heavy stuff tends to get worked through, but not because these

ALL IN 4AHERO

Smiling for the shot are (l-r) Lee Stuckey, Justin Moody, Robert Moore, Jimmy Adams & Dave Glassman. Moody, Moore & Adams donated use of their co-owned fabulous beach house (directly behind, in background) to AHERO for 2024's OB Warrior Hook-Up.

Various areas of the vacation house were great for getting-to-know-you conversations as folks arrived.

warriors are pressured about it. It’s because they recognize that they are not alone. There is genuine unity in this bonding.

This leads to the heart of what drives every AHERO event. Once participants have become part of this community and have seen how it can assist them through difficult times, they are asked to share its mission of raising awareness of suicide claiming the lives of thousands who have served this country. Helping our volunteers to raise the funds needed for this is key. And always asking at least two who listened to your AHERO story to share what they’ve heard is critical.

This is what is meant by being tasked to “pay it forward.” As a new volunteer, I saw how AHERO’s mission is worth it. The face of each Veteran and First Responder at the event will remain in my mind. I know who they are and how they have sacrificed.

It was a weekend I will never forget!

* Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, or TENS, is a therapeutic modality employing electric current to relieve pain by activating peripheral nerves (see National Institutes of Health)

Jim Bibbi, Owner's Representative of The Wharf at Orange Beach, greets a gathering of OB AHERO Warrior Hook-Up 2024 attendees outside the fabulous "Heron Pointe at the Wharf" events venue.

Lunch on a day of fun and sun, the menu's always great at the AHERO Tent!

ALL IN 4AHERO

Heroes and crew are all eager to head out to deep water on the beautiful fishing vessel, “Devotion.

Gathered on the lovely "Southern Charm" (which sailed all the way from Texas to carry the troops), AHERO Veterans, First Responders, and crew take one for AHERO's growing Warrior Hook-Up photo album!

Friday morning, aboard the generous McDonald Family's gorgeous "Breathe Easy" (donated for so many Warrior Hook-Up fishing events through the years), all are ready to rocket out to deeper seas for great fishing!

Right away – a hit ... Whoa! Looks like a big one, too. Start reeling that baby in!

This'll do very nicely for supper, don'tcha think?

Aboard the Southern Charm, Dave Riley gets a little sunglasses assist from a helpful Connor McCloud.

Interesting fish ... hmmm?

Tamar snags a beauty. Nice work, Mrs. Stuckey!

Army 1LT Alan Howle, Vietnam ‘71/‘72, catches a Marine-sized trigger on the Breathe Easy.

More chow! Dave's Mamma knows that sly, "I'm gonna pig out and empty ALL these bowls!" grin very well!

ALL IN 4AHERO

Music by AHERO Records artist, singer/songwriter Kevin Adair, on the porch at evening. Delightful!

Sharing your funny military stories with new friends is part of so many joyful AHERO moments.

Talking over the day's events and what's in store for tomorrow!

ALL IN 4AHERO

Kappa Sigma’s “Mercedes-Benz” Golfing4AHERO Classic

By Jeremy Clarke

I am a 60-year-old, pretty conservative fellow who believes passionately in the U.S. Constitution, and who wholeheartedly also believes that our freedom was fought for and won, and protected, by dead (or aged, like me!) Veterans.

Lately, I do fear we’ve lost some old-fashioned values. Such as: politeness, respect, humility, hard work, service to others, and doing good, both individually and as a community.

Old folks like me bemoan “today’s youth.” Historically it is our rightful mantra. Currently mine is about their (our young folks’) addiction to selfie-taking, social-media-fueled self-aggrandizement and adulation, annoying scooters and one-wheelie things, faces immersed in phones 24/7… and yadda yadda.

But there is good news.

In the last few years, I’ve seen it in the likes of Mr. Aaron Goldstein, Mr. Hunter Labbie, Mr. Mason Mallory, Mr. Victor Lopez-Segura, and in a bunch of other young folks from the Kappa Sigma fraternity who have taken upon themselves to single out AHERO as primary on the list of non-profits they support.

This year I see it in Mr. Jacob Seaman and his crew of willing brothers working to put on the 2024 – Seventh Annual! – Kappa Sigma Golfing4AHERO event on November 16th at Perdido Bay Golf Club.

So, as a reminder to interested participants, the time to register is right now.

When I say “support,” I mean knocking the ball so far out of the park, the Lord himself could not find it, not even with a telescope (no disrespect intended). And doing it every year for goingon the last seven years. They organize, publicize, host, run, jump, and cheer as a whole host of participants hits the course to Golf4AHERO!

As a result, their incredibly well-attended annual event held at the Perdido Bay Golf Club year in, year out raises the kind of money that makes a REAL difference to our Vets.

Quite honestly, I have no idea how these guys do what they do. All I know is that, as a group, these KS brothers function like … well, like a well-maintained Mercedes Benz AMG GT Roadster.

EXAMPLE:

This past year, they raised $21,637. In about eight hours.

Or, in AHERO terms: These young men of KS enabled us to bring more than 20 severely wounded and or disabled Veterans from all over the country to the new MajGen James E. Livingston AHERO Warrior Lodge for some needed R&R. Which generally includes early-morning bonding out in the blind, swapping stories over hot chow later, and soaking in some extended healing around an AHERO campfire.

All of it adding to our ability to help them heal as they form those strong new bonds and rediscover any lost purpose in themselves.

Last year, I went over to the well-manned AHERO/Kappa Sigma tent to ask the guys a question: Why? Why do you guys do this, when you could be out chasing girls or waxing your surfboards and skis, or racing cars?

THE ANSWER

Not surprisingly, they said that most – if not all – of them have parents, grandparents, or close relatives who are either former or activeduty military. And a number of them related stories of loved ones who’d returned from the service a different, distant human.

Amidst the loud music they’re playing, behind the young smiling faces they show, can lurk some family hurt and some family pride. Also some steel.

These young folks are not playing at this. They’re taking it immensely seriously, and they are massively impressive young humans. Balanced, polite, smart, resourceful, organized. And deeply serious about whatever they’re doing.

I kind of feel guilty that I don’t know the full extent of the work they do.

Operation Positive Vibes and Sixteen Creative is teaming up with Country Musician Jared Ashley and NASCAR legend Richard Petty, to restore a red 1983 Chevrolet Scottsdale pickup truck once owned by U.S. Navy Sailor Jeffery “Ozzy” Otzwirk, who sadly took his own life in 1999. Ashley, who served with Ozzy, is joining forces with Operation Positive Vibes, Sixteen Creative and Richard Petty, hoping that restoring the truck will not only highlight the mental health struggles of active-duty military and veterans but also bring comfort and closure to families who have unfortunately experienced the same thing.

I don't understand why more people aren't talking about this! Military and veteran suicide has claimed more lives than we've lost in most major conflicts combined, this statement alone is staggering. It's a true honor to be able to restore this young man's pickup with the hope of using it as a tool to educate the public about this epidemic.

POSITIVE ENERGY RESOURCES

AS THE WORLD’S FIRST, VETERAN OWNED, MULTI-FOCUSED

WE ARE PRIVILEGED TO WORK WITH AN ICONIC LINEUP OF ATHLETES, VETERANS AND MILITARY ORGANIZATIONS TO BR TO LIFE THROUGH STRATEGIC MARKETING CAMPAIGNS AND B MERCHANDISE. WE TURN IDEAS INTO REVENUE TO HELP CRE LEGACY THAT LASTS A LIFETIME AND BEYOND.

-NASCAR HALL OF FAME INDUCTEE RICHARD PETTY

Turkey-Hunt Fans Pursue Another Kind of “Fan” at House in The Woods

By Angie Gade, Development & Social Media Coordinator at HITW

Nestled amidst the tranquil forests of Maine lies a place that can’t be described by words. Those who initially visit House in the Woods (HITW) in Lee, Maine, might call their experience “heavenly.” But to know what they really mean, you’d have to go there yourself.

HITW Founders Paul and Dee House lost their son, Army Sgt. Joel A. House, in Taji, Iraq, in 2007. It was here in the woods, they will tell you, that Joel had loved to walk, fish, and hunt.

“Joel is in heaven with the Lord,” they say about why they opened HITW to Veterans. ”Now it’s our mission to give back to all the men and women who have served – to show them how much we appreciate all they have done to protect our freedom.”

Opening "Turkey Hunt" Day – A perfect morning for a Maine hunt!

TOGETHER WE HEAL

That is the meaningful phrase at the heart of the highly successful retreats provided by this remarkable founding couple. The Veterans who attend these free events find camaraderie and healing as they enjoy the beautiful woodlands of Maine.

Since 2010, the House family, along with generous sponsors, donors, and army of volunteers, has continued this mission of support where their guest Veterans find a community eager to listen and understand. Burdens are lifted; spirits are rejuvenated. For those who have shouldered the weight of duty and sacrifice, the experience transcends the ordinary.

Six Veterans arrived for this spring’s event, hailing from Michigan, Ohio, Rhode Island, Oklahoma, or Indiana. Many of HITW’s volunteer guides are also Veterans who enjoy hunting. Soon enough, all were sharing stories about back home, or of serving, or about their hopes for the future. Often, attendees and guides will stay connected as friends long after the hunt.

DAY ONE OF HITW’S SPRING TURKEY RETREAT FOR VETERANS

This day started out with temps in the 40’s. A momentous sunrise breathed life into roosting turkeys who made their presence known by gobbling and clucking from surrounding trees. As you sleepily await the start of the hunt, that sound lets you know: You are in the RIGHT spot!

Welcome to House in the Woods lodge!

With new-to-turnkey-hunting Veterans & guests in learining mode, HITW's experienced guides describe how it's done – from start to finish.

Turkeys are shy so locating them is tricky. Every turkey hunt requires a careful plan of action. Here, guide and hunters huddle, carefully mapping this one out.

One attendee this season was Joe Ballard from Indiana. His guide, Warren Perry, of New Hampshire, is also a Veteran. High winds made for a slow morning, so the two waited until after lunch to drive to a beautiful green field with low, rolling hills – perfect turkey land! Tucking into a good tree line, they waited for turkeys to head into the field and bask in the late-afternoon sun.

Just cresting a hill, Joe shouted, pointing: “Over there! It’s a fan!” Both hunters dropped and pressed, hiding, against a mound of dirt. Thanks to Warren’s experience and skill with a fan and a decoy, three tom turkeys had been lured to within shooting range. And exactly as a smart turkey hunter would, Joe waited until one tom’s head rose high. A quick crack! and the well-aimed shot yielded success … though it also sent the two other birds looking for the sky.

ALL IN 4AHERO

We get together for a House in the Woods send off with a big "Thank You!" to guest Veterans for their service to our nation.

Sweet success! (l-r) Joe and his guide, Warren, both Veterans, show off the makin's of their next turkey dinners!

Apparently, Army Veteran Ballard wasn’t about to miss this opportunity to bag his limit of two turkeys. Pointing his shotgun, he dropped the second bird before its feet left the ground … leaving lucky Mister Three to enjoy these woods and hills for another day.

All in all, opening day was a long one that Joe is likely to remember. The sound of him yelling, “this is awesome!” many times over, the laughter of fellow hunters hearing him, the

huge smiles on their faces – these all tell the story. Then again, there’s also the triumphant pictures!

The turkeys are just icing on an otherwise wonderful cake, as we well know at HITW. Still, Joe underscored it that day as he was walking off the field to the truck. “I didn’t know what to expect, but this was incredible. Just to have a day out in the woods with friends would have been a great time, whether we harvested turkeys or not. What an awesome experience!”

House in the Woods is here to show the power of compassion and solidarity, to offer a lifeline to those who have sacrificed in service of our nation. If you’d like to learn more about us and how TOGETHER WE HEAL defines our mission, visit www.Houseinthewoods.org … where you also can apply to experience your own HITW retreat!

Headed back after a doubly-GREAT hunt!

ALL IN 4AHERO

Not Your Average Joe

By Jeremy Clarke

It might be because, strictly speaking, Joe Gilchrist didn’t serve his country that he served his community so faithfully.

There’s a real reason this came to me upon hearing the news that Joe had passed on to his well-deserved reward. A staunch supporter of our American military from a young age, Gilchrist had been a huge supporter of AHERO for more than decade.

“Over the years, Joe must have written checks totaling over a hundred grand,” Dave Glassman, vice president of AHERO, told me. “I would go to him, seeking his counsel on some aspect of the next event we’d be running – maybe where we could get the best deal on supplies – and he’d take the time to wisely dispense advice and make recommendations.

Then he’d say, 'OK, Dave, just how much do you think you’re gonna need?' I’d think of all the gear and food we’d have to get and throw out an amount. Joe would nod and write a check there and then.” Glassman paused, then added, “For double the amount.’”

But there were much more, according to this retired career Marine. “I understood that

he believed in me and the causes I’m involved with,” he went on, “because he saw my passion and the integrity of AHERO’s mission. So he backed us unwaveringly. His passing was a huge loss to our community in so many ways, and to me personally because his concern and friendship was so sincere. In those earlier years, there was so many initiatives that, without Joe’s silent backing, simply wouldn’t have gotten off the ground.”

HIS LEGEND LIVES

It’s an overused cliché, but in terms of Joe Gilchrist, it’s true. He was, and remains, that legend.

A good man who showered people he encountered with kindness and respect, he asked only for the same in return. In 1978, he took over the famous Flora-Bama establishment on the Florida-Alabama State line, and through many difficult years, he made it into a magnet and home where countless singer-songwriters have come to stay … often to recuperate and then to entertain others and flourish.

"Joe was always there for us as we worked to grow AHERO's ability to serve more Veterans," Dave Glassman remembers. This was taken as he and Joe shook on the presentation to AHERO of yet another generous Joe Gilchrist donation.

The very much missed Joe Gilchrist (photo reprint from Music Row online magazine)

AHERO Needs You!

When hurricanes came in and smashed the place to pieces, Gilchrist picked himself up, dusted himself off, and rebuilt, often with partners but always making it better and bigger. The real- estate market crash hit him hard, but he adapted, pivoted, and continued to expand.

There are only 365 days in the year, yet Flora-Bama somehow hosted 3,200 acts a year! Because Joe Gilchrist’s MO was always to nurture.

His Flora-Bama has consistently supported St Jude’s as well as the Leukemia Society and numerous other youth and military nonprofits, such as AHERO.

THE STORIES ARE LEGION

Over the years, any number of unknown, now-renowned singers and songwriters showed up at the Flora-Bama with just a suitcase and some songs to their name. Gilchrist would put them up, build them up, and set them up to go on their way. It would not be unusual for him to have ten or twelve people, musicians, staying at his house, jamming in his living room into the wee hours. Because Joe loved music. But more than that, he loved the impact music had on others. To calm and to heal. This moved him to create the Frank Brown International Songwriters Festival to celebrate and elevate talented musicians and writers to the national stage.

It was typical of Joe that he would name the festival in honor of someone else. Frank Brown was Flora-Bama’s long-celebrated night watchman. “Mr. Frank,” as he was called, was beloved for his supportiveness and kindness, as mirrored in his nightly presence there to bid the evening’s performers good night.

This year’s event, running at various venues across the Alabama/Florida Gulf Coast from November 7th through the 17th, “the 40th Annual Frank Brown Songwriter’s festival, will host both seasoned and aspiring songwriters from all over the world,” according to the website noted below this article.

ANOTHER TRUE STORY

Back in 2021, just a few short weeks before the 20th anniversary of the worst attack on our American soil, Dave Glassman noticed something. That day was about to pass silently, without those who are now “its fallen” not publicly honored.

Glassman wasn’t about to let that happen. Together with event promoter and stager Pez Marrier, he hatched a plan that would enable those in the community who wished to do so to gather and pay suitable tribute in remembrance.

Needing support for the event, he approached Gilchrist with a rough outline. Joe loved the idea and wrote a check. The idea instantly went from dream to reality: Freedom Quest was born.

A GIANT WHO WALKED SOFTLY BUT CARRIED A BIG HEART

Gilchrist’s legacy is that of a smart man who did well by doing good. Shrewd (for sure!), he dreamed big, built big, and made it big. Did it by never forgetting or disrespecting those who struggled or those he passed on his own way up. Did it quietly, even humbly. And quite often anonymously.

There is a stunning statue at Pensacola Veterans Memorial Park: The War Dog Memorial. It’s a powerful sculpture of a noble animal, a military service canine, immortalized by the hugely talented New Mexico artist, Susan Norris. And funded in no small part by Gilchrist. Wherever he is now, I’m sure Joe is loving it!

But there is something there he’d probably not like too much, which is the inscription on the modern stone bench behind the statue as you face the Park’s pond. It says “Joe Gilchrist” in words writ large. And Joe wasn’t big on collecting accolades.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m sure he would want folks to enjoy and honor that meaningful sculpture. But I bet that would be all the thanks Joe would really want.

Rest in peace, gentle giant. You will be missed. You will not be forgotten.

The original Flora Bama on the Gulf Coast AlabamaFlorida border became known as the place where new and well-known musicians entertained and you could find yourself enjoying their music along with toe-tapping truckdrivers, millionaires, and bikers.

Joe and Jeremy share commentary on the FloraBama's stage performers' support of Music4AHERO.

INFORMATIONAL RESOURCES

(used in “Listening as a Preventive Safety Net,” by Dr. Ben Suitt on pg. 29)

“The National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report,” by the Office of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention, US Dept of Veterans Affairs (2019)

“‘Listen Closer’: Home-delivered Meal Volunteers’ Understanding of Their Role in Suicide Intervention,” by J.B. Westcott, M.C. Fullen, C.C. Tomlin, K. Eikenberg, P.M. Delaughter, M.C.B. Mize, and L.R. Shannonhouse, in the journal Ageing and Society (2024).

“What Is in It for Them? Understanding the Impact of a ‘Support, Appreciate, Listen Team’ (SALT)-based Suicide Prevention Peer Education Program on Peer Educators,” by B. Zachariah, E.E. De Wvit, J.D. Bahirat, J.F G. Bunders-Aelen, and B.F. Regeer, in the journal School Mental Health (2018)

“Communication-based Suicide Prevention after the First Attempt. A systematic review,” by C. Katsivarda, K. Assimakopoulos, and E. Jelastopulu, in the journal Psychiatriki (2019)

“Characteristics of Impulsive Suicide Attempts and Attempters,” by T.R. Simon, A.C. Swann, K.E. Powell, L.B. Potter, M. Kresnow, and P. W. O’Carroll, in the journal Suicide and LifeThreatening Behavior (2002)

“What Is in It for Them? Understanding the Impact of a ‘Support, Appreciate, Listen Team’ (SALT)-based Suicide Prevention Peer Education Program on Peer Educators,” by B. Zachariah, E.E. De Wit, J.D. Bahirat, J.F G. Bunders-Aelen, and B.F. Regeer, in the journal School Mental Health (2018)

“Reducing a Suicidal Person’s Access to Lethal Means of Suicide,” by C.W. Barber and M.J. Miller, in American Journal of Preventive Medicine (2014)

“Preventing Suicide-by-Jumping … : A Systematic Review of Interventions,” by B. Chamberlain and S. Woodnutt, in the journal Mental Health Practice (2024)

“Impact of Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training on the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline,” by M.S. Gould, W. Cross, A.R. Pisani, J.L. Munfakh and M. Kleinman (2013), in the journal Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior (2013)

Note: Many of these articles are online; some require readers to request access.