Joining Forces to Support Veterans

By Jennifer Skarbek for Hometown magazine

In a Veterans Day recognition speech given by President Barack Obama on Nov. 10, 2010, in Seoul, South Korea, the commander-in-chief addressed his audience with a reminder of the gratitude and respect due to and deserved by the men and women who had served in the United States Armed Forces and those who were still enlisted.

He said directly to veterans, “So I want all of you to know when you come home, your country is going to be there for you. That is the commitment I make to you as Commander-in-Chief. That is the sacred trust between the United States of America and all who defend its ideals.”

With these words, President Obama was making a promise and, in doing so, issuing a call of action to the people of his country. This call asks each citizen to express honor to the men and women who have selflessly dedicated themselves to protecting the “Land of the Free.” It is a call for everyone to do what he or she can to show appreciation for the individuals who served or who are serving.

This action can be realized with caring words of praise, with simple acts of kindness, or with grand gestures of admiration. For the group Freedom Hunters, the call to action has been answered through its military outreach program.

According to Anthony Pace, founder and CEO of Freedom Hunters, based in the mission of the group is “to salute the noble work of our courageous men and women of our Armed Forces. Freedom Hunters reflects the

MOTHER’S DAY IS MAY 14

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Day Giveaway’ 129 Aspen Rd., Punxsutawney, PA 15767

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1. To purchase necessary. Must be 18 to enter. Clip and complete coupon and mail to: Mother’s Day Giveaway, Punxsutawney Hometown magazine, 129 Aspen Rd, Punxsutawney, PA 15767 outdoor community’s appreciation to our troops by taking select active duty and combat veterans, families of fallen heroes, children of the deployed, as well as those wounded or injured, on outdoor adventures.”

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Pace founded Freedom Hunters in 2005. He and his associates wanted to send veterans on outings as a way of thanking them for their service.

“We took Sean Nies (an active-duty sailor) to Texas for a deer, hog, and turkey hunt in 2006,” Pace reported about the group’s initial adventure. “Sean had just returned from a long 18-month deployment to Iraq.”

Pace said that this gesture was intended to show simple gratitude; however, he did not realize the full therapeutic value of getting the warriors outdoors. He added, “It wasn’t long before I started hearing stories from adventure recipients and their families about the healing properties and how being in nature saved their life and changed their perspective.”

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