UNIFORM RESULTS

Disabled Iraq, Afghanistan War veterans successful on bucket-list Alaska special permit moose hunt.

STORY BY TONY LEINGANG, VICE PRESIDENT, OUTDOORS FOR OUR HEROES • PHOTOS COURTESY OF OFOH/GOT YOUR 6 FISHING

September brought another amazing experience with a spectacular week of “bucketlist” moose hunting near Delta Junction, Alaska. Six very deserving disabled veterans were drawn for this limited special permit opportunity, spearheaded by partnering organizations Outdoors For Our Heroes, Purple Heart Hunting Program and Safari Club International’s Alaska and Northwest Chapters. Within the first three days of the week, everyone had successfully harvested their bull and the field work of processing the animals was completed in short time with help from a team of eager volunteer supporters.

A big goal of these annual events goes far beyond just the lasting moose hunting experience for the group. Telling stories around the campfire, enjoying great meals prepared by camp cook Whitney Ann Morrison while building camaraderie, and enjoying other activities such as fishing and waterfowl hunting tends to round out the week each year. Additionally, 2021’s hunt had a great

UNIFORM RESULTS

“first” for the program when one hunter, Jason Mouret, was able to take his bull with a bow. Better yet, he was able to share that experience with his son Kadyn. Other hunters also had the opportunity to bring an important friend and fellow veteran: Sam Shockley was supported by Barney McClanahan; Justin Menchaca shared the moose hunt with his father Dominic; and Shane Lawry brought his brother Dan to enjoy the experience.

From all accounts, many new longterm friendships were forged. This is a big goal for everyone involved in supporting these efforts. These heroes sacrificed so much for our country. It’s an important part of our collective organizational mission to provide opportunities like these to say, “Thank you for your service” in a meaningful and memorable way.

The six individuals selected this year all have incredible stories and it is an honor to be able to support them with hunts like these. SERGEANT FIRST CLASS Justin Menchaca entered the US Army in 2006 at age 17. He graduated from the Special Forces Qualification Course as a Special Forces Engineer Sergeant in 2008; he was the honor grad of his class and one of the youngest to successfully complete the SF Qualification Course. He was assigned to 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne), based out of Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Justin served on Operational Detachment Alpha (ODA) 3232 for three years, with deployments

Not only did these disabled Army veterans enjoy spectacular moose hunting success in Alaska’s interior, but it was a great chance for them to bond with one another and for the organizations that put on the hunt to thank them for their service.

to Pakistan, then Afghanistan. He was critically injured on July 23, 2011, by a gunshot wound during combat operations. His recovery and rehabilitation took years, but today he is doing very well.

Justin remained on active duty, moving into a training support position within the 3rd SF Group, and continued his own rehabilitation efforts until medically retiring in March 2019 with numerous awards and decorations.

SERGEANT FIRST CLASS Douglas Shreve joined the Army in 1996 and

Sergeant First Class Justin Menchaca (left and left above) and his father Dominic Menchaca.

served at Fort Drum and Fort Hood before deploying for his first tour in Saudi Arabia. After completing this tour, he returned to Fort Sill. It was on his next deployment to Iraq in 2003 and 2004 when he had to fill in for someone to go out and pick up enemy ammo. During this mission, Douglas had a feeling something wasn’t right and decided to take point. On the way out, an anti-tank landmine hit right behind his seat, causing him multiple injuries. After his recovery from that incident, he returned overseas for yet another tour to Afghanistan in 2006. In 2007, he returned stateside to support training efforts at several locations for eight years and got off active duty at the 12-year mark until retirement.

SERGEANT JASON MOURET joined the US Army in 1999, originally as a mechanic. He eventually converted to a 12B Combat Engineer. He deployed to Iraq in 2004 and was attached to an explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) team where he was able to use his newfound skills and passion to disarm IEDs. He was injured twice during this time and was eventually medically retired in 2012 due to injuries sustained in 2005 from operations in and around

Sergeant Jason Mouret.

Baghdad, Iraq. Today Jason owns his own business doing engraving and woodwork.

SERGEANT JEREMY VOSS entered the US Army infantry in 2005, and received training at Fort Benning, Georgia, for One Station Unit Training (OSUT), Airborne School, and the Ranger Indoctrination Program (RIP). He was deployed to Iraq in 2006 as dismount infantry with the 2-12 Cavalry. In the 10 months that Jeremy served there as an Army Team Leader, his vehicle was directly hit with 17 IEDs, seven of which caused unconsciousness. The final IED attack occurred on July 27, 2007, causing severe injury to both his head and left hand. He spent a year at the hospital rehabilitating from reconstructive surgery on the left hand and the traumatic brain injury (TBI). Since being separated from the military, Jeremy has completed two MBAs and worked for a nonprofit organization in rural Nebraska and outside Des Moines. He now works to establish blood drives throughout the state of Iowa for a regional blood center. He has 4-year-old twins and lives outside Des Moines, Iowa.

SERGEANT SHANE LAWRY joined the Army Infantry in 2007, in Madison, Wisconsin. At Fort Campbell, Kentucky, he became a member of the 4th Brigade 2506 Infantry Regiment, Easy Company. During

Staff Sergeant Samuel Shockley (above and right)

a tour to Afghanistan, Shane was on the Pakistan border, working to prevent the Taliban from coming in and out, when an IED blew. He was flown to Bagram, where he spent three weeks in a TBI clinic. He wanted to stay in service, but was injured in May 2011, and eventually medboarded to Fort Hood, Texas, for an eventual 2014 retirement. Today he is a senior vice commander for Disabled American Veterans (DAV) and doing great things for veterans

in Duluth, Minnesota, and is a junior vice commander for Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 2962 in Carlton, Minnesota. He is active on three all-veteran hockey teams in the Minnesota/Wisconsin area, doing his part to support folks who appreciate our veteran community.

STAFF SERGEANT SAMUEL Shockley, who was born in Hanford, California, and raised in Ohio, joined the military at age 17, including training during his junior year of high school. He completed Advanced Individual Training (AIT) in his senior year. In July 2007, Sam went active duty in the Army and was assigned to Fort Lewis’ 38th Engineering Company, 4-2 Stryker Brigade Combat Team (SBCT). Sam was deployed in October 2007 to Iraq and served there from 2007 to 2008. He had two other deployments to Iraq in 2009 to 2010, and his third was Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. He achieved dismounted route clearance in 2013. In a March 17, 2013, mission in Panjawi, he stepped on an estimated 30- to 35-pound IED. After medivac, he was sent to Walter Reed in Bethesda, Maryland; from 2013 to 2015, Sam went through more than 30 surgeries, resulting in double above-knee amputation, multiple skin grafts and missing fingers.

Sam moved back to Tacoma, Washington, in 2016, and then moved further south to Eatonville. Upon his recovery, he decided to go back to school to pursue a degree in business. By 2018, he applied and was accepted to Ohio State University for a four-year bachelor’s degree in operation management at the Fisher School of Business. After completing his bachelor’s degree in May 2020, he applied for a master’s degree at Washington State University and was accepted. He is currently working toward an MBA while working full time at Corrpac Packaging and Fulfillment as the buyer planner.

Moose weren’t the only quarry for these retired sergeants. Mouret and son Kadyn (left) enjoyed a successful goose hunt, while Shreve downed a sandhill crane and Lawry got out on the water for some rainbow trout fishing.

Voss (center) shares a moment with some of the volunteers who helped make the hunt happen, including (left to right) Larry Martin, Wayne van Zwoll, Richard Barth and Cody Scriver. THIS MOOSE HUNT in Alaska’s DM795 unit comes with very specific requirements from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. This includes both a 100-percent Veterans Administration disability rating and Purple Heart veteran status, which is verified by ADFG. Four partner organizations began planning in fall 2020 to get hunt applicants entered in the drawing for a total of all six available locking tags and special permits. This is what it takes to pull off another year of what again became an amazing experience. The Purple Heart Hunting Program hosts the event, with logistics, travel support and funding provided by Safari Club International Alaska and Northwest Chapters, and Washington State-based Outdoors for Our Heroes/Got Your 6 Fishing.

Special thanks for making this all happen go out to our volunteer leadership team on the ground and behind the scenes: Richard Barth and his team, including lead volunteer guide Larry Martin and camp cook Whitney Ann Morrison from PHHP; Louis Cusack, SCI Alaska Chapter; Cody Scriver, SCI Northwest Chapter; writer Wayne van Zwoll; in addition to Nick Leingang and Conrad Nygren, who served as volunteer pro-staff support for the hunt on the ground from OFOH/GY6 Fishing. 

Editor’s note: For more about how to apply for a hunt like this, visit OFOH’s application page at outdoorsforourheroes .org/application.html or SCI Alaska Chapter at aksafariclub.org/sci-alaskachapter-warriors.

Posing with the Menchacas (left center and center) are helpers Nick Leingang, Barth and Conrad Nygren.