Military Mission In Action

by: len “3 Wheel” montgomery

hen i arrived at big daddy’s roadhouse in

Fuquay Varina, NC for “Follow the Flag” poker run and swap meet, I was pleasantly surprised at the number of riders already in line to register. And they JUST…KEPT…COMING!!!

The ride was sponsored by Military Missions in Action (MMIA) to benefit veterans with disabilities, members of the Armed Forces, and their families. I was not familiar with this organization beforehand, but apparently, I was the only one. Because the parking lot was filled with many veteran clubs. Some of which I was familiar with, most of which I was not. The registration was well organized. And after registering, everyone just shuffled on down the line purchasing raffle tickets and 50/50 tickets. I purchased a couple tickets for a beautiful pump shotgun. I explained that it was mine, but unfortunately someone was not listening and took it home. ‘sigh’

While the poker run was out on a ride that stretched across four counties, many folks stayed behind to prepare food, set up vendor booths and get the band (Shak-E Ground) set up. The vendors included everything from jewelry, to cigars, to clothing. Shak-E Ground played several sets of that good ole Classic Rock. And when you got hungry, your donation got you a choice of either a kielbasa or a pork chop sandwich with all the fixin’s.

When he returned from the ride, I got a few minutes to talk with the Founder and Executive Director of MMIA, Mike Dorman, and his wife Jillian Dorman. Before founding MMIA in 2008, Mike served twenty years in the Coast Guard. Jillian has been a first responder with the rescue squad/fire department. So, this is a couple who has served their country and community for quite some time. And continue to do so.

When asked why he founded Military Missions In Action (MMIA)), Mike said, “It was what God called me to do. Seeing these vets coming home, and you know, they get them all pumped up and ready to go and tackle the world. Then they get home and can’t get in their bathroom. And then we see our older veterans, like our Vietnam vets and all, WWII vets, preWWII vets, and their age is becoming a disability. And the VA doesn’t recognize age as a disability. So, it was like, ‘Hey, we need to do something to take care of our own.’ So, we need to make it so they can live out their lives at home.”

“Say, like my grandfather. So, he flew B-24s in WWII. He was shot down, He spent 14 months in Stalag 17-B. He came home and he weighed seventy-six pounds. In his 80s his house

got to where he could no longer live in it, and he had to move back into assisted living. And every time I would go see him, he would tell me, ‘I feel like I’m back in that POW camp because I can’t go home.’ So, I said I need to do something so people don’t leave this world feeling this way.”

Started out just doing ramps and bathrooms. But when someone asked if he had ever thought of shipping care packages overseas, Mike said nope, but it sounds like a good idea. And now MMIA ships 8,500 care packages overseas.

When the items donated missed the mark on quality that he wanted to send overseas to our troops, so he started stockpiling them. Then another opportunity presented itself, The Homeless Veterans Standouts, a group of providers that come together to support homeless vets. But when Covid hit, all of that went away. With the resources they now had designated to that program now again in surplus, Mike’s wife Jillian started a new program called, “Taking It to the Streets.” With this new initiative they began filling backpacks, putting a bedroll on it, and go right to the woods and hand it directly to the folks who need it. This helps them to be as comfortable as possible in the living conditions in which they find themselves.

In addition to everything else, they are donating items to previously homeless vets to help fill their new housing. Since most of these vets only had the few items they possessed on the streets, they need pretty much everything from mattresses to silverware. They are now helping to furnish 125 homes a year for previously homeless vets. In addition, they still holding to the roots and building about fifty wheelchair ramps a year. AND, with Operation Rescue Christmas, this past year they were able to help put a smile on the faces of 800 kids across North Carolina.

There is much more that MMIA is doing for veterans, and I encourage every reader to be a part of what they are doing. If you would like to learn more, go to https://www.militarymissionsinaction.org/ or check out there Facebook page.