“They cleared up all the smoke surrounding making the transition from military to civilian lifestyle with a serious injury,” he says. “They did it with benefits counseling and helping you understand the process. They also understand that it’s not just about the veterans themselves, it’s about the family unit and what an important aspect that is to recovery.”

Oliver North, a Vietnam vet and host of the Fox News television program, War Stories, believes that including families in the recovery process is vital. Says North, “I’m very pleased to see organizations working actively with the wounded and the families of those who have served in this war. We now have more veterans of this war than anybody expected to have. Given the stress that’s being put on the families as a consequence of repeated tours, those kinds of organizations are increasingly important.”

It often takes more than words to give wounded warriors a sense of what’s possible, so WWP sponsors a variety of sporting events— everything from hunting and fishing to rock climbing and adaptive skiing.

A physically active generation
“This generation is a really physically active generation and sports works so well with that,” Nitsche says. “When they find out that they can still be competitive, it changes their whole way of thinking. It opens up the avenues to school, educational benefits, and job opportunities.”

Fernandez agrees, “It helps your attitude to get out there with other guys and girls with similar or even more severe disabilities and you see them doing things and you say, I can do that too.”

How to help
Today, Fernandez works for the WWP as an outreach coordinator. He says, “We’re always looking for members of the community to help out with events or to raise funds because we’re not government funded.”

Most of the funding for WWP comes directly from individual donations, with corporate sponsors helping support some of their larger events. One way to get involved with WWP is to help raise funds to keep their programs going. Communities, church groups, and others can sponsor local fundraisers such as bowling tournaments or dinners to raise money for the program.

Another way to help is to get involved with their sporting events. Says Nitsche, “When we go hunting and fishing, it’s local people who put that on. We have a group that goes up to Kodiak Island in Alaska and the community of Kodiak Island are the ones who made it happen.”

There’s a lot being said these days about the war but no matter where you stand politically, Fernandez reminds us that, “It’s not about the war—it’s about the warrior.”

Says Nitsche, “I encourage people to really do something beyond just putting the magnet on the back of their car. Get active by raising funds or getting directly involved.”