Lynn Davis served as a Marine during the Vietnam War. He now lives in Pryor, Oklahoma and has limited mobility and is bound to a wheelchair. Mr. Davis was referred to us by Senator James Lankford’s office. Mr. Davis was a stroke victim, and was facing problems of not being able to leave or enter his house due to a lack of wheelchair ramps.  Soldier’s Wish invited this brave man to our annual Steak and Cigar Dinner to recognize him and to also present him with the gift of ramps for his new home. We helped raise money to pay contractors to build three ramps in his house. We thank Mr. Davis for his service to our country.  ...

In 2008, Romy Camargo and his squad mates in the 7th Special Forces Group were ambushed in Afghanistan. Chief Warrant Officer 3 Camargo was hit in the neck by a bullet, leaving him completely paralyzed. His extensive injuries required multiple surgeries, and even after Romy began his recovery, doctors did not expect him to be able to breathe on his own. Never one to give up, CWO Camargo attacked his rehab with the warrior spirit he demonstrated on the battlefield. Today, in addition to being off the ventilator and moving on with his life, he and his wife have started an organization working with other paralyzed and injured veterans to overcome the injuries they have suffered. Soldier’s Wish found out that CWO Camargo had borrowed a track chair and used it for a few days and really enjoyed it. But because of his paralysis, he was not able to operate the controls. Instead, he had his young son sit in his lap and steer.  We provided Romy with a specially modified track chair that will allow him to steer by moving his head. This will allow him to once again go to the beach with his family and take back control of an important part of his life. The many friends of Soldier’s Wish made it possible for us to honor this Hero in this special way.  ...

Officer Hank Guilfoyle served in the USMC from 2002-2006. In 2010, he joined the Skiatook Police Department and graduated from the CLEET Basic Academy in March 2011. Hank Guilfoyle was nominated for a wish by a beneficiary of his kindness. Late on night, Office Guilfoyle happened upon the scene where a vehicle was disabled due to a blown tire. his heart for helping others was discovered that night. Hank continues to serve as he is starting a program to take disabled veterans on turkey hunts to give them back joy that has been taken from them due to various circumstances. Soldier's Wish honored Hero Hank Guilfoyle for National "Thank a Police Officer Day," as well as his service for our country in the U.S. Marines.  ...

Like many young boys whose father serves in the military, Spencer looked up to his dad a great deal.  He wanted to be just like him. When his dad, Asbury F. Hawn, deployed to Afghanistan, Spencer waited every day for his father to return.  But Spencer’s dad didn’t come home. One awful day his mother had to sit down with her son and explain to him that his Daddy had given his life in the service of his country and was never coming home. As time passed, Spencer became more withdrawn and coping with his father’s loss was more difficult. Because Spencer had dreamed of visiting Legoland with his father, his mom contacted Soldier’s Wish and requested our help.  Soldier’s Wish is proud to help the family of one of our fallen heroes by taking Spencer and his brother, Jonathan, on a trip to get them out of their normal environment and help with the healing process.  ...

Staff Sergeant Ty M. Carter received the Congressional Medal of Honor from President Barack Obama on August 26, 2013 in a ceremony at the White House. Staff Sgt. Carter is being honored for his actions during an assault by more than 400 enemy soldiers on Combat Outpost Keating in Nuristan Province, Afghanistan. Staff Sgt. Ty M. Carter, along with his fellow Soldiers, defended the small combat outpost against rocket-propelled grenades and heavy weapons fire coming from the surrounding hills.  Of the 54 members who defended the position, eight Soldiers were killed and more than 25 were injured. Major Stoney Portis contacted Soldier’s Wish and asked if we could make a wish come true for some very special soldiers.  Cody Floyd, who was wounded in the COP Keating battle and awarded the Purple Heart, along with Kyce Holmes, bravely fought alongside Carter  in Afghanistan. It was the wish of all three of these heroes to be reunited at the presentation of America’s highest award, however, they did not have the funds to do so.  Soldier’s Wish is proud to grant the wish of these three great American Heroes.  ...

The Battalion | THEBATT.com | By Matthew Jacobs     Veterans Resource Center teams up with Soldier’s Wish, Subway Aggies once again rose up to take care of one of their own two weeks ago in helping to cover the costs of housing damage for a veteran student and his family.   Texas A&M junior Kevin Jensen, a Purple Heart recipient who was injured while serving in the Army in Afghanistan, experienced thousands of dollars in damage last year to the home he shares with his wife and three children. The Texas A&M University Veteran Resource and Support Center worked with the veteran foundation Soldier’s Wish and local Subway restaurants to give a gift of $5,000 to Jensen and his family toward repairing their home. In April of 2016, Jensen’s home was hit with Houston’s “Tax Day flood,” during which the rainfall in the Cypress area broke October 1994, October 1998 and April 2009 flood levels according to Space City Weather. During the flood, Jensen’s family experienced extensive water damage to the roof of their 3,700 square-foot home, and his wife and three children were relocated to temporary housing. “After the house was destroyed, the insurance denied our claim,” Jensen said. “At this point we have started rebuilding our home … I have been personally commuting three hours a day to continue my schooling at TAMU due to being relocated so far from the campus.” Col. Jerry Smith of the Texas A&M University Veterans Resource and Support Center said the needs of Jensen and his family fell outside the resource center’s ability to help with campus resources, but just a few hours after Jensen described his situation, a Soldier’s Wish Foundation volunteer called. “Jensen … was in my office a couple of weeks ago. It got to a point where they just weren’t going to have enough financial resources to keep doing this on their own,” Smith said. “It wasn’t but a few hours later and this gentleman named Mark Ochsenbein called and said Soldier’s Wish is partnered with Subway and they are looking to help some wishes come true.” According to their website, the goal of the Soldier’s Wish Foundation is to identify unmet needs of veterans and provides resources to meet those needs so veterans can live a normal and productive lives. “We meet the needs of our service members — whatever service they’re in. They can be veterans or on active duty,” Ochsenbein said. “Soldier’s Wish and Subway teamed up to raise funds for our veterans and our military personnel. Because I know the education system, I knew that there is typically a Veteran Affairs office [on college campuses] … and I contacted Col. Jerry Smith’s office.” Jensen said the donation will have a huge impact on his family’s efforts to rebuild. “The money that we were given by Soldier’s Wish and Subway … is a tremendous help as we try and get back into our home. There is so much that needs to be done and this money will help us get closer in the end,” Jensen said.  ...

Master Sergeant (MSG) George Vera was briefly in the 101st Airborne, then  went through Special Forces training. Over the next decade, more than 10 deployments around the globe saw him on the front lines of the battle for freedom. During his fifth deployment to Afghanistan, MSG Vera was attached to the Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force-Afghanistan. In the first week of August 2015, a group of insurgents attempted to overrun the camp where he was assigned. At the end of the hour and a half long gun battle, MSG Vera was shot four times suffering a spinal injury that left him paralyzed from the waist down. After extensive and repeated surgeries, MSG Vera continues his rehabilitation. Thanks to patriotic supporters, Soldier’s Wish was able to partner with Rocket Mobility to give MSG Vera an all-terrain tracked wheelchair at the Tree Town Festival in Forest City, Iowa, in May of 2016.  The all-terrain tracked wheelchair will allow MSG Vera to continue the  outdoor activities he loves so much. We cannot replace what he lost, but together we can give him something to look forward to as he continues his rehabilitation program  ...

Eddie Beesley was not even 20 years old when a landmine explosion in Vietnam claimed the use of both his legs. Since that time, Eddie has become an advocate for other injured soldiers, sharing much of his time and his musical talent with his fellow veterans. Writing and recording music helped keep Eddie going after his injury, but he felt his reach could be farther, to help even more wounded heroes. We stepped in and joined forces with The Oak Ridge Boys to help Eddie reach those fellow heroes he previously could not. Eddie wanted to help other wounded heroes overcome the pain of the past through the power of music. Now he can.  ...

2LT Edward Baldwin was critically injured in an accident that claimed the use of his arm and a leg, as well as the life of the girl he has raised since birth. Confined to a wheelchair, Ed’s life became increasingly bleak, as his family’s home was not wheelchair-accessible. Facing an inevitable and expensive move, the Baldwins started to lose faith after already losing so much. Soldier’s Wish, with the help of countless volunteers, stepped in to restore hope to the Baldwins' lives by renovating their home to accommodate Ed’s wheelchair. We have helped a family that was once shattered to put the pieces back together again. The steps to their house that once posed an obstacle are an obstacle no more  ...

Almost thirty years of service in the Army have taken a heavy toll on MSG Christian McIntosh. Chris has endured many combat injuries during his time in Special Operations and is now in the process of medical retirement.  In addition to the toll that service takes on military families, the McIntoshs were dealt another blow when Chris's wife, Susanna, suffered a serious work injury. The accident broke both of her legs, and faced her with the possibility of amputation. Even worse, the accident cut their already struggling income by two-thirds. As if this was not enough for any family to endure, their family was shattered in June of 2015 when Chris and Susanna's eighteen-year-old son was shot and killed. The mounting bills and expenses, the reduced income, and their great loss left the family hanging on for dear life. At the Soldier’s Wish annual Night of Honor, Chris and Susanna were presented with a Wish for $7,500.00 to make much needed repairs to their Jeep, as well as to install a chairlift that allows Susanna access to the second floor of their home without the assistance of someone else. By giving back to this courageous family in this small way, all of the friends and supporters of Soldier's Wish are expressing their gratitude and appreciation for Chris's service, and for the many sacrifices he and his family have made over the years.  ...

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