Hold the presses!

After that East Coast run a lot was learned about camping in my camper and how to make things work. I love the camper don't get me wrong, just due to it's compact size I learned that having some storage for supplies and other things would be a nice addition.

So in light of the new enlightened ways of extended periods on the road, I have been in discussions with other seasoned truck campers and the answer appears to be in a small cargo trailer. This will give us room to pack up the needed supplies along with the added flyers and other information about VetDogs and other Veteran issues I am constantly speaking about.

My biggest problem of course is the fact that I am on a fixed income so making a leap of faith to get this trailer is a tad nerve racking. I was speaking to friends and they mentioned going up to www.gofundme.com and starting a gofundme page to help defer the cost.

I did that today. Deep down I feel like I am begging and I should not be doing this because it is not a job just a personal mission to help others however everyone I speak to has encouraged me to give it a try. So please do not feel obligated in any way but if you feel moved to donate a few bucks toward a trailer I am working to raise up to 3k. With taxes and registration that will get it covered.

The link to the go fund me page is

https://www.gofundme.com/kphyfe

Thank you all and I am sorry I am even putting it out there to be honest.

Kent

God Bless

East Coast Traveler a little over 4,000 miles driven by the end!

Mike & I had our first long range adventure!

We took off just in time to miss out on the first major snow fall of the year 2016! We left in a cold rain but that was nothing compared to what would follow the next day. As we followed all our friends (and of course prodded them about their misfortune) and the heavy wet snow fall we ventured into a much warmer clear sunny skyline. Annapolis, MD accepted us with open arms allowing Mike & I to come in and tell all about how America's VetDogs changes lives. We opened some doors to potential sponsorships for the upcoming 5/10k road race which was our goal.

I know the opening picture of the eagles from Conowingo Dam may not match up with our timeline but I did not have an opportunity to shoot any pictures while working with the Chair for the upcoming race. Please do take a moment to go and check out the race and help our friends like Lisa soar to new heights with their personal fundraising (or any of the other runners if you know them). You will of course notice the first picture Lisa uses is a picture of Mike sitting in her car between my legs. She says that she's holding more hostage in hopes of getting donations for the run. So please hurry and make your donation so we can free Mikes pictures for the world to see!

I made a personal stop next down in the Richmond area to visit another Veteran who is awaiting a Service/Guide Dog. While at that stop Mike had the opportunity to hang and play with one of the future puppies in the Puppy programs. You can check out those pictures here. 

Our next stop on the whirlwind tour was a quick run down to the beach in South Caroline where Mike & I watched the Super Bowl with a dear friend who has transplanted down there. We hung out for a bit but do to my mission and desire to be on the road we moved on mid day Monday.I made a quick stop in GA at Hunter Army Airfield to see the huge changes there. (I went through the Ranger Indoctrination Program there before before going to Ranger School. Wow, what memories.  After a short stop we jumped back into the truck and moved on down the road to Florida. Our first night in Florida was spend in a rest stop instead of trying to find a campground. We love being in a Truck Camper where the side of the road is just as good if not better then any campground out there.

For the most part of our time in Florida we centered out of Ft Lauderdale and jumped around to places like the Everglades for a few days. We went as far as Ft Meyers and checked out some Manatees warming themselves in the heat of the local power plant at Manatee State Park. The Everglades were warm and refreshing our campsite was well off the beaten path (Mitchell's Landing) one of our National Park Service sites where they do take good care of us Disabled Vet's. For those that have yet to grab your NPS Access Pass do it, you get half price for camping and free access into all parks.

I wish I had a chance to shoot more pictures while I was out in the glades but other things came up and I will leave it at that. in the meantime I have posted a few more interesting pictures here.  Feel free to check them out there are some good bird shots and some great gator shots. Mike had no interest at all in any of them all he was doing the whole time was keeping his eyes on me. 

After three nights in the glades we went back to Ft Lauderdale to meet up with the Classic Car Cruise peeps. What can I say about a great group of people, these guys and gals of all ages get together every year and take a cruise to a sunny destination.  While they cruise not only do they have a digital car show but they have a fund raiser and for the past 3 years they have supported America's VetDogs as their Charity of Choice! The first year they took up the banner for AVD Iris and I cruised with them and they raised enough money to name a puppy. Last year we were unable to go along but they actually raised enough to name two puppies that are currently in the Florida Penitentiary

This year the main purpose of our trip was to go see this amazing group off and let them know how much America's VetDogs and us Veterans that receive these dogs appreciate what they are doing. It is one thing to go to an auction or a fundraiser but to live a fundraiser for a week or this years trip is 9 days in the Caribbean. For the first time ever they had their first event onshore so that Mike & I could be there and speak to them. At that event the Corporate CEO and CFO of Cruise Planners, came down to present a check to Vetdogs and also partake in the first of the auction evenings. They raised over 3k that night alone so I am looking forward to hearing all about the amazing trip and how they will change lives with their donations.

Once the commitments were done we scooted over to downtown Ft Lauderdale and took a water taxi around the intercostal. What a great way to see the sights.  We saw ships that cost more then my dreams and houses that I would be afraid to walk through let alone live in. Give me a minute with their owners and I could explain how VetDogs changes lives though and maybe even get some donations to help other veterans out.

Once we finished up with the water taxi we headed north hoping to get to the northern tip of FL. There is a great little State Park there that has some wonderful history. Fort Clinch State Park was a great stop after a night in another rest area, yes I am getting older and just not up to doing those 600+ mile drives in one day.  A day on the water taxi took a bunch of steam out of me too.  I do have some pictures posted here also from the real camera. 

Our Next stop was a planned visit at the Inlays right outside of Ft Bragg in Fayetteville, NC we spent a couple days there then ventured north to the Aberdeen MD area where we ran into a family that raises puppies for the Foundation and also took our chances trying to sight and capture some of those amazing Bald Eagles. With an early trip out to Conowingo Dam we were able to snap some pictures albeit not great action or quality due to the weather. The shear number of eagles present made the stop worthwhile in my book.

And to finish off the longest journey in the camper we have the longest Blog entry. I hope I have given a slice of the adventure to you and please remember to check out the VetDogs pages either Lisa's race page where you can sponsor her or my travel page where you can make a donation directly to Vetdogs. Now for the shameless plug to insure other Veterans have the same opportunities I have had Here is the info on the fundraising page for VetDogs Attention: I have a Personal Fundraising Page for VetDogs Now! Please follow this link and make a donation to help another veteran like me get a service dog.

God Bless and have a wonderful day!

OK Here we are in 2016 hard to believe that I have not written in the blog since November of 2015 but alas we are talking about me. No excuses just been busy and well life happens.  As you can tell from the Pictures posted at the top of the blog My Son Daniel married the love of his life in November. What a time was had by all. The wedding was beautiful and Mike and I even got dressed up for the glorious event. Yes we are very proud of both of them and wish them the best as they move on as a pair.  They are amazing together.

The holidays were a tad stressful for Mike and I and had us slowing down a bit compared to our normal full speed ahead attitude that we try to keep up.  I honestly do not recall what we did in the month of December other then ending up over Christmas in the hospital with a small medical problem. After a few days of hanging out spreading holiday cheer they finally decided they had enough of us and released us back to terrorize the rest of the community. 

Mike did wonderful in the Hospital setting and actually was a great test model for the ADA seminar we were asked to help out with in Jan at the same hospital.  We had a great turnout to this event and it was a great way to give back to the community and share with them how great they were when Mike and I were hanging out with them.

So now that we are starting to feel back to that 100% mark that we enjoy we are looking forward to getting busy and hopefully warmer. We have been invited to do some events in Florida and along the way in getting down and back. To say that Mike and I are looking forward to getting away from the snow would be putting it mildly. After being stuck in the snow last year with the camper stuck behind a snow bank till mid April we do not want that to happen again. 

Just recently the State of New York honored all Service Dogs by naming the service dog the official dog of New York. Mike and Myself were there at the state capital for the opening day of the legislature to accept a proclamation on behalf of all service dog teams.  This was such an honor, Time Warner Cable was there along with the History Channel to document this day's event. Not only did Time warner do a very nice news story for their News Channel 1 station in the Albany area they employees banded together and raised $6,000 dollars to donate to America's Vetdogs to name a Service Dog after one of the past leaders at Time Warner. Support from organizations like this is great and always great to help get the word out about how Service Dogs help Veterans. One of the Highlights of the day for me was to meet another veteran who had been trying to get a dog but her disability had caused here to give up the process and lose hope. When she left she had a renewed hope and was moving forward to get her application going.

It is always an honor to be able to help others and I am forever grateful that I have been allowed to get out there in the public and share how much both my service dogs have changed my life. It is not my story that counts but the story of how others are able to move forward and start to get their life on track that keeps me going. Now that my computer is back online and the snow is pushing me south hopefully I will meet new people on my adventures. God bless all.  The camper is on the truck so it will not get stuck behind any snowbanks this year hopefully. This is yesterday before the snow this morning we have about 8" out there and I am not looking forward to cleaning it off but hey that is all part of living in this part of the world right??

Growing

'

Sorry to report that my computer has officially crashed with no life support able to bring it back to life. Because of that my blog has taken a hit for updates. Mike and I have been very busy with both personal and veteran issues. As I look for ways to get the word out about helping our nations veterans I can not help but be grateful for all of you that continue to help in so many ways.

This month Mike & I have traveled all over New England and New York. Many American Legion activities along with VetDogs speaking has kept me sane while on a personal note we prepare for my sons upcoming wedding. It is so hard to believe that my baby boy who I held in the palm of my hand what seems like yesterday is now an adult and getting married on Saturday. So many feelings rush through my mind as I write here but most importantly satisfaction knowing that he is a bright young man taking on a new role in life. Who knows I may be a grandfather in a couple years, God knows both Dan And Laura will make wonderful parents.

On the veteran front things have been ultra busy. Here in Northeastern CT we have a new coffee house setup to help veterans come to grips with being a civilian along with bonding together to help each other. Mike and I were even able to present to the group about life with a service dog and some of the other projects I have been blessed to help with.  I need to take a moment to mention the CT American Legion has been so helpful in getting the word out and financially supporting VetDogs. I've even had a chance to speak to state and national level legionaries over the past month.

America's VetDogs has published their monthly news letter and in that they have put together a video that was shot when I received Mike. Personally I don't ever think I can do this organization credit but to be able to part of spreading the word that veterans have a place to go for help is humbling. Check it out: http://iz4.me/tr1ZgB1

Well since this iPad doesn't allow me to edit and write as well as I would like I'm going to call it a wrap for this version. Remember that if anyone wants to get active please reach out to me and I will do my darnedest to help you find your niche. There is nothing more satisfying then helping another person without expecting anything in return. God bless.   

Roots

The though of being able to understand the concept of going back to our roots is something that we rarely get a chance to experience. This is especially true when our lives are lived in warp drive rarely slowing down enough to check the weather.  Well once Mike and I came back from the National Convention we slowed down a little (some people might disagree but I use my own speedometer) and also had the opportunity to be invited to a couple events that gave me thought.

First off I had to help my daughter move her stuff into her own place 2 states away, talk about making someone think about going back to the roots. Well maybe not all the way back but at least back to her roots when she came into this world as a premature baby and we all wondered how that little bundle would turn out. Well now she is out changing lives on a daily basis working with others to help mend and create healthy bodies. To see her live a dream and become such a strong young lady makes her "Daddy" proud. I think I may finally understand how my parents may have felt when I started to take on my own role in life. (ROOTS)

So the real thoughts of Roots came this week when I was asked to go and partake in the Prison Pups Benevolent Association'a fund raiser to help the program that works with the MA Prison system K-9 programs. This program works with America's VetDogs and NEADS who both train service Dogs in many of the MA prisons. The group consist of many of the CO's and other Staff along with community members that see the changes these puppies bring to the entire system. Of course when I was called and asked to come up I could not say yes fast enough. 

When I arrived on Friday morning the reaction mike received was great to watch. Remember that Mike was raised in Framingham MCI so many of these great people that are giving up their Friday and money to support this event also put in many hours watching Mike grow up. Mike remembered them all and wanted to say hello to them all also. The boy that is usually so good at staying by my side and ignoring others was back in puppy mode for a time but he got it out of his system and let me know he was back on the job. To be able to hear all the stories about how Mike was in his time at MCI was wonderful and satisfying for sure. I always knew he was special but now I know that he was a special one from day one or should I say week 8 ;)

The stories during the day between the CO's and other staff members solidified my understanding of how much this gift of a service dog program makes in the community. I say it like that because the reach of these dogs is boundless when you think about it. There are lives that will be either touched or untouched because of these dogs. The obvious is the Prisoner who changes because their heart has been touched we all see that but how about the CO who is assigned to walk the wall and sneaks a treat into his or her pocket in hopes of a quick pet and a smile during the rounds. Do we think about the reactions that happen later in the day when he/she goes home and instead of getting drunk decides to volunteer as a big brother or a couch or maybe they get bumped and instead of going off because of the high stress job they are able to react differently. Little things like this we don't think about but they happen all the time.


There is more though. When you look at the dogs in the prisons the entire system changes in subtle ways to make it possible to have them and it affects every person inside the walls. When you talk to the staff their eyes light up and there is no way that you can tell me that same enthusiasm I see doesn't effect the interactions between prisoners and staff and prisoners and prisoners. If only one person is changed a little then we have a butterfly affect taking place where down the road a crime that could have taken place my not because of a change of heart. That means one or more less victims see what I mean by effecting people that will never know. The entire program changes lives in ways that can not be evaluated. 

We have not even gotten to the weekend puppy raisers yet. Lets take a moment to speak about these people who travel sometimes a couple hours in both directions to sit through training and socialization classes for these little puppies after a long week of their own working lives. Just so they can help the program. After meeting many of these raisers I can tell you that not one of them would be the type of people I personally would expect to hang around a prison system let alone get involved with a program where they are interacting with them weekly. Not only do they interact though they shout this stuff from the mountaintops, they own this program like you wouldn't believe. Every one of these raisers I spoke to has a passion about what they do and why they do it that just oozes out and covers the community creating a buzz. I found myself saying things like hey if you guys ever need anything like pictures and stuff just call because well they are so involved you can't help but want to help them help others.

I guess what I am saying is when you get involved with a grass roots program and look at the changes it makes take a moment to look for the changes you can't see. You will want to help even more. 

August was a busy month!

The Pictures of Mike & I are Provided by
the Veteran Portrait Project 

The “Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day. You shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense.” 
― Ralph Waldo Emerson

It is hard to believe that I actually let the entire month of August go by without making any entries here, for that I am sorry. For those that follow this rambling of mine I guess it doesn't surprise you at all. The month of August is normally one of the busiest months of the year for me and this year was no slouch that is for sure. If you read the last entry you saw the list of events I had mentioned and I will tell you that each and every one of those went off along with some unplanned surprises also.

The month was full of emotions as well as events which for me makes things extra special. When I focused my life toward the goal of helping others and taking the time to get to know people at a different level then I have ever been able to do my life really changed. It is not an easy road to travel but it is a very satisfying one once you get past the fear and unknowns that get thrown your way. The blessings I have seen (I am sure they have always been there) have had me in tears often this month.

Some of the highlights of the month for me were being able to travel over to Long Island and meet with Brian & his bride Angie while they received his new guide/service dog. The unexpected retirement of Othello was such a loss and looked to be irreplaceable (just like Iris felt to me) yet once again America's VetDogs and the Guide Dog Foundation was able to train and pair an amazing puppy that took to Brian as if he had been waiting for him forever. To see that joy of a family being brought back together after such a tragedy of retiring Othello was tear jerking.

At the same time on the Island I was able to take part in the 1st ever 5k run/walk fundraiser at the Old Bethpage Museum. Being able to meet local to the foundation people was a unique experience and something I am very grateful for. The event was a huge success and many new friends were made. One of the highlights was being able to spend time with another veteran that has a guide dog from the foundation. He was a Korean War Vet and has never been able to get into the VA system due to a number of reasons. Hopefully during our conversation we were able to clear some things up and he will be able to now start the process to get his benefits that he has coming to him.

One of the biggest problems out there is that many of our nations veterans do not realize or they have tried but have been given wrong information and never followed up with a Veteran Service Officer. Please if you know a Veteran who was discharged honorably who has any issues going on in his or her life I am not saying they are always going to get benefits but more often then not there will always be someone that will help them figure out how to proceed to best handle any situation. No person should have to handle life alone and Veterans signed a blank check at one time the least that can be done for them is have someone that can help guide them when they need answers. If you know someone Drop me an email I will make sure that they get the right point of contact to proceed.

Ok, the big trip of the month was down to Baltimore for the 97th National Convention for the American Legion. This years convention was great as are all of them because there is nothing better then hanging out with people that care so much about their country that they not only served but continue to serve by guiding our nations youth and leaders through community service. Yes I am passionate about the Legions mission and love hanging out and helping where I can.  I am honored to be around so many that do so much more then I could ever imagine.

Our booth for VetDogs was an interesting place to hang out this year.  Joe Dan Worley is a medically retired Navy Corpsman who was working the booth with me. Between the two of us we had people laughing and crying along with all sorts of other emotions. I thank God for the opportunity to hand out the applications we were able to and also so grateful for all those Post and Auxiliaries that have committed to making VetDogs their mission this year. Over the past few years of my time with the legion I have watch the awareness grow and the hearts of people being touched without a doubt a humbling experience. I wish that I could tell all the stories that came up over the time spent this past week but maybe some other time. In the mean time I will say that for any group or person that is looking for something to stand behind and step up to the plate with VetDogs is a great opportunity.

Thank you all for allowing me to rant again if you only knew how often during the writing today I had to wipe away the tears of joy because this past month has been just that great. On a personal note our lives are changing here at our home, our youngest has moved out on her own and our son will be married in less then 2 months. My brides medical issues have kicked up a notch and she is putting in for disability do to it. We are going to be looking at new living arraignments sooner then later and many other things will be changing. Please keep us in your prayers, everything will work out no doubt but as in everything else in life it needs to be lived.

God Bless.



If you have a moment please go check out the Veteran Portrait Project by Stacy Pearsall She does amazing work.

Now for the shameless plug to insure other Veterans have the same opportunities I have had Here is the info on the fundraising page for VetDogs Attention: I have a Personal Fundraising Page for VetDogs Now! Please follow this link and make a donation to help another veteran like me get a service dog.

 

“I wanted a perfect ending. Now I've learned, the hard way, that some poems don't rhyme, and some stories don't have a clear beginning, middle, and end. Life is about not knowing, having to change, taking the moment and making the best of it, without knowing what's going to happen next.

Delicious Ambiguity.” 

― Gilda Radner 

Floating on Air

We start out today with a picture from one of the weekend puppy raisers who had spent time with Mike. I thank them for helping to mold Mike into the amazing wonderful service dog he is today. Getting the pictures this week put tears of joy into my eyes so I figured I would share this one with you all.

For those that have been following these entries for a while this may sound a tad redundant but I have been a little busy over the past couple weeks. Let's see we had the State Department Convention for the American Legion where we accomplished a full slate of activities and elected our next years Department Command. Congratulations to Paul and all the other new officers and many prayers to a great year to come. Next up on the Legion for Post 111 is our Annual Concert on the Green which is happening 13 August, 2015 on the Green in Woodstock. The planning for this is in full swing and should be a great time for all.  Please come out and enjoy some music food and fun and help support Northeastern CT's Quiet Corner. Our Post is also of course doing the annual Woodstock Fair again this year and is looking for volunteers to man the food booth which is one of our largest fund raisers of the year. If you would like to help out in anyway we sure would love the support.

On the 9th of August, Post 91 in Moosup CT is having their annual VJ Day Parade and Mike and I will be there on the bandstand documenting it for the States Historical Records and we are looking forward to this year especially because the parade will have a number of honorees from WWII in the Parade from around the State. Please take your time and come out and help honor these Veterans who helped shape this nation in one of the only VJ parades left in this country.

Mike & I have also traveled to the Balloon Festival in RI where we had a blast with a great group of other people from the North East Truck Camper Jamboree.  That was a party inside the big event that made the not so good weather for balloons much more fun.

As always Mike is fitting into his role as the "Kent monitor & magnet to get people talking". During the Balloon Festival I was able to give out an awful lot of information and talk about how America's VetDogs is helping change veterans lives. We got to meet celebrities that were performing at the festival and just had a great time hanging out with fellow truck camping enthusiast. For those that have never tried this style camping it may be hard to understand why those of us that do it believe so strongly in it as the best way to travel and gather as a group. There is something about being so compact yet having all the features of the large RV's.

This past weekend I had the enjoyment of pulling the camera out and pushing myself to shoot an entire day of sports. Dan my son went to compete in the New Hampshire State Strongman/Strongwomen championship and I was asked if I could help document the event. It was a special honor for me since my son had just turned 24 and as he grows older I get less time with him. We got to spent 2 days together enjoying each others company which for me was such a gift. Having Mike with me to do this was such a pleasure also because his temperament was perfect for this event. This was the first time I actually was focused (I know bad pun) on picture taking and not Mike yet he stayed true to me and did not pull or attempt to guide me off course at all. Many questions were asked and as always Mike was a perfect example to the general public of what a service dog should be.

My blessing abound for sure. Up until yesterday I thought my month of August was actually going to be a tad slower then my normal pace but alas that has changed yet again. I will be heading off to the National Convention in Baltimore for the American Legion National at the end of the month. I have done this convention a few times and it is always a great time hanging out with fellow legionnaires. Tomorrow I continue the local tour with Mike when I go to Speak at the Pomfret Senior Center which asked if I would be willing to come up and share a while back. We look forward to these small gatherings as much as the large ones because I get to see how Mike touches hearts and touching hearts is what it is all about.

I can not thank everyone enough for allowing me to share and help others it is what keeps me going forward. Thank you all. Hope to see you all on the road soon.  God Bless!

 “Living well is an art that can be developed: a love of life and ability to take great pleasure from small offerings and assurance that the world owes you nothing and that every gift is exactly that, a gift. ” 
― Maya Angelou

Now for the shameless plug to insure other Veterans have the same opportunities I have had Here is the info on the fundraising page for VetDogs Attention: I have a Personal Fundraising Page for VetDogs Now! Please follow this link and make a donation to help another veteran like me get a service dog.

Brian Pearce & Dual service dogs serving our nations veterans!

As I mentioned in my last blog entry I was going to speak with Brian and see if he would let me showcase his story. I wanted to do this to let people see a different perspective on what these dogs do and why America's VetDogs does what they do. Over time I hope to showcase a few other stories here also but Brian and I over the past yr and a half have become very good friends, some would say brothers from different mothers. His exploits and efforts before and after his injuries spotlight the kind nature and caring that makes others better just being around him. He is the person that doesn't focus on his issues but is out looking to help others get past theirs. What I call a true leader and a hero.

Brian's first dog Othello, has been diagnosed with a liver disease and has been forced into a medical retirement leaving Brian at the moment with no guide/service dog. Unlike most people who would slow down and wait till he get another dog to help him along in life Brian is still moving along at full steam ahead. He has been seen at speaking events talking about America's VetDogs and how they are in the process of training a new dog and how they handled the entire retirement process. Which by the way is an amazing story in itself. He has been out helping other veterans through the service organizations he belongs to and calls me almost daily just to check in. There is no slowing him down.

With no further ado here is Brian's story;

Prior to joining the U.S. Army, I worked as a Deputy Sheriff in Ohio for over 8 years before joining the U.S. Army in 1992 and serving until March of 2000. After leaving the Army after completing my first tour of duty, I was hired as a Police inspector for Osmose count, Ohio, followed by time as a patrolman for the Pomery Police Department and then Chief of Police, Syracuse Police Department.

In January 2004 I returned to Active Duty in the United States Army.
In 2005 I was stationed at Fort Wainwright Alaska with 172nd Striker Combat Brigade when we deployed into Iraq from August 2005 to August 2006 where my and I were sent into the Sunni Triangle.

On October 20, 2006 a road side Improvised Explosive Device (IED) exploded and I suffered a severe penetrating head injury. Once the blast zone was secured I was air evacuated to the field hospital in Ballad, Iraq. There I underwent an emergency craniotomy of the right occipital and posterior fossa with duraplasty retaining foreign body, and a ventriculostomy. The IED blast caused shrapnel to penetrate the right occipital lobe of the skull and although my eyes were not damaged, the brain injury itself damaged the visual pathways inside the brain cortex. This blast also caused severe TBI and cortical blindness. Later we learned it was the cause of complex visual impairments, PTSD, hearing loss, pulmonary embolism, seizure and REM sleep disorders.

I was moved to the Richmond VA Poly Trauma Medical Center in early 2007 where I spent over six years. Today I still reside in Richmond and continue TBI and Vision rehabilitation as an outpatient at the Polytrauma Center. During my rehabilitation I was fortunate enough to be supported by the Blinded Veterans Association (BVA) who assisted me in being treated at the Veterans Affairs (VA) Blind Center in West Haven, Connecticut for eight weeks in October 2007. There I received training for blindness with the VA providing me with adaptive technology computer devices and training. The VA Eastern Blind Rehabilitative Center was excellent helping me go through extensive and thorough training in living skills, manual skills, orientation and mobility training, and computer training. we decided to live in this area and not move back home to Ohio. I am still married to wonderful wife Angie, and have two teenage children. 

The VA has deemed me unemployable now since my injury and it has been a long road back to this point with many twists and turns.
I now spend the bulk of my time advocating for wounded war Veterans and volunteering for charitable Guide Dog Foundation and VA TBI organizations and Families of the Wounded. This includes my service as a Board Member Virginia Brain Injury Association.