Adopt-a-Soldier Platoon and The Cannata Report step up to assist a veteran in need.
We communicate with different veterans’ organizations and ask them about their current needs. One of those groups is Adopt-a-Soldier Platoon (AASP) in Fairlawn, New Jersey. The organization’s President Alan Krutchkoff and his wife Mary-Edna are incredible people who work around the clock to support active-duty military and veterans in need.
AASP assembles care packages for our armed forces serving around the world. You would be surprised to learn just how many far-flung places our military is serving in today. Visit the organization’s website, https://aasp.vet, and you will be amazed at what this group is able to do with an all-volunteer effort.
AASP’s claim to fame is that 95 cents of every dollar the group is given goes to acquiring and shipping items not been provided by our government to our active military and vets.
It was Alan Krutchkoff who encouraged us to support AASP’s Camp 4 Heroes in Fairmount, North Carolina. This is a camp built by a retired fire captain who suffers from PTSD. His dream was to build a camp that veterans suffering with PTSD can visit at no charge and relax, fish, ride horses, and enjoy being with fellow warriors.
Thanks to the generosity and leadership of U.S. Bank and some 20 dealers, we raised close to $100,000 and built one of the original five cabins, plus an outdoor kitchen with all the necessary appliances for barbecuing. The cabins and kitchen were built by an all-volunteer workforce. All of the money we raised was spent was on building materials, furniture, and appliances. The land was donated by a local farmer who also provides the horses for the vets to ride. There is even an artificially stocked lake with a 60-foot pier, built by AASP, for those in wheelchairs who would like to fish away from shore.
Krutchkoff recently informed us about a vet in need. A young man named Brian Fyffe joined the Army and opted for airborne service. He was assigned to the 82nd Airborne and got tangled up in a jump with another paratrooper in the wind. He landed on a Humvee and broke his back. He later lost one leg, followed by his other.
His wife Marianne applied to Wounded Warrior Project for assistance. They turned her down because the injury was not experienced in combat. We also learned that Veterans Affairs (VA) had not been of much help either.
Brian and his wife Marianne live in McArthur, Ohio. It is rural area and not far from Columbus. Brian, who now suffers from PTSD, is 100% disabled as a result of injuries sustained as a member of the U.S. Army, and it seems incomprehensible that the VA cannot seem to do much. A well-known veteran’s organization also says sorry, but you did not lose both of your legs in combat, so we can’t help you. It’s not right.
After being turned down by Wounded Warrior, Marianne learned of AASP. Their home needed extensive renovation to accommodate Brian and his wheelchair. AASP worked to make their home ADA compliant. The group also built a shed, fixed a bathroom, and widened doors in the house so Brian could get his wheelchair through. Another organization built him a roll-in closet.
Marianne reached out because she believed it would make Brian happy to have a permanent flagpole and flag in their yard. According to Marianne, the one they currently have is makeshift, and she does not know how long it will hold up. According to Krutchkoff, the AASP has contacted other vet organizations such as Tunnel To Towers that had donated flag poles and flags for smart homes. Unfortunately, that project has long been closed.
Krutchkoff asked if we could help. When we asked how much money was needed, he gave us an estimate of $2,500. The AASP also suggested employing the National Flagpole Company, located in Cincinnati, the closest to McArthur, to provide all that was needed.
To ensure that the National Flag Company would be the correct company to work with, Krutchkoff contacted the company and explained what we were looking for. We have no idea what he said about us, but the company has been incredibly accommodating and very generous. National Flag Company stated it would provide the pole, flag, and the installation at a cost of less than $900. In addition, the company would add an 82nd Airborne flag to boot.
Thanks to AASP, we helped get the job done very quickly. The AASP is an amazing organization because when the team cannot do it themselves, they find someone or another veterans’ group that will.
Someone might ask what’s so important about providing a flag and flagpole for a veteran. My only response would be that Brian’s wife believed it would make him happy. And that is all the incentive we need to help.
To cover the costs of this donation, one of the members of our industry community generously stepped in, though the benefactor has chosen to remain anonymous. We remain grateful to have partnered with this community member and the AASP to provide some joy to Brian and his wife.
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