| October 2007 | First time I saw John in many years and hunted on his beautiful land. I went into the woods, October 25, with John's dog Grizzly and this land was unbelievably beautiful. This was the first time in my life I had the opportunity to hunt Ruffed Grouse, and I shot one near the beaver pond. After I shot him, he folded into the pond and was honored to watch Grizzly retrieve the bird. I bow hunted from "The Ranger Stand" and spent most of the weekend hunting from the "Foggy Bottom" food plot. Saturday night, October 27, 2007, I experienced a lifetime sight! I had been waiting for some time and it was about 17:15 when I happened to look over at the food plot and saw the largest Deer I have ever seen in my life. He had a thick body and plenty of horn; he traveled from left to right than stopped. The massive buck then executed a right face and walked right towards me, without any notice, they stopped briefly at the food plot and then continued to come towards me. The buck had a very thick rack but not a wide one and appeared to be an older deer. He was walking hard like he owned the place; came by the stand at 20 yards then back into the woods behind me about 40 yards. I was shaking and put my arrow up for my bow and it was hard to keep still. I then watched the deer scrap hard against the ground with his rack. He then moved towards a tree, not far from me, I could barely believe he was this close! I was able to sense all these feelings, I could hear him and see him so close up. This was an incredible and unforgettable experience and I am forever grateful to John for his friendship and allowing me to share this experience. Thank you my friend and keep your nose in the wind, your eyes across the sky line! Colonel Art Kandarian, |
October 19, 2008 |
Today we end our four days and five nights at camp Hackett. John and Kellie were perfect hosts. The weather and the birds have been awesome. We flushed 61 grouse, taking 6 and we also flushed 47 woodcock, taking 12. 108 flushes in 4 days! It doesn't get any better! John's program of offering hunts to wounded warriors is an outstanding effort toward a much needed goal of treating our veterans with the honor and respect that they deserve! Thank you John and Kellie! SFC Leonard and Diana Breure |
| October 27, 2008 | This is my last evening here at camp Hackett. I arrived here on the 21st of October and have had an absolute blast this entire week. The beginning of the week was very productive with a consistent amount of deer to hunt. And now at the end of the week, things have slowed down, perhaps due to the return of the wolves which put a chill in me, this evening, with their howling. Earlier today we put some skirting on the bottom of the rig and have gotten done many little projects around the camp. I just want to thank Kellie and John for all this, I am much honored to be here and part of such an awesome cause. Keep up the good work. Your friend, |
| October 29, 2008 | This evening I was hunting in Foggy Bottom, as I was sitting there I saw a rooster pheasant about 60 yards away from me drinking from a puddle of water. Shortly after that, I saw a large timber wolf, he was very dark and kept his nose low to the ground. He moved very fast and this was the first time I have ever seen this type of a dominant creature in the wild. This was one of the many wonderful experiences here at camp Hackett. Thanks John, |
| October 2008 | Had a great time up in the sticks with John and Tim, seen a ton of deer while I was here. I cannot even begin to tell anyone the calming affect of this visit. I was able to fish, hunt for birds, as well as deer. We all cooked together and as more people hunted, there were a variety of foods to eat. Whoever can come up here, will quickly realize how relaxing this experience can be. SFC Sean Bennett, |
| November 30, 2008 | No more deer season, today is the last day and we (John and I) didn't go out, mainly due to the fact that we hunted straight for 4 days/nights. We didn't see any deer but we did see a buck, while Kellie, myself and John were coming in for the evening, we saw the buck by the food plot about 25 yards from where we were. I'm pretty sure I saw antlers and this was a very special event for the McDaniel brothers to be together for a rifle season hunt (this is where it all began). I thoroughly enjoyed myself. John and I went out with the dogs (Grizzly and Diamond) to do some grouse hunting on the back 40. John recognized at how enthusiastic I was about his 20 gauge and so he let me use it and I was incredibly honored. What an amazing piece! On this fine outing John and I both rousted several grouse and with no excuses, we both missed a few - than five minutes later we jumped a couple more. I think I have discovered a new love! The greatest moment of our first of many grouse hunts was, not just the entire event but just as I was enjoying this moment, out of the snow pops out a rabbit and without any hesitation I took the shot. The first thing I heard, "did you get him?" I responded with a definite "yep". Diamond is only 8 months and this was her first time out, she was pretty clueless, so John told Grizzly to "fetch up" which he did. Needless to say we had rabbit for dinner! John made this trip special as he always does. He makes some pretty awesome dishes and topped himself with the rabbit stew! I am without a doubt very proud to be a part of John's events/excursion. I can tell that he is working hard to get things right. I hope to see him again soon, as well as do some more fishing and hunting. The wounded warriors of our country should be very grateful to have such a phenomenal man, my brother, to be able to look after them. This cause is mighty, this cause is noble and this cause is the way. (P.S thanks for everything John, hope to see you in this summer).
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| December 21, 2008 | Well, we finished our two and half days of fishing down in Sugarloaf Keys. What a great and wonderful time. I hooked up my first tarpon on this trip, even though I did not land him. Although, we loaded up on snapper and mackerel and we had some fresh fish for dinner that evening. John hooked a beautiful snook which I hadn't seen before, in person. I also caught some barracuda other varieties of fish. I was the first person, aside John, to throw a cast net off the boat to catch bait fish. One of the best experiences was to hook a 6-7 foot lemon shark that weighed about 115 lbs. I had to work at him for about an hour and 10 minutes, this experience was great! John is a great person with lot of knowledge. I learned a ton about flats fishing, which I always wanted to learn about, but never had the opportunity to do so until now. I am going to do everything I can to help John get more people involved and get more vets like myself, who gave so much to this great nation a chance to let go. A chance to get away from the world and something new and something they love. Thank you so much John for everything you done and for sharing all your knowledge. Thank you for giving me an opportunity to come down here and do something I always wanted to. P.S see you in November up at Camp Hackett.
Yours truly, |
| January 8-12, 2009 | These last few days have been really nice here in the Keys with John, catching a lot of different types of fish. It is great to get away from everything and having time to myself. The thing I liked most of all is having someone that I can talk to and being able to relate about the same issues. John and his foundation (WWIA) has been by far the nicest thing that has happened to me and my family. No one has done this for me since I came home. It was a privilege and an honor to be here. I hope other Purple Heart recipients can learn about this foundation. I hope that this foundation grows and helps others the way it did me. Thank you,
Sonny Mills, |
| January, 2009 | Looking forward to seeing you again and to be able to go hunting with you. Id like to be able to do more things like that more often. You and your organization have made an immensely positive impact on me as well as raise my moral and spirits. Hunting is something I've always wanted to do and fishing is something Ive always wanted to do more often. It feels so much better to be able to do such things as par of such a great cause. I definitely want to be a big part of your organization and help you spread your cause for other wounded warriors. Thank you for the opportunities you have provided for me as well as other service members. I'm thankful for the day Art introduced me to you. Take care. Ranger Vic |
September, 2009 Alligator Hunt |
As a Wounded Warrior, the opportunity to connect with great Americans like John and 2 fellow Wounded Warriors was an experience of a lifetime. I made at least 5 great friends last weekend and the experience truly was healing. I am proud to be an Army Wounded Warrior and it brings great happiness to my heart that people like John, Duane (one of our guides and a supporter of the WWIA) and emloyers like Raytheon give Wounded Warriors a chance to connect and transition to the civilian world. COL Art Kandarian (whom this email was forwarded from) was my squadron commander on my last tour in Iraq when I was severely wounded. This is the bond that perpetuates from war-time service- he still looks out for his wounded heroes to this day - I am proud to call Art and John my friends and they are two great American Heros. Derek Duplisea,
When I first met John he grabbed us off the plane in Jacksonville and we got a hotel. John was easy to talk to and very enjoyable to be around. I met the other wounded guys and we immediately became brothers. The next day we drove to Lake Lochloosa to meet the local airboat club. Before this event I had never been on an airboat. The club had speed airboats on the water along with many others. After having lunch we rode on the airboats. Our driver took us in the marshes for a tour. When we were able to drive the airboat, which blew my world! To be in control was amazing. When we came back we talked to the club members and the southern hospitality was something I've never experienced before. When I met my guides for the gator hunt they had high hopes and so did I. I used a bow to take a gator. I tried all night to take a gator over 5 feet. That was my limit. After failures all night I shot my first gator which was 6 feet long. When I used the bang stick to finish off the gator it went all over my face. I had a grin ear to ear. The whole trip was truly amazing and I would have never hunted a gator if with wasn't for the WWIA. John is an amazing person and the things he is doing for the wounded cannot fully be put into words. Thank you John and the WWIA, United Sportsmen Airboat Alliance, Lunelle, Tommy and Tommy Jr. and Duane! Brian Knapp,
First of all I would like to say thanks to LTC John McDaniel and the WWIA. I had such a great time throughout the whole weekend. Upon arriving in Jacksonville, FL, LTC McDaniel picked us up in his truck and we went to a hotel to get some rest for the next day. After waking up we loaded the truck and headed to Gainesville. Me and the other wounded soldiers immediately became good friends and by the time we arrived in Gainesville, I felt like we were all old friends and had know each other for years. Arriving in Gainesville we were immediately greeted by some people from the community and they had already been preparing for a nice cookout for us. The food was great, especially the gator tail with buffalo sauce. After eating, a couple of members from the local airboat club took us out on their hand-crafted machines. The ride was great but letting take the wheel was even better and something I will never forget! The gator hunt kicked off right at sunset and we immediately started seeing their glowing eyes through our spotlights. Derek and I started taking turns with the spear, chucking and holding the light. Derek got his first and after about an hour of hunting I had my chance. We went for about an hour without seeing anything and then all of a sudden after rounding a corner the lake came alive and we found ourselves surrounded by glowing eyes. So we chose one set and headed for it. He was a little smaller and we didn't hit him but after the throw we saw another one just ahead. So I re-geared and let it fly. I stuck it and the fight was on. He didn't like it one bit. We got it in the boat and I finished him with my knife. This trip was such a great time and I am very thankful for the friends I was so fortunate to meet while I was there. So once again, thanks to LTC McDaniel and the WWIA for the great time. SGT Robert Leonard, |
| November 3, 2009 |
"This is my final morning at Camp Hackett. The time I spent here learning to hunt and fish has been amazing. Jake has been like a good ol' buddy from way back, as if he served on my left or my right in combat. The whole experience has been a blessing to me; to be able to experience the north woods and take the most important things back "knowledge and friendship" even though I didn't harvest a deer of any sort. I have been truly honored to be part of this organization and I am forever grateful to it and the great Americans that make it possible. Thank you John, Jake, Steve, Zack and the whole Beadle family and the rest of this community of patriots." Nathan Helmuth |
December, 2009 Deer Hunt at Hudson Farm |
A chance email and your quick response revealed your spirit and honor. As I have gotten to know you, your strength of character has also come into play. It gives me hope that there are folks like you and your wife who care about the special people who serve and are injured while serving. Our deer hunt at Hudson Farm cemented our friendship and widened our circle. God bless you for serving those who served and protected us. May your dreams become reality and I hope to play a small part. Pola Galie
I just recently started working at Hudson Farm full time. I am so glad that I was here to experience the visit from you and your wounded warriors. I feel so privileged to have met such wonderful, strong, caring people. Its not every day you meet people that were put through such challenging events and find that they came out of it with still such an amazing outlook on life. Cooney, Cesar, Mark and Victor all showed me what life is really all about. By meeting these people it showed me to really appreciate life and all God has blessed us with. Thank you for serving us and our country and thank you for making me want to be a better person. I will never forget you or your time at Hudson Farm. I hope you all come back again and we will make you all the portable breakfast sandwiches you want! Take care and God bless you. Crystal Morgan
What an experience we've had. The past three days have been some of the most memorable times here at the farm in the 10+ years I've been here. Can't say enough about everyone!!! We have just made our family that much bigger. If I had to describe the past 3 days its easy, one word - INSPIRING!
John, thank you for allowing us to experience and share so many memories with you and your group. It has been a wonderful experience to share our time and stories with your guys. I have never met a group of people with such an amazing outlook on life. It has been an honor to be with these heroes. You are an inspiration to all of us. Good luck and best wishes to all of you and your future endeavors. John Wonderlich, |
December 18-20, 2009 Duck Hunting in CA |
Dear John, I am writing to convey my gratitude and appreciation to you and WWIA for the wonderful duck hunting experience in CA, this past Dec. 18-20. I must also thank the many people whom I never met, but know contributed so much to our success. John, I can't convey in any amount of words what the trip to CA did for me; both mentally and physically. The opportunity for a boy from western KY to pursue his life-long passion of waterfowl hunting in CA was only a story in Field & Stream; never did I think I would be "that guy"! When you called, inviting me to CA, I nearly jumped to the ceiling – And I only have one leg! A real dream-come-true was mine; all I had to do was be where I was told to be and on time. The hunting was better than I imagined and the folks I met in CA made the trip even better. I made friends that I continue to talk with and saw things that I'll never see in KY. An added bonus was getting to hunt with my friend, battle buddy, and former platoon sergeant, Derek Duplisea. I came away from the WWIA waterfowl hunting trip stronger and more independent yet. I mentioned earlier that words will not provide the feelings I want to express. WWIA allowed me to pursue a dream-hunt and further provided the therapy that no sterile Dr.’s office will ever do. Thank you, John, and WWIA! May you call on me to help your organization in any capacity! Sincerely,
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May 21-23, 2010 Cast and Blast Central Wisconsin |
John, can't thank you and the WWIAF enough for such a great weekend in Wisconsin. The wildlife and fishing was just amazing. You have inspired me to want to do the same for my fellow veterans. Rangers really do lead the way. This experience has really left a positive outlook on my life. "Ready and forward" Nicholas Schoon
Wow, Worn out Wounded Warriors in Action! "This trip, right here, will put the string in your watch pocket"! Now, that's funny right there! But seriously though some of the absolute best times in my life were right here in just one weekend. Am I tired, hell yeah, would do it again in a New York minute. The Wounded Warriors in Action have humbled me, and showed me once again that I can be proud of what I have done, and also help us to realize that we just did our part, our part in a long line of parts. Thank you Bro. And all who came before us !
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