75,000th Registered Warrior Gives Back to Community
Wounded Warrior Project Counts Up to Serving 100,000 Warriors
John Jacobson signed up for Wounded Warrior Project® to be part of an organization that honors and empowers Wounded Warriors.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (Mar. 9, 2017) – John Jacobson comes from a family of sailors. Both of his older brothers joined the Navy, so when he graduated high school, it seemed like a natural choice.
“My first ship was the USS Mississippi, a nuclear-powered cruiser out of Norfolk, Virginia,” John said.
His career led him to a recruiting position in Minnesota, where health issues derailed his professional aspirations.
“I suffered pulmonary embolisms, and those blood clots cost me my career. A physical evaluation board found me unfit for sea duty and discharged me. I didn’t even get to retire.”
John heard about Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP) in 2007 while living in South Dakota. He and his wife joined their community to help another veteran who is also registered with WWP.
“We were helping build a house for Corey,” John said. “My wife and I also baked a 500-pound chocolate chip cookie to help raise construction funds.”
Despite those sweet efforts to help other warriors, it took John eight more years to register with WWP and discover how it could empower him.
“I honestly couldn’t say why. But I eventually decided I wanted to be part of something that connected and served veterans.”
John became the 75,000th warrior to sign up in July 2015. WWP will reach the milestone of 100,000 registered veterans in coming weeks. For John, the organization provides a major opportunity for connection.
“Sometimes it is nice just to shake hands with another service member and know they get it,” John said. “They know what I’m going through. Wounded Warrior Project is that handshake so many of us veterans need.”
More than just a handshake, WWP connects wounded warriors with other veterans, their communities, and the organization. It serves these men and women with free life-saving programs and services. This empowers warriors to live life on their terms and mentor other warriors.
To learn and see more about how WWP’s programs and services connect, serve, and empower wounded warriors, visit https://newsroom.woundedwarriorproject.org/, and click on multimedia.
Contact: Rob Louis – Public Relations
Email: rlouis@woundedwarriorproject.org
Phone: 904.627.0432
About Wounded Warrior Project
Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP) connects, serves, and empowers wounded warriors. Read more at https://newsroom.woundedwarriorproject.org.