Warrior Stories

MARYSVILLE, Wash. (Dec. 14th, 2018) – Growing up, Leslie Calderon and her three older brothers dreamt about joining the military, but she was the only one who enlisted. Her journey took her from...

For veteran Joey Pierstorff, setting and besting new goals is part of life. He set his sights on joining the Army after he watched the attacks on Sept. 11. Less than a year later, he was an...

When Army veteran Frank Sonntag first experienced an explosion while serving in Iraq, he did not know the extent of his injuries. He was serving in his second stint in the Army. This deployment,...

Army aviator Claude Boushey knows a thing or two about being there for his fellow service member. He did it after surviving a helicopter crash in Iraq by returning to combat operations just 18...

Returning from service and transitioning to civilian life can be difficult for veterans, especially those dealing with wounds of war. It can also create challenges on the home front as spouses and...

Army veteran Bobby Woods was sure he was going to die in Afghanistan in August of 2010. A sniper round from 450 yards out pierced his forehead. The bullet was the first shot in a firefight, and it...

Severa Parrish could have a life of ‘what ifs.’ What if her military career had continued? What if she had been the Marine to die in a helicopter crash in Iraq? Instead, Severa found hope,...

Bill Geiger credits Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP) with helping save his family. How the military police officer was handling post-traumatic stress and other issues from multiple deployments...

Eric DeLion has reached new heights since connecting with Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP), quite literally. The U.S. Marine Corps veteran joined other wounded warriors to scale Mount Whitney in...

“My life changed in ways I would never imagine,” Dan Smee said during a recent conversation. The Army veteran recounted his experiences as a combat medic in Iraq. “On a daily basis, if you...

Talking to John Goubeaux is a lesson in positivity, but it shouldn’t be. John nearly died seven years ago. He will forever have the scars from that day – the ones you can see, and the ones you...

In the military, “got your six” is a phrase to reference having someone’s back. It is referenced in movies and television shows, but for Antoinette Wallace, it took connecting with Wounded...

Michael Carrasquillo found himself transitioning to civilian life much earlier than expected. The Army veteran suffered five gunshot wounds during an ambush in Afghanistan in 2005, still early in...

Mark Lalli’s life spun out of control in November 2007. The Army veteran’s helicopter malfunctioned in Northern Italy before crashing. He woke weeks later, 4,200 miles away in a hospital bed...

Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP) Soldier Ride® recently returned to Washington, giving two brothers the chance to ride through Annapolis together.

An accident during an Army deployment to Egypt caused Thomas Holcomb’s traumatic brain injury – and the invisible wound led to multiple strokes and seizures that impact his life even today....

The Quest to Rediscover Hope | “Coping with my husband’s post-traumatic stress and traumatic brain injury has been stressful on our marriage at times,” said Lisa Willis, wife and caregiver...

Independence...On Their Terms | As America celebrates Independence Day, wounded warriors Steve Bohn, Taniki Richard, and Sal Gonzalez sat down with the ladies of The Talk to share their compelling...

Just days after returning from a grueling eight-day run and march, Jarrad Turner was back in the gym.

Wounded Warrior Project® National Service Director and wounded warrior John Roberts sits down with legendary Def Leppard...

People-watching is a way to pass the time and enjoy your surroundings, whether it be at a shopping center, park, or busy city sidewalk. For Marine Corps veteran Joe Merritt, it triggered too many reactions.

Veteran and warrior Carl Quaney has never shied away from jobs that require toughness.

Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP) recently held its 11th annual Courage Awards & Benefit Dinner®, presented by USAA® (United Services Automobile Association). The gala was a time to honor WWP's...

Something In Common | In the NPR series "Been There: Lessons From A Shared Experience," Army veteran and Wounded Warrior Project® teammate Jarrad Turner speaks to fellow veteran Cameron Cook...

Recently, the East Carolina University Pirates honored our nation's veterans on Military Appreciation Weekend. Wounded warrior Taniki Richard was invited to throw out the first pitch for a game...

Many quotes and clichés exist about the symbolic importance of a step: taking a step forward, a step in the right direction, stepping back to appreciate the bigger picture – the list goes on....

Through WWP Talk, teammate and Army veteran Kevin Sosa helps warriors and families envision and lead lives where they are their best selves. "This program is the front line – the infantry – of...

Carried off the battlefield with injuries, many warriors’ service ends when their minds and bodies are rendered unfit – no longer a dependable asset for other service members who complete the...

Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP) reached a milestone by registering our 100,000th post-9/11 injured veteran. While the number is a significant landmark, it more importantly symbolizes the need for services for this generation of wounded veterans is great – and growing.

John Jacobson comes from a family of sailors. Both of his older brothers joined the Navy, so when he...

Marquita Pate first learned of Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP) while waiting to leave the military because of...

Jeremy Franklin’s recovery with Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP) started long before he retired from...

Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP) Soldier Ride® recently rolled through Tampa, where a group of veterans enjoyed riding 36 miles alongside their fellow warriors.

Warrior Lee Baleme defines success as continued service to other veterans: “I truly feel after having been lost for all that time after getting out of the military, I am...

Organization Counts Up to Serving 100,000 Warriors Warrior Dan Schnock says warrior connection was what drove him to serve with Wounded Warrior Project®: “I was immediately connected to all the...

Wounded Warrior Project Counts Up to Serving 100,000 Warriors Warrior Brian Neuman found a new purpose through Wounded Warrior Project®: “I recognized everyone at Wounded Warrior Project lived...

When Bradley Thomas joined the military, he knew he was in it for the long haul. So when an improvised explosive device (IED) put an end to his career, he said he was not quite ready for the...

Military technology is helping wounded veterans daily make their way back to a better quality of life. In exercise and in their day-to-day lives, warriors are making even more significant strides...

Being casualties of history does not make acts less heroic or service less selfless. Wounded Warrior Project® closes this Black History Month by saluting just a few of the numerous outstanding...

This Black History Month, Wounded Warrior Project salutes hidden figures in the United States military. This installment honors a collection of special women who have changed the face of...

This Black History Month, Wounded Warrior Project salutes hidden figures in the United States military. This installment honors the Army’s Lt. Col. Harriet West Waddy. “As an African-American...

This Black History Month, Wounded Warrior Project salutes hidden figures in the United States military. This installment honors the Montford Point Marines. "It's a long time coming. … Something...

This Black History Month, Wounded Warrior Project salutes hidden figures in the United States military. This installment honors the Army’s 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion. “The unit...

This Black History Month, Wounded Warrior Project salutes hidden figures in the United States military. This installment honors the Navy’s first black female rear admiral, Lillian Fishburne....

This Black History Month, Wounded Warrior Project salutes hidden figures in the United States military. This installment honors Cathay Williams, the only known female Buffalo Soldier. “…That...

Military history is as full of firsts as any other part of United States history. Black service members have led the charge for progress through their forgotten valor, despite being largely...

"We Negroes had little, at the turn of the century, to help sustain our faith in ourselves except the pride that we took in the 9th and 10th Cavalry, the 24th and 25th Infantry." – Rayford...

“As small as it was it filled a void that someone was there and cared. Without question or hesitation, a hand was reaching out, there was nobody there to tell them thank you all that was left...

Once discharged from the Army, Jesse Babson’s personal battle with isolation and disillusion took him to his lowest point – and very nearly claimed his life. His downward spiral may well have...

Black history is American history. During Black History Month, Wounded Warrior Project commemorates the valor and tenacity of warriors who have transformed the face of our nation's military with...