Rusk couple plans ways to help wounded soldiers

During the Christmas holidays Ruskites Kevin and Sheri Lankford met with Major Cody Roberson and Brad Newman at Brooke Army Medical Center (BAMC) in San Antonio. They want to help with the rehabilitation of wounded American soldiers.

BAMC is one of the few trauma centers for severely injured soldiers from all branches of the military. The soldiers suffer from severe burns, traumatic head injuries and/or amputations. They usually have to undergo multiple surgeries for their injuries and require months of rehabilitation. Their families are uprooted from their homes to come stay with their loved ones in a hotel on base and share a common area/visiting area with only a 1,200 sq. ft. room with one computer and one big screen television for more than 900 people. Bingo night can get really crowded.

"These brave soldiers need a safe place to heal and be with their families without being in the public eye during their healing phase," the Lankfords said. The Returning Heroes Home is a building project underway at Fort Sam Houston. Major Roberson and Mr. Newman helped the Lankfords tour the current support center and the construction site where the new building will be built. The new home will be 12,000 sq. ft. with a large social gathering center, private counseling rooms, a game room and large open front and back porches. The healing center is privately funded and will cost $3.5 million. More than $1 million has been raised and $2.5 million is still needed. For more info on how to help visit the website: www.returningheroeshome. org

Major Roberson is the founder and team captain of Army Bass Anglers. This group of professional team anglers consists of active duty military and veterans who fish tournaments all across Texas but more importantly they are out there raising awareness and conducting fundraising operations for the Returning Heroes Home Project. They also get volunteers with bass boats to take the wounded warriors fishing. The Lankfords will take a group of volunteers and boats to San Antonio next summer to help take these heroes out on the water. They are hoping to make this an annual event.

Mr. Newman is the executive director of KASA, Kayak Anglers Society of America. KASA takes the injured soldiers out in kayaks to fish through a program called Heroes on the Water. Mr. Newman works closely with Army Bass Angler's Maj Roberson and the TPWD to give the soldiers the best possible fishing experience. Mr. Newman and his group will send kayaks and all the gear to Iraq in October for the first known fishing tournament. All the kayaks and gear will be donated to the Military Welfare and Recreation (MWR) department for the soldiers to use while deployed in Iraq.

For more information and ways to help with any of the programs visit websites: www. army bassanglers.com and www.KayakAnglersSAorg. Membership is free.