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Volunteers give wounded a shot at healing
By Shannon Crabtree
A decades-old pledge has created a volunteer army in El Campo - one dedicated to providing a little down time for wounded soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines.
"Growing up in El Campo ... had insulated me from the war protests," Hunts for Heroes Founder Billy Hodges said, adding a 1971 incident in the Atlanta airport opened the country boy's eyes.
After a young woman snidely requested not to be seated by a serviceman, Hodges felt he had his marching orders.
"I made a promise to myself to do all I could to see that a member of the military was never again treated in such a way as we were," he said.
Hodges served in the U.S. Army and the Texas Army National Guard from 1971 to 1979.
A businessman and retired firfi.ghter, he now spends much of his time coordinating with San Antonio's Brook Army Medical Center, one of the nation's largest military hospitals and specializing in "burn and blast" treatments, to arrange hunts and fishing trips for the recovering wounded.
The outpouring of support has been amazing, he said.
"I have people waiting in line to take these people (the servicemen) hunting," Hodges said. "I believe this is an organization that can get big. I've got people wanting to help."
All of the hunts are free of charge with help provided for expenses in getting to and from the event.
For more information, please visit the Hunts For Heroes Web site at www.huntsforheroes. com.
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