Wounded Warrior program helped Pocatello serviceman

    POCATELLO — When Sgt. Wade Pierce, a member of the U.S. Army’s 116th Brigade Combat team, was wounded by an improvised explosive device in Iraq in 2005, he not only suffered extreme physical damage, but psychological trauma as well.

    The blast ripped apart his armored vehicle and injured several in his platoon, but all survived. It was during the dark time of his healing when the demons appeared.

    “I was going through some bad times in the Salt Lake City VA (hospital),” said the Pocatello resident. “Then, I was approached by a representative of the Wounded Warrior program, who asked if I wanted to go on a white-water rafting trip in Moab (Utah). After a few ski and camping trips with other injured veterans, I began to feel some real peace, working as a team and supporting each other.”

The Wounded Warrior project, founded in 2003, tries to raise awareness and enlist the public’s aid for the needs of injured service members, to help injured service members aid and assist one another, and to provide unique, direct programs and services to meet their needs.

    Meanwhile, a group of retired businessmen in Irvine, Calif., who rode bicycles for fun, decided to make a cross-country trip, but wanted to find a good cause for which to devote such an effort.

    “We decided to support Wounded Warriors because it is wonderful program that gives back to those who have served all of us,” said Tom Nelson, 66, retired high school principal and ad hoc spokesman of the 6 Over 60 group. “Once we began the ride, the impact of veterans in the towns we have past through has been absolutely amazing. I was not able to serve, but the connections we’ve established with those who have has been so very special to us.”

    Nelson added that the group’s goal was to raise $25,000 for the cause, but only 14 days into the journey, more than $90,000 has been donated to he effort.

    On Tuesday, the six men rode into the Bannock County Fairgrounds escorted by the Chubbuck Fire Department, members of the Bannock County Sheriff’s Office and a contingent of the local POW-MIA Association.

    “We contacted chamber of commerce offices and local newspapers from the communities we would be riding through to tell them about our trip,” said 6 Over 60 member Ed De Mar, 68, a retired computer software developer. “Seeing the veterans along the way is what makes this so special. We have met so many people, vets and non-vets alike, who have come out to support us.”

    At a small ceremony, Pierce handed each member of the group a commemorative coin to honor them for the charity ride.

    “I wanted them to know that I and other veterans appreciate this amazing effort,” he said. “It’s not only money these guys are giving up, but their time and efforts as well. I feel so proud of them and we are so happy people still care.”