​Date: May 14 - 17, 2023
Number Of Heroes Attending: 1
Location: Mayport, Pennsylvania

Details: Patrick Garrett arrived at The Kelley Farm around 4pm Sunday afternoon. After getting Patrick settled into his room, Jack Stanizzo, one of our long-time loyal volunteers, and board member Paul Culley took Patrick outside to pattern his WHHC loaner shotgun. Patrick put a few rounds through the shotgun and he was ready to go. Our guide Cody Ishman and his wife Angelica stopped bye to be introduced to Patrick, our Purple Heart Hero. We sat down to a good pot roast meal. Everyone shared some funny turkey stories. Cody has done his homework and laid out the game plan for Monday morning, and Patrick was ready to go at 4am.
By 6:30am the men were back to the farmhouse with a beautiful Pennsylvania Wild turkey. The bird had a 9 ½” beard and 1 3/16” spurs. Patrick shared a lot of interesting stories about all is tours and combat experiences. In closing we all really enjoy the experience we had getting to know our Hero Patrick Garrett and look forward to the next hunt with a WHHC Hero. 

​Date: May 3 - 6, 2023
Number Of Heroes Who Attended: 2
Location: Holidaysburg, Pennsylvania

Details: On May 3rd, Heroes Jon B. and Randy H. arrived at the TB Wilderness Lodge around 4:00PM. They were welcomed by the TB Wilderness Lodge crew and a few others who were in camp to enjoy the hunt alongside the Heroes. The following morning the Heroes and their guides were setup before sunrise and patiently waited for the Turkeys to answer their calls.  Due to some great guiding and incredible property management Hero Jon B. harvested his first turkey shortly after sunrise. On day two, Hero Randy H. didn't have to wait long to connect on a beautiful bird that couldn't resist his guides calling. Both Heroes had a great time at the TB Wilderness Lodge and spent their last day in camp surrounded by new friends reminiscing about the experiences they had in the field. We would like to thank everyone who has been involved with this event, this is our 12th year at the TB Wilderness Lodge and we can't wait to bring out some more Heroes in the fall for our annual deer hunt! 

Date: December 8-11, 2022
Heroes Served: 2
Location: Casey, Illinois

Details: WHHC has been sending 2 Heroes to Casey Illinois during their late muzzleloader season for many seasons now, each year the Heroes selected for this special event all report they had the hunt of a lifetime and were surrounded by great people. This year was no different!
Heroes Doug Woods (Texas) and Neil Foster (Washington State) were the two selected for the 2022 hunt in Casey, both of these Heroes were novice hunters and learned muzzleloading for the first time. We wrapped up the event earlier today and both Heroes are flying back home to share their trip and hunting stories with their families. They are also flying home with coolers full of wild game!
WHHC would not be able to conduct this trip year after year without the help and support of the folks listed below. We truly appreciate your dedication to serving the Wounded Heroes.
Host/Property Owner - Lonnie Yobst, Tommy Belinda
Property Owner - Chuck Main
Food/Support - Laura and Brandon Baston
Camp Cook - Ricky Beck
Guides - Jared Oakes, Dillon Swarmer

​Date: December 2-4, 2022
Location: Dorchester County, Maryland
Heroes served: 1

Details: Nick King and WHHC guide Steve Jackson arrived at Deer Cinch Camp in Crapo, Maryland on Friday 12/2 right at dark. It wasn’t long before ribeyes were on the grill. Deer camp stories and jokes were abundant.
Saturday morning came fast and so did the rain… but not before Nick got on the board. He shot a hind (female Sika) before coming in to dry off. Although the rain stopped mid day, the evening was quiet due to high winds.
Sunday morning was like something out of a movie. The temperature was perfect. The wind was perfect. Nick and Greg Fornaro took the guys DEEP into the marsh to one of their favorite spots. It was close to an hour long Argo ride through the nastiest, sloppiest mud known to man.
The Sika decided to start moving late morning and Nick put a perfect shot on a 5 point stag. If you are unfamiliar with Sika deer, they're one of the hardest animals on the planet to hunt and the biggest stags only reach 6 points. This is an absolute trophy for Nick King and a trip nobody will ever forget!
Huge shout out to Nick and Greg Fornaro for making all of this possible. You are truly amazing hunters but even more amazing people!

Date: November 30th - December 3rd 2022
Location: Holidaysburg, PA
Heroes Served: 1

Details: This was our 11th year at the T.B. Wilderness Lodge with the Belinda Family and friends. We had two Heroes selected for this event but do to a last-minute family emergency only one Hero arrived in camp this year. Hero Jon Babauta was greeted with open arms and immediately felt the support he would experience during his next three days in camp. Wounded Hero Jon Babauta harvested his very first Whitetail Deer during this trip and left T.B. Wilderness Lodge with memories and new friendships that will last a lifetime. As always, we truly appreciate the hospitality shown to us and the Heroes we serve by the Belinda family.

Date: November 25-December 2, 2022

Heroes Served: 1 

Location: Mayport, Pennsylvania

Details: The Kelley Farm hosted Wounded Hero Tim Young who is from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Tim arrived around lunchtime on the November 25th, the day prior to the open day of gun season. Jack, Big Ed and Micah Kelley were all in camp to support Tim during his hunt with WHHC. Tim fit in like one of the guys. One of Tim’s comments at dinner on opening day was " I thought I was back in Vietnam. I never heard so many gunshots on opening day of deer season. "  Tim had multiple opportunities to take a Doe during his week of hunting at the farm. He saw 1 legal buck but elected not to take the shot. Tim went home with a cooler of venison shared by the guys at The Kelley Farm.
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Date: November 20-23, 2022
Location: Orangeburg, SC
Heroes served: 2

Details: WHHC had our first deer hunt in South Carolina at the Phillips Plantation. We were fortunate enough to partner up with Unit To Back Outdoors for the first time to bring 2 of our Veterans together with 2 Law Enforcement officers for a 3 day deer hunt. Our 4 hunters were BJ Taylor, Jody Blackwell, Patrick Chavez, and Abram Marvin. Everybody got settled into the Pondview Lodge and were on the way to their deer stands within an hour. The first evening hunt had deer spotted but no shooting. Our Hunters returned to the lodge for a hot dinner and to enjoy some Sunday Night Football.
The next morning everybody was up at 0430 for breakfast and on the way to their deer stands by 0530. The first morning was eventful with all of our hunters getting a shot at a deer. Jody and Abram each harvested a doe. After the morning hunt everybody returned to the lodge for lunch and a little siesta before the evening hunt. Deer were spotted on the evening hunt but none were harvested. The hunters returned to the lodge for dinner and an evening of relaxation around the fire pit.
Abram decided that for the second full day of hunting he would stay out all day. As luck would have it, he harvested a beautiful wide racked 8 point at 0715 that morning. The other hunters saw deer but no shots were taken. The evening hunt concluded without any more deer being harvested and our hunters again returned to the lodge for dinner and an evening around the fire pit.
Some deer were spotted on the final morning hunt but no shots were taken. Our hunters returned to the lodge to pack up and return home to celebrate Thanksgiving with their families. Our hunters had a great hunt, but more importantly they had a chance to relax and make some lasting memories and new friendships while healing on the hunt.

Date:  October 17-22, 2022

Location:  Long Bottom, OH

Heroes served:  1

Details:  Another amazing and healing event was held at our annual Hupp Outfitters whitetail hunt.  Hero Travis arrived on Sunday, and didn't waste any time - he went right into a blind for an afternoon sit.  Our group had deer all over them all week and every sit was exciting!
On Tuesday, Travis suddenly spotted a mature 10 point buck at 20 yards.  Travis sent an arrow his way, and the buck mule immediately kicked - so we know it was a hit.  Unfortunately the blood trail dried up pretty quickly, and the buck lived to fight another day.  The buck was seen again on camera but only at night.  Regardless of the outcome, it was a once in a lifetime experience for our Hero Travis . . . great hunting, great food, great camaraderie, and great people. 

Date:  September 14-21, 2022

Location:  Chinook, MT

Heroes Served:  2

Details:  ​WHHC sent two Heroes to Montana on the trip of a lifetime at the Montana Dream Ranch.  On the second day, our Heroes woke up early and headed to the prairies in pursuit of filling two antelope tags on the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation. As good fortunate would have it, the Heroes spotted a mature antelope early and chased him all morning, covering over three miles primarily on foot before harvesting the trophy.
With one tag remaining, the Heroes found high ground come evening and soon realized they were surrounded by antelope. After spotting a mature buck, our last Hero set his sights to fill the final tag. After putting on a stalk to get into position, the Hero harvested another trophy antelope. The Heroes then headed back to the Dream Ranch to process their meat.
A big thank you to ranch owner Dave Tallman for hosting our Heroes at the Montana Dream Ranch and guides Frankie and Toby Werk for making this a successful hunt for our two deserving Heroes. Another WHHC adventure complete, accomplishing the mission, and creating both memories and friendships that will last a lifetime.

Date: August 20-22, 2022

Location: Carrizozzo, NM

Heroes Served: 2

​Details: WHHC sent Heroes William Shilling (Lake) and Max Hurtz (Lurch) to New Mexico on an antelope hunt. The weather was forecasted to rain all day Saturday but we tried to stay optimistic. Sunday morning, we woke up to some fog and some light showers. After a few hours they spotted a herd with a couple mature bucks and a few does. We set off for a short walk to get in positions for a good shot. Lurch was able to get about 450 yards away and he was able to harvest his first pronghorn.  On our way back to camp to drop Lurch’s buck off, we about a ¼ mile from camp we spotted another mature buck about 150 yards away. Lake and Brandon headed to an area for a good shot about 50 yards away and he was also able to harvest his first pronghorn.  ​Even though the weather didn’t seem to want to cooperate, it was a very fun and exciting weekend hunt. Made some great memories and helped two deserving Heroes unwind and clear their minds for a few days.

Date:  July 9-10, 2022

Location: Lake Erie, PA

Heroes Served:  2

Details:  WHHC sent 2 Heroes to Lake Erie for 2 days of walleye fishing with Bushwacker Charters hosted by T.B. Wilderness Lodge.  The first morning the Heroes woke up bright and early eager to get out on the water only to find out that mother nature was not going to let that happen.  Overnight the winds had picked up causing the water to become very choppy.  Upon waking up the next morning the winds calmed down enough to get out on the water.  Usually this time of year the fish are on the smaller side, but this was not the case for our Heroes.  All but a few fish were large including a bonus steelhead that was caught. The Heroes had caught their limits within a few hours and our volunteers fileted all the fish for the Heroes to take home. A huge thank you to Bushwackers Carters and to T.B. Wilderness Lodge for making this weekend one to remember!

Date:  June 27-29, 2022

​Location:  Rock Hall, MD

Heroes Served: 6

Details:  Captain Donnie Bayne once again hooked it up for our deserving Heroes!  Two days on the water - and everyone had caught their limits in under an hour on both day.  Everyone was well fed thanks to the American Legion Post 228, well taken care of by Captain Bayne, and took home plenty of fish and new fun stories to share.  Thanks again to Captain Bayne for his unwavering dedication to always making our trips a big success!

Date:  May 12-14, 2022

Location:  Wattsburg, PA

Heroes Served:  3

Details:  WHHC hosted Heroes Nicholas Flores (USMC), Michael Sumner (USMC), and Sam Zentkovich (Army) for 2 days of spring gobbler hunting in Northwestern Pennsylvania.  Once the patterning of the shotguns on Thursday was done, it was time to hit the woods Friday morning.  Michael wasted no time bagging his first ever mature tom just after legal light.  Nicholas sealed the deal on his first ever turkey a couple hours later.  Sam and his guide hunted hard both days and had a nice gobbler put on a show for them but regrettably he stayed out of range.  All heroes received custom turkey pot calls made by Dunn & Son's Custom calls as well as mouth calls made by Kelly Davis.  We also received a wonderful donation from American Legion Post #105 for this event where we had dinner on Friday night.

Date:  May 8-11, 2022

Location:  Mayport, PA

Heroes Served:  1

Details:  WHHC sent Hero Bernie Altman to Mayport, PA to hunt at the Kelley farm.  Bernie arrived Sunday morning where he was greeted by Jeff, Jack, and Codi.  After the meet and greet everyone settled in and had some great conversations, shared tons of laughs, and great food.  On day 2 almost as soon as our group was in the blind the turkeys started gobbling.  Not long after a beautiful tom came strutting into the decoy, perfectly aligned for Bernie to harvest.  Bernie was so thrilled to be able to harvest such a beautiful bird.  That night Bernie put on a magic show for everyone.  This kind of adventure really is the definition of "healing on the hunt".  The camaraderie that is often lost once Heroes are out of the service is something that truly brings everyone together. The lifelong friendships that are made make trips like this special for the Heroes.
A huge thank you to Jeff Kelley for opening up his farm to take our Hero out!

Date:  May 5-7, 2022

Location:  Hollidaysburg, PA

Heroes Served:  2

Details:  WHHC once again sent 2 Heroes to the T.B Wilderness Lodge in Hollidaysbug, PA to attend our annual Spring Turkey hunt.  Heroes Bryan Larson and David Young arrived Thursday afternoon where they were greeted by The Belinda family.  This hunt is not only about trying to harvest a turkey; it is truly the definition of healing on the hunt.  Unfortunately the weather didn't cooperate. Despite the rain, the Heroes saw and heard turkeys over the 2 days, but they were not able to coax one into range. Both Heroes enjoyed their time spent at the lodge and are looking forward to staying in touch with their new lifelong friends.  A huge thank you, as always, to the Belinda Family for your ongoing support and hospitality!

Date:  April 2-3, 2022

Location:  Jasper, TX

Heroes Served:  5

Details:  ​WHHC sent wounded Heroes to Jasper, Texas to compete in a two-day Bass Fishing Tournament. The Heroes spent their weekend on Sam Rayburn Reservoir chasing that elusive double digit bass. We are thankful to once again participate in this annual event. A special shout out to Terry Bland from Retrievers for Warriors who always makes this event a huge, fun success.

Date:  January 14-17, 2022

Location:  King George, VA

Heroes Served:  2

Details:  We sent 2 Heroes to Virginia to attend a Sea Duck hunt on the Potomac River with Beak Whackers. Heroes Josh and Anthony started their weekend with lots of stories and laughs over a meet and greet dinner.  The Heroes woke up bright and early the next day and were unfortunately told that the water was too dangerous to go out on. After a few quick phone calls our group was invited to a field to goose hunt. Once the decoys were setup, the geese started flying, but unfortunately they wouldn't commit to the decoys. Our group met up bright and early Sunday with the crew and headed to the calmer river.  The Heroes hopped on the boat and were dropped off in the blind while the crew set up the decoys. As soon as the decoys were set the ducks started flying and landing all over the place. The Heroes both shot lots of first time birds and had their limit pretty quickly. This hunt provided the Heroes with new friendships, lots of laughs and the camaraderie that most veterans miss.

Date:  December 31, 2021

Location:  Chestertown, MD

Heroes Served:  3 and a spouse

Details:  Donnie Bayne led another goose hunt in an attempt to close out the season with a BANG on New Year's Eve. Heroes James, Andrew, Timothy, and his wife Erin, met up in Chestertown, MD looking for geese. The weather was weird, with a thick fog which kept the geese from flying. Our group took down a single goose by 0815, but it turned out to be a long morning in the blind. By 1130, there hadn't had any geese within a few hundred yards and the plan was to pack up at 1200. The 65 degree temperatures, thick fog, and the very light and variable breeze were simply working against our group.  In a last ditch effort, Donnie began flagging and calling, pulling in a couple groups of birds between 1130 and 1200, and our group quickly and successfully limited out.

Date:  December 24, 2021

Location:  Chestertown, MD

Heroes Served:  4

Details:  WHHC Heroes Chris, Drew, James, and Chris met up with guide Donnie Bayne in Chestertown, Maryland in an effort to bag a Christmas Goose. With unseasonably warm weather, they climbed into the blind, not knowing if the birds would actually cooperate. Luck was on their side, and Donnie made it look easy as he worked a few birds that were flying by.  By 0800 our Heroes' tags were filled! After they picked up the decoys, had breakfast, and swapped phone numbers our group of Heroes already started planning future trips together!

Date:  December 9-12, 2021

Location:  Martinsville, IL

Heroes Served:  2

Details:  WHHC Heroes Doug and Jacob traveled to Martinsville, Illinois to attend our annual deer hunt event. They enjoyed some great company and great food. The first afternoon hunt is when 1 of our heroes connected on a buck of a lifetime.  The next day our other Hero connected on a nice buck. We tracked it for awhile and unfortunately we could not recover him.  Both of our Heroes made new friendships and memories that will last a lifetime.  A huge thank you to everyone who has made this trip possible and also a big thank you to the Baston family.

Date:  December 5-8, 2021

Location:  Hollidaysburg, PA

Heroes Served:  2

Details:  Our Heroes arrived and were greeted with a delicious dinner by the Belinda family and friends. The deer were uncooperative for the first morning sit, but stories were shared among property guides and Heroes. The second and third days of hunting turned out great. Nate (Fred's son) harvested a nice doe on day two, and Anthony harvested a beautiful doe on day three. Both Heroes took meat home for their freezers. A special thanks to The Belinda Family and everyone who assisted with this annual event.

Date:  December 3-5, 2021

Location:  Ripley, NY

Heroes Served:  4

Details:  Our Heroes met up at the Country Cabin and got settled in for the weekend. Once all of the guides arrived we headed out to the range to confirm zeros on the rifles and then headed to the woods for an evening sit. The heroes and guides worked diligently to lay the hammer down on a New York whitetail but unfortunately the deer won this round. Lasting friendships were made and the stories were nonstop all weekend.

Date:  December 3-5, 2021

Location:  Brookville, PA

Heroes Served: 2

Details:  ​WHHC Heroes Craig and Daniel traveled to northwestern Pennsylvania to hunt at Camp Buck Snort. Our heroes put in some long days in the tree stands. They enjoyed some good company and great food. These two heroes made lasting memories and new friendships that will last a lifetime.

Date:  October 28-November 1, 2021

Location:  Nicholasville, KY

Heroes Served:  3

Details:  WHHC was fortunate enough to once again be able to send Heroes out to Whitetail Heaven lodge in Kentucky.  Todd, Doug, and Fred wasted no time getting into the tree stands and hunting blinds.  Several deer were seen, lots of good food was had, and countless conversations were shared.  A special thank you to the staff at Whitetail Heaven, you truly went above and beyond and we couldn't have asked for a better time for our deserving Heroes.