Testimonials

Testimonials

Dear Warriors Weekend and all donors:


I wanted to take the time to write you all a letter about my first ever Warriors Weekend event that I participated in a couple weeks ago in October 2024.


I first heard about this wonderful organization and event 2 years ago from a friend, Bruce Townley. Bruce attended this event the last 2 years (2022 and 2023) and unfortunately could not attend this year and has been sharing his wonderful experiences with this event with our Warriors numerous times and has been recommending that we all try to attend this event. I could not attend this event the last 2 years due to other events on my schedule. I registered this year and received an email a couple of weeks before the event letting me know that I did not make the list due to a high demand of other veterans signing up. I was definitely disappointed with this notification but completely understood and would just try again next year. Two days later Ron called me to let me know that some other veterans could not make the event, and I was near the top of the waiting list and if I was still interested I could attend this event. I immediately let him know that I was definitely interested in going and sign me up.


I knew from talking to Bruce the basics about this Warriors Weekend but still wasn't sure what to expect or how I was going to feel etc... I flew into the Houston airport and was met by the wonderful volunteers to help me get shuttled to the airport. I immediately felt the love from the wonderful volunteers and how genuine they were towards us veterans. I checked into the hotel and got a very nice bag of nice goodies (hat, 2 shirts, sunglasses, waterproof bag etc...) to use for the weekend. I then checked into my room and met my very nice roommate and we then headed down to the lobby for the pizza dinner and mingle with the other veterans. I got to meet a lot of very nice veterans and volunteers. I was blessed enough to meet Ron and Sherry and thank him for letting me attend this event and for running this organization. ! even had a chance to meet and chat with their daughter Gidgett for about an hour and she gave me a lot of information about the history of this organization and event. I was thoroughly impressed with all they have done over the past 18 years.


The next day we got to drive on buses for 2 1⁄2 hours through 4 to 5 towns, and was very humbled and blessed to see how the people from all of these towns took the time to be at sides of the road throughout the trip to wave and post signs and show tons of love to all of us veterans. It was truly amazing and made me so grateful that people that I don't know take time out of their lives to let us know that us veterans are truly loved! We then ended up at the Field of Honor where there were hundreds of people there to meet and greet and celebrate us veterans and have wonderful celebration for us and show us the outpouring of love. The event was wonderful and awe inspiring to see almost 3,000 flags displayed to include one with my name on it honoring me! That night we got to go to the Bauer Community Center in Port Lavaca and have a wonderful dinner and another wonderful evening of different events.


Saturday we got to go fishing for 7 hours with a wonderful boat captain and his daughter the deck hand. I am not a serious fisherman, but had an incredible time hanging out with them and another veteran fishing, talking and getting to know each other and it was a great time. I even came in 2nd place in the "other" category and won $200! It was really incredible that there were over 200 boats and volunteers running this fishing event. After this wonderful fishing event we got to spend another night at the Bauer Community Center having another wonderful dinner and other events to include seeing Buck a 100-year- old WWII veteran and his 84-year-old wife, sing 3 songs that he wrote himself and dance the jitterbug.


This amazing organization and event was LIFE CHANGING to me and it was wonderful that I could share so many amazing moments with over 300 other veterans and hundreds of volunteers, donors, sponsors and partners who made this all possible!!! I am definitely rejuvenated with my attitude towards mankind and brought more hope and healing to me by attending this incredible experience!!! I was also blessed to share beautiful memories and felt the job of connection and camaraderie with so many other veterans and volunteers. I have made dozens of permanent connections with other veterans and volunteers and have already been in contact with many of them and hope to continue to do so for years to come. I have already reached out to other veterans that I know through previous duty stations during my 22-year active duty Army career and that I know at the local VA etc... I have shared my story and the Facebook posts from the Warrior's Weekend page over the past 2 weeks and am confident that quite a few of these veterans will register for this event in years to come and I definitely will be registering every year and hope to attend this event for years to come. I have also contacted all of them and other family, friends, neighbors and acquaintances to include myself to donate to this wonderful organization so that this wonderful organization and event will continue to thrive for years to come.


This organization and event with the help from all the wonderful volunteers, donors and sponsors is a definite life changing event for the veterans who attend this event and I am so blessed that this organization and event is available to us veterans to attend.

Thank you all so very much to all the volunteers, donors and sponsors for making this all possible and changing the lives of so many veterans over the years. I look forward to attending this event in the years to come and promoting this organization and event to as many veterans as I can.



God Bless you all!!

1SG Thomas Jasak (Retired)

Dear Warriors Weekend,



I want to express my extreme gratitude to you, your staff, sponsors and all the others that make this event so memorable, I am beyond grateful for the time I got to spend on this past trip. Everyone went above and beyond to ensure all our veterans were comfortable and had what they needed, even down to the sunscreen, chap stick and glasses cleaning cloth! My boat captain in particular, Mr. Addison Cooley was an exceptional guide and had all the things to accommodate a successful fishing trip!!


It is in moments like this that we get to build camaraderie with our fellow service members and that is when I think I feel the most at peace since I got out of the service. I have always felt out of place in normal society as a female Purple Heart Recipient. There isn't much in common in that aspect with the other women and moms I would typically surround myself with in my community. But these trips remind me of what I loved so much about my time in service and that was making lifelong friends that understand the mentality and have your back no matter what. It doesn't take much to put a bunch of veterans in one room and we all become like family. We visit and cut up as if we have known each other for ever and would literally lay down our life for them even after just meeting them. That is the difference in the world we lived in before and now, I always knew who I could count on.


I have so much gratitude to Warriors Weekend and all their donors for giving me back a little remembrance of what I hold so dearly in my heart... my time in service with my brothers and sisters in arms.... and that is priceless.


Thank you! Respectfully,


Erica Greene

USARMY SGT (RET)

My thoughts and feelings I get when I have attended the Warriors Weekend and the Purple Heart Challenge.



First, I have an identical twin brother that also has a Purple Heart and Ron Kocian found out about me and my brother was already attending the event. Ron made it a point to see if I wanted to be reunited with my twin brother and he made that happen and ever since then I have become a family to all who help and or volunteer with the Warriors Weekend fishing!!!


To be able to fish with great people from Texas and share my stories with the boat Captains and their family is special and therapeutic in so many ways I can't even come close to saying thank you enough to care about me and our brothers and sisters.


My dedication to this organization will always be 100% because they do so much good for all the people who are involved, veterans and nonveterans!!! These are great opportunities that most people don't get meet a real American hero and it is so gratifying to tell are stories so we can touch others around us and teach them what it means to be a true American and fight for the freedoms we all take for granted!! But that's ok because I wouldn't want it any other way. That's why we fight to defend our Flag. The warrior's weekend is a prime example of what it means to us, being free and loving all who come and participate. Ron and all the sponsors, boat Captains are the best and I will forever be a part of that family to keep it going and to motivate anybody who wants to come and heal from the outside in, and fishing is a very great way to relax and enjoy one another.


I appreciate all the great memories as well and I will continue to be a veteran that always gives back and following the lead of Ron, also a brother in arms!!! Forever his cause is my cause, and I am eternally thankful for him and all the great Texans. I do see why they say everything in Texas is bigger, well you did show me your Hearts are bigger than this great country all by itself.


God Bless Texas

God Bless USA


Sincerely:

Christopher Bain

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