Iraq war veteran to speak at Slidell event.
By Beth Martin
An upcoming dinner that kicks off the annual Slidell Air Show will give a former UH-60 Black Hawk pilot an opportunity to talk about Support Our War Heroes (SOWH), a nonprofit
foundation that helps service
members like him who have sustained
life-altering injuries in Iraq or
Afghanistan and returned to the
Gulf Coast.
SOWH Executive Director Mike Wells, a retired Louisiana Army National Guardsman, will be the guest speaker at the 2008 Slidell Air Show dinner on April 4 at 7 p.m. in Slidell Municipal Airport's Hangar 15.
The fourth annual Slidell Air Show honoring all military personnel, especially Gulf War veterans, will be April 5 at the airport off Interstate 12.
The dinner provided by Nick and Nate's Catering and Ross Eirich, a former Galatoire's Restaurant executive chef, will cost $22.50 per person.
Wells, a commercial helicopter pilot who serviced oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico prior to activation at the end of 2003 and deployment in 2004, looks forward to the local air show. During the event, he will man the Veterans of Foreign Wars tent, offering tickets for the 2008 Raising the Roof for Charity raffle by the St. Tammany Home Builders' Association to benefit SOWH and several other charitable organizations. "I want to raise awareness about Support Our War Heroes," he said, referring to the nonprofit, nonpartisan foundation that honors American men and women from all service branches for their personal sacrifices that led to life-altering injuries and offers them and their family assistance for a smoother transition into civilian life in the local region. "Guys who come back from Iraq or Afghanistan and are getting medically retired may or may not get the assistance that they need," he said. "They may not know where to go or have a place to go for help." They face huge challenges, ranging from recovering from severe injuries and getting benefits through the Department of Veterans Affairs to beginning new careers and planning for the future. SOWH provides information about VA services and assistance not available from other sources. "They can't do it on their own, but they're usually not the type to come forward (directly asking for help)," he said, noting that it is important for relatives or friends to contact SOWH, on behalf of their loved ones. "They need to let us know (about the problems) so we can help."
Wells had only a slim chance of ever again walking, having been completely paralyzed at the waist initially from vertebral and spinal cord injuries sustained in a Black Hawk crash during September 2004 in Iraq. "I still thought I could do everything myself," said the former chief warrant officer. Four back surgeries and two years of physical therapy have given him limited mobility, but prolonged walking or standing still is impossible for the fit man who "never even had a cavity" and easily passed flight physicals before the crash, which was caused by equipment malfunction and other factors. "One day, everything changed. An entire life changed," said the former aviator. His military career officially ended in 2006 with 19 complete years of services.
Wells, who is finishing work for a bachelor's degree with the intent of pursing a master's degree in accounting, plans to become a certified public accountant and continue his involvement with SOWH as a volunteer. The Oklahoma native aims to remain in Slidell with his wife, Angie, who works for the Hospice Foundation of the South. For air show dinner reservations, call (985) 641-7590. For more information on SOWH, visit the Web site www.supportourwarheroes.org.
New group honoring vets sets reception
April 6 event will be held in Slidell
By Beth Martin
A new patriotic organization dedicated to honoring local military veterans for their service is inviting all World War II veterans and their guests to an upcoming reception in Slidell . Local veterans, public officials, National World War II Museum volunteers and representatives of organizations and clubs that serve or are comprised of military veterans also are invited to the Veterans Celebrate Freedom reception April 6 from 2 to 5 p.m. at Bayou Oaks Plantation. The dress is business casual and military uniforms are welcome at the event, which will feature recorded music that was popular in the 1940s and 1950s and the United Service Organizations. Advertisement The reception is one way that Veterans Celebrate Freedom, an organization formed by a subgroup of Leadership Northshore's 2008-09 class, can commend and recognize WWII veterans, said Chuck Sabadie, one of the six founding VCF members. "We're losing too many of these men and women each day," he said, noting the deaths of those Americans, like his father, who served in the Navy more than 60 years ago.
VCF also is coordinating a Veterans Day parade to roll Nov. 9 through Slidell. The family-style parade with bands, floats, ROTC units and other participants will commemorate Veterans Day and give residents the chance to show "genuine praise and sincere appreciation" for military veterans and active duty personnel and their families. "The bottom line is freedom isn't free," he said, noting the personal sacrifices that military men and women and their loved ones make to support the country and democracy. The desire is to draw at least 10,000 people for the premiering Veterans Day parade in Slidell.
The parade is a three-year commitment for Sabadie and VCF President Kevin Savoie, Vice President Dionne C. Graham, Troy Ingram, Public Relations Director Will Rachel and Communications Director Samuel Chatman. In conjunction with the parade, VCF plans to host a junior high essay writing contest and a high school poster contest. It plans to offer winning poster prints as a fundraiser and establish a military children scholarship fund, said Sabadie, VCF's development and financial affairs director. VCF also has a Web site that will promote its events and support military veterans, publicizing information about those who own businesses and/or have stories to share through photography or video collections.
Sabadie said that half of the founders have been in the military and they and the numerous veterans he knows through church continue to serve others in the community. Chatman, who retired from the Army after serving 22 years, of which eight years were as a recruiter in the Slidell area, said it especially is important to recognize veterans of previous wars.
"Without them, we wouldn't have what we have today, and, in some cases, to me, take for granted," he said. Chatman said people can support VCF in various ways, ranging from making donations to volunteering for its activities. VCF's mission is to "preserve the traditions of all past and present military personnel, to educate the community regarding the service of our veterans, to promote the ideals of American freedom and democracy, to increase patriotism in St. Tammany Parish, and to perpetuate the history of all United States military by commemorating the anniversary of Veterans Day," according to VCF information.
For more information about the reception or parade, e-mail Chuck Sabadie at chuck@veteranscelebratefreedom.org. For more information on VCF, visit the Web site www.veteranscelebratefreedom.org.
This story: published on NOLA.com Friday, March 28, 2008 2:11 p.m. Published in The Times-Picayune Sunday, March 30, 2008