On Wednesday, September 23, our Rotary speaker was Terry Jung, Executive Director of the Lone Survivor Foundation.  Terry was introduced by Past President Vernon Pierce (who pronounced Terry's name with eloquence).
 
The brief narrative in the next two paragraphs describes how the Lone Survivor foundation came into existence, its target population, and the foundations objectives.                                                                                                                          
After surviving his operations in Afghanistan, Marcus Luttrell, author of the Lone Survivor, the 2007 #1 New York Times best-selling book, returned home to his ranch in Texas, the center of his post-combat recovery and restoration.  On the ranch, Marcus had time to recover, to think, and to feel the love and support of close friends and family as he healed from his combat wounds.

 

Based upon first-hand experiences of what is needed to provide holistic healing beyond standard government programs while honoring his lost comrades from Operation Redwing, Marcus established the Lone Survivor Foundation in 2010. The intent was to bring the wounded service members into the same type of environment that healed Marcus: a place of solitude and beauty where there was a close-knit and understanding support system and a place where the service members and their families could heal together as they all worked through the consequences of war.

 

The Foundation is dedicated to honoring and remembering American service members by providing unique educational, rehabilitation, recovery, and wellness opportunities to U.S. Armed Forces members and their families. 
 
In 2010, Luttrell established the Lone Survivor Foundation headquartered in Houston, Texas.  The Foundation's mission is to "...restore, empower, and renew hope for our wounded warriors and their families through health, wellness, and therapeutic support."  The vision is to "...provide exceptional therapeutic, outdoor, and unique opportunities that optimize recovery and healing of affected American wounded service members and their families." 
 

Luttrell and The Lone Survivor Foundation partnered with The Boot Campaign to help show tangible appreciation of America’s active duty military, raise awareness of the challenges they face upon return, and support the transition home.
 
Terry showed several video clips in his presentation which highlighted the four categories, of veterans who are served by Lone Survivor:

At this time, the Retreat is conducted over a five-day period with the soldier/veteran. At the six-month mark, another retreat is conducted for the veteran AND family, including children. This further assists in the healing of all.