Getting from A to B.

On May 14th of 1804 Lewis and Clark departed Camp Dubois (Camp Wood) just north of St Louis, Mo. Their main goal was to find a water passage to the Pacific Ocean. Lewis was 29yrs old and Clark, 33. On 8 Aug. 1805 they reached the headwaters of the Missouri River at Three Forks, Mt. 16 months, covering 2,464 miles, traveling the longest river in America UPSTREAM.

A short trip ain't my thing and I'd much rather, when it comes to water, go with the flow.
Mid August I will be in Great Falls Montana to build The raft that will transport us downstream to the Mississippi River. I will be accompanied by my "second in command". 2nd Lieutenant Frederica Carter from Alabama. a bitch dog of the Southern Blackmouth Cur breed.
 After the assembly of our raft, we will be shuttled 160miles south to The Missouri River Headwaters State Park where we will start our journey by canoe. ( I do not wish to ride a raft through the waterfalls and carrying a canoe around is preferable to dragging a raft).

YES.. There is a PURPOSE.

Veterans Dignity Project Inc.
A 501c-3 non profit organization was formed to improve the lives of Veterans. We have defined two ways to do that. Come See.... and Go Tell.

This journey is about Go Tell.
Educating the general public about the problems facing OUR Veterans is part of the solution. My goal is to have that conversation. As Some of you might know, I have a story to tell. My time dealing with the Veterans Administration has given me a first hand understanding of some of these problems. Soapbox preaching ain't my thing but I have no problem with town hall meetings, interviews, rallys and any other place where people are gathered.

This journey is also about raising funds to grow this outreach program. It is my plan to acquire the equipment necessary to set up our mobile operation. A large military style tent. a propane cooking griddle. coolers. cooking supplies and other support equipment.

How can YOU help.?
Spread the word. Share our information with your friends and family. Get involved. We have but two purposes in this life. To Give and To Grow. This is what is right and Honorable.
If you live within a reasonable distance of the Missouri River, reach out to me. Lets brainstorm some ideas about how to gather a crowd.

If you would like to financially support our efforts,
PAYPAL. Veterans Dignity Project Inc.
(this journey is being funded out of my pocket, not by contributions)

Thank you in advance for your time, support and consideration.

Don Wood
www. veteransdignityproject.org
veteransdignityproject@gmail.com

Veterans Dignity Project Inc.

I got a message one day... "Don, I'd like to talk with you about an employee of mine, He's a Veteran".
Not the first time that this has happened. I have been very public and forthcoming about Veterans Dignity Project and what my vision for this non profit organization is. Because of this I have been contacted by friends and friends of friends. Even a few completely cold calls. Just strangers reaching out, hoping they can find some guidance or compassion. These conversations bare on my heart.

I want to share with you one of the stories I have heard. It is my hope that you will find a bit more understanding in what some of OUR Veterans are going through.

I had never met the man with whom I was talking to. I asked for some details such as type of work, geographic location, type of business and such. Central Florida, privately owned retail store selling outdoor leisure equipment and services. After a short conversation, we identified some of the issues this Veteran was having. The employer was asking me questions because he saw the potential in this young man. The employer had no military experience. "He is slow to engage a new customer when they walk in the door".   I felt that my "job" was to give this employer some insight as to what might be the cause. and I said, Imagine that YOU have just completed three rotations to Afghanistan with a combat Infantry unit. Imagine coming from a place where Everybody dresses the same. Some of them are "friendlies" and some of them are the enemy. Now, imagine that you have less than a moment to do a threat assessment on every individual or group that you encounter. Even a small mistake can cost you your life, or worse yet, the life of a comrade. That training does not go away when OUR military personnel come Home.
The employer was now looking at this situation in Florida with different eyes than before. He said that he had never imagined what this young man was going through. He questioned whether He was asking too much of his employee.. My guidance to him was this.. Utilize his skills and through that process you will find one of the best employees you have ever known.. Understand that in the Military, everyone has a completely defined roll. Ask him to do a security assessment of your property. Seek his opinion about what to do in an active shooter scenario. How to protect co workers and customers when things go sideways..

To the employers credit, He was concerned for this person. We talked a bit about the treatments offered by the Veterans Administration. What we discussed next is what lit my fire..

Three times a week, this Veteran has to leave work at lunch time. He rides a city bus to his therapy appointments at the VA. scheduled for 330pm. This might not seem like much to most,,, but let me tell you what I see.. He's Job scared. It takes an amazing employer to put up with "time away from work". Three times a week, this young man is being subjected to public transportation, ie. rushing crowds of people, loud noises, surrendering his safety to a stranger driving the bus, hyper vigilance, fight, flight or freeze, not to mention transfers and heaven forbid, the bus be late or break down.. (I have first hand knowledge about this from my time dealing with the VA in Atlanta. Scared)
He needs treatment to get better.. He needs a full paycheck to get better. Many Veterans cannot do both.

There is a solution..
This Cat needs a car...
Imagine how a set of wheels would have a positive impact on his life. You didn't "just" give him a Go machine,, You gave him a pay raise. (4hrs off work instead of 12hrs). You gave him the ability to go to a movie without being traumatized by public transportation.. (I swear, some of Americas "Public transportation systems" are either an annex of the department of corrections or a gateway to all the bad things of Hell)..

Here's the thing... It's called Dignity
                                                         :The state or quality of being worthy of honor and respect.

Any Man or Woman, who has Honorably served their Country is worthy of Honor and Respect.

Here's what I'm gonna do..
Veterans Dignity Project Inc. ( a non-profit Veterans service organization, registered) will purchase a used vehicle (around $2500). Preform the require maintenance. then present that vehicle to a "Validated" Veteran. ( I would also like to provide the funds to cover 6mths of car insurance)    

I hope that it is understood... This is not one story one car. There are many Veterans who have a similar need. Life without wheels is miserable. We can help.

please visit our website at www.veteransdignityproject.org (we are making it better)
or on Facebook.
our Paypal account is Veterans Dignity Project Inc. donwood223@gmail.com

Your tax deductible, charitable contribution will be greatly appreciated.


Thank you for your time and consideration.
Don Wood