Published: September 06, 2008 11:08 pm         

Gathering of Mountain Eagles offers help for vets

Each day, brave men and women head overseas to protect the American way of life, often giving those left behind a sense of security and the belief the world is a safer place because of them.

West Virginia is now being called upon to give a little something back. A new nonprofit organization has been formed in an effort to assist some of those men and women who were injured in battle and are now in the midst of a different war — recovery.

Founded in part by Beckley native Woody Aurentz, a 1967 Woodrow Wilson High School graduate and retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel, the Gathering of Mountain Eagles is an outdoor recreational therapy tool designed to help wounded troops realize that although they have been hurt they are still strong and capable.

Aurentz says West Virginia is the perfect place for the veterans to do just that.

“There may be places in America that equals West Virginia’s appreciation for veterans, but it will be difficult to find the same combination of recreational opportunities and love of veterans that the Mountain State offers,” Aurentz said.

In just a few weeks, 22 soldiers and 17 Marines will journey to the Mountain State from Walter Reed Army Medical Center’s Wounded Warrior Transition Brigade and the Marines’ Wounded Warrior Battalion at Camp Lejeune, N.C.

Their time in West Virginia will be full of outdoor activity.

“This will give them an opportunity to regain skills and confidence in a controlled, outdoor environment,” Aurentz said.

The first gathering will begin Sept. 24 with a meet-and-greet and cookout at Glade Springs. The next day, the participants will head to Fayette County, where they will spend a day on the rapids, courtesy of West Virginia Adventures.

From there, the men and women, and spouses in some instances, will travel to Stonewall Resort where they will spend the night and participate, with professional and amateur state golfers, in a modified golf tournament.

They will then head to Elkins for a night at the American Mountain Theater before traveling to Morgantown on Sept. 27 for the Friends of Coal Bowl, featuring WVU and Marshall, where they will be recognized during the coin toss.

Following the game, the men and women will head to Camp Dawson, where they will attend closing ceremonies Sept. 28, before heading back home.

Although Aurentz says he realizes no one will leave the gathering 100 percent whole, he hopes their time in West Virginia will be a step in the right direction.

“We’re not going to heal anybody,” he said. “But maybe it will encourage them to take that next step. We won’t limit them. We want to challenge them and let them see they can still do things.

“It will let them see there’s a whole bunch of people who care about them.”

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A second gathering is planned for the early part of 2009, with skiing at one of the state’s ski resorts as the central activity.

Aurentz says donations and the generosity of places such as Glade Springs, West Virginia Adventures, Stonewall Resort and the Friends of Coal have made the gathering possible.

Anyone interested in learning more about the Gathering of Mountain Eagles or anyone interested in donating can visit www.mountaineagles.org.

— E-mail: mjames@register-herald.com