Wounded Marines and soldiers honored with special hunt

Posted: Oct 28, 2008 05:39 PM

Updated: Oct 28, 2008 05:52 PM

By Jaime Dailey - bio | email

BEAUFORT COUNTY, SC (WTOC) - The Low Country Chapter of the Safari Club International is giving wounded Marines, soldiers and veterans an outdoor opportunity of a lifetime.

Members of the club and volunteers lined the road, waiving flags as disabled Marines and soldiers arrived at the Annual Wheelchair and Wounded Warrior Hunt at Nemours Plantation.

"I definitely wasn't expecting all of these people to be here. It's quite impressive, it makes you feel good," said Sgt. Zack Golfos from the Wounded Warrior Battalion out of Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. Golfos suffered traumatic brain injuries during his second deployment to Iraq.

"It's amazing, completely amazing," said Matthew Keil, who is now a retired Army soldier after being shot in the neck by snipers in Iraq.

While each of these wounded warriors have their own challenges and struggles, for the next two days, they get a chance to go out and hunt.

"I'm paralyzed from the chest down, it's definitely something I can't do every day," said Keil.

"Eric and I have been hunting together since he could walk and when he got injured in Iraq, we feared that was over," said Ed Edmundson, who's son Eric is now a retired Army soldier after an IED explosion in Iraq.

But thanks to the Safari Club International and dozens of volunteers, Eric and these other wounded warriors will get a hunting experience of a lifetime.

"This is a special opportunity," said Edmundson. "We know it is and we're going to make the best of it and get us a heck of a deer today."

"There's not a lot of programs across the US that do things like this so when you get the opportunity, it definitely boost your moral and you feel really good," said Keil.

"They've paid such a price protecting our freedoms overseas," said the event's organizer, Mark Peterson. "The very least we can do is show our appreciation when they come home."

"To see these folks be out and enjoy the sport they love, to be able to share time as special service members, to be able to share that as hunters, it is really a blast for everyone involved," said MSgt Mark Oliva, who currently serves at Parris Island and is volunteering at this event.

We at WTOC salute these wounded warriors and all of the organizers and volunteers who made this event possible.

About 30 disabled hunters will be hunting throughout the Low Country over the next two days thanks to property owners who are allowing them to hunt on their property.

Ellie