Tavera, who lives in Florida now, is the second most wounded soldier to survive in the history of the U.S. military. He lost his sight, the lower half of his right leg and was terribly burned when a rocket slammed into his Chevy Suburban in Iraq in March of 2008.
“It’s awesome, it means more than the world,” he said of the event. “It’s been awesome, sky diving, hot air balloon rides and just fellowship with other wounded warriors like myself. I can look over and talk to another guy and he’ll understand some of what I’m dealing with.”
This was the 12th year for the hot air balloon festival but the first for honoring wounded warriors. Dave Hart of Team Fastrax, the sky diving operation that is based out of Hook Field, organized the Wounded Warrior Weekend that included the race, the rides, a golf outing, fishing, shooting and other events. He said a number of sources helped them find the warriors, including Wright Patterson Air Force base and over 100 volunteers helped with the events.
His brother John, who co-owns the sky diving operation, was one of the first “boots on the ground” in Afghanistan in 2001, said the wounded warriors will never forget what happened to them, but weekends like this can help.
“That was the whole reason we did this event,” he said. “Men who have experienced combat, especially with their wounds, some of them are very serious wounds, arms, legs missing, blind, they got to have something that they build new memories. Things that are positive, things that are fun, that make them smile.”
Retired Air Force Major Tim O’Sullivan suffered traumatic brain injury, internal bleeding and had to have several bones removed because of torn ligaments from an 80 pound roadside bomb during his deployment in Iraq in 2008. In his many deployments during his 21-year career in the military he withstood nearly 1,000 rocket attacks and two direct fire incidents. The Beavercreek resident said the weekend was one of the most memorable in his life.
“Getting together with these guys who have been through the same type of thing and having that common bond, reconnecting, talking to each other and then having fun in the meantime,” he said. “What these guys have done is, I can’t thank them enough.”
Denise Lykins and Marie Davidson of Franklin, who were there for the 5K run, said they were going to “really fast walk” the run. They were delighted to learn there would be warriors at the event.
“That is so cool,” they said and just before they stepped off for their fast walk they shook Tavera and and O’Sullivan’s hands and thanked them.
About the Author