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By his own admission , Jimmy had been drunk pretty much every day for most of the last 13 years . LAST CHANCE SALOON , BANDERA , TEXAS
In that moment , Jimmy had been granted access to one of the most extensive addiction / PTSD / TBI rehab clinics in the US . Set on 543 acres of stunning Texas farmland , Warriors Heart has an enviable track record of rebuilding lost souls . With an army of trained specialists , it ’ s a full-bore treatment facility embracing a raft of clinical healing techniques including equine-assisted and canine-assisted therapies , and art therapy . It ’ s the first-ever exclusively military Veteran and first responder rehab center in the United States .
And as the treatment is both excellent and expansive , it ’ s not inexpensive . So AHERO needed the help of the community to help foot the bill .
We reached out to The Independence Fund ( TIF ) and the Thin Blue Line Foundation . We had a Vet in real need of help , but we were struggling to find the funds to get him into Warriors Heart . The response was immediate . Within hours , both of these great organizations had agreed to help , pledging that , come hell or high water , they ’ d ensure the funds were found .
Thin Blue Line President , Founder & Chaplain , Scott Miller , immediately stepped up . The Independence Fund , in the form of Programs Vice President Jeremy Davis , also instantly engaged . TIF Casework Coordinator Alia Schenck , along with Communications Coordinator Ashley Skinner were assigned the task .
Every day , Alia , an Air Force Security Forces Veteran , lit up our email with requests for intel , forms to be filled out , and ideas as to how to find the funds . All while attempting to design a pathway – in tandem with the VA , the great folks at Warriors Heart , and insurance providers – to make this process easier in the future .
Astoundingly , within just over a week , Alia had , in true Texas style , rounded everyone up . Jimmy ’ s stay was assured . This . Community . Rocks .
“ Aliaaahhh … !” we “ shouted ” in our email back to her – our attempt to thank this warrior .
A letter from Jimmy to AHERO
While no longer active duty , her firepower remains . NOW , THE HARD PART
Our question to one another continues to be , can Jimmy stay the course ?
Will he think , “ I ’ m doing good , right ? I ’ ll just have a couple of beers .”
Or will he realize the combination of excess weight , poor diet , heavy smoking and alcoholism might have him deployed to a meet-with-Saint Pete before year ’ s end ?
As of this writing ( 23 June 2021 ), Jimmy is doing well at Warrior ’ s Heart ’ s excellent facility . But he leaves on Friday . So stay tuned . As promised , there will be a “ Jimmy vs Jim , Part Two ” in AHERO Magazine ’ s upcoming Winter 2022 issue .
Meantime , please wish our friend Jimmy well and pray for him , as all of us here at AHERO are doing .
On May 9 , 2021 , while attending the AHERO Warrior Hook-Up at Orange Beach , I met with Maj . Lee Stuckey , USMC , who presented me with an opportunity to attend Warriors Heart , a residential alcohol / drug addiction treatment center located in Bandera , Texas . Lee and a few other members of AHERO were able to see through the facade I had been hiding behind for many years . A Navy Veteran and police officer , I was in a deep , dark , fast-spinning spiral leading to certain death from alcohol addiction . I agreed without hesitation and six days later found myself on a flight from Baltimore to San Antonio , Texas . My son , Nick , met me at the airport and drove me to Warriors Heart . I said goodbye to Nick and entered the gates for my 42-day journey to sobriety .
I completed the intake process and went to sleep in the early morning hours of May 16th . At 0700 , I attended roll call , finding myself surrounded by approximately 60 Warriors ( combat Veterans ), police officers , and firefighters half my age , who greeted me with a warm “ Welcome Home ” message .
Warriors Heart is a 543-acre ranch that provided me with recreational opportunities to enjoy , including fishing , art , wood and metal shop , swimming pool , gym equipment , and wild game . I was assigned to a licensed chemical dependency counselor and a licensed professional counselor , who specialized in trauma , and I met with them twice a week . My counselors helped me discover my real self , who I had forgotten , and what the driving force was behind my alcohol addiction . Day by day , my body and mind began to heal . The curriculum at Warriors Heart is based on the Alcoholics Anonymous 12-step program and I quickly realized that I was powerless over alcohol . I studied the 12 steps with my fellow warriors , began to regain my faith and spirituality , and attended Bible study and church each week . My healing process continued by sharing my thoughts and life story with my fellow warriors and , at the same time , listening to theirs . They have a saying here , “ Warriors Healing Warriors ,” which is certainly true .
I completed my journey on June 28th , leaving with many memories and friendships that will last the rest of my life . I ’ m also leaving with a toolbox filled with a variety of sobriety tools that I will carry with me . By the grace of God , AHERO , my warrior class and clinicians , I have a clear mind and soul and my body is repaired going forward .
~ Warriors Heart , Warriors Healing Warriors ~
A happy , healthy Jimmy Graham . AHERO MAGAZINE SUMMER 2021 61