“ We ' re also working on finding an equine rescue to partner with and move the rescue out here ,” Thompson said . “ That way , it can become a mutually beneficial thing where the veterans can help rehabilitate the horses while the horses help the vets emotionally .”
So far , many of the veterans who have visited the retreat have contacted the outpost themselves after hearing it recommended by members of American Legion and VFW posts .
In the months since Veterans Outpost has moved to Greenville , it has drawn the support of multiple local organizations and businesses , as well as a few major corporations , such as L3Harris .
“ Early in June , L3Harris sent some volunteers to clean up and do some work around the place . They originally said that they ' d send about six or seven people , but when I followed up , they told be that it would be 25 of their employees plus their families ,” Thompson said . “ Luckily , there was enough work to do around here , that I was able to put their effort to good use .”
Another boon to the outpost is the recent addition of two high-profile members to its board of directors : Air Force Special Operations veteran , author , speaker and advocate Jason Morgan and barbecue mogul Eddie Deen .
Morgan is a former combat meteorologist who became permanently disabled in 1999 after a vehicle he was riding in tumbled down a mountain while he was on a mission in South America . Since then he has been paraplegic , but he has formed strong bonds with his service dogs over the years — the topic of his book “ A Dog Called Hope : A Wounded Warrior and the Dog that Saved Him .”
At numerous public speaking engagements in the Hunt County area and throughout the country , Morgan has raised funds for the non-profit , Canine Companions for Independence , who provide mentally and physically disabled veterans with highly trained service dogs .
“ What Jason brings to us is a whole new set of eyes ,” Thompson said . “ From the perspective of someone who ' s in a wheelchair , he ' s working with us on designing the event center we hope to build to be fully accessible to people with disabilities . We ' re also talking about getting things to help disabled veterans participate in activities like horseback riding and archery .”
“ I ' m also more than happy to let Jason , Eddie Deen and others take the reins on fundraising , so we can get the event center and build cabins ,” Thompson said . “ When this is all said and done and everything is built , I would love to be able to just ride my tractor aounrd and wave and say hello to people .”
Those who would like to contact Veterans Outpost can call 972- 771-7280 or send an email to vetoutpost @ gmail . com . The outpost also plans to have a major fundraising event , titled “ Operation : Out of the Darkness ,” on Nov . 10 .
GREENVILE LIFE 28 SUMMER 2022