News and Updates
News
Welding Everything Except Broken Hearts
Memorial Day recognizes veterans who made the ultimate sacrifice. Those who lost their lives defending freedom around the world and throughout history. Hero’s Bridge salutes every veteran who did not make it home. We also salute their family members. Many veterans who...
Hero’s Bridge Replaces Stolen Purple Heart After 47 Years
73-year-old Vietnam veteran John Bolden considers himself lucky to have been shot at his basecamp. He was walking to the mess hall when he was shot in the right thigh. He was told it was a Viet Cong sniper, but he thinks it was a stray bullet from the firefighting...
Nick Travis: I’m Not The Same Person
Vietnam Army Veteran, Nick Travis, had trouble assimilating to civilian life after spending nearly two years in Vietnam. "I had a lot of triggers," he said. The Brooklyn resident returned to the Brooklyn in 1969, he didn't leave the house for six months because he...
Behind the Brick: Kim Townsend honors family members with Village Commemorative Bricks
Kim Townsend is commemorating two family members with bricks at the Hero's Bridge Veterans Village. The first is for her husband, Tim, a retired Army veteran who passed away in February 2010 from lung cancer. "He served in Desert Storm," said Townsend. Proximity to...
Number Seven in the Books
"We couldn't have asked for better weather," said Rick Heppard, veteran, Operation Enduring Freedom. It was a cool and cloudy morning. The runners began at 6am, with the sun just coming up. "I was a little worried that it would be a really tough run as I hadn't put a...
Hero’s Bridge Connects Elderly Veterans With Care: For Molly Brooks, making sure older veterans are looked after is personal
Molly Brooks wasn’t at her father’s side when he died in 2016. It’s a memory that continues to haunt her. A 23-year career military retiree and Vietnam veteran, Raymond Gustin USMC, MSgt, suffered from the effects of Agent Orange exposure. He was 71 when he went to...
Running for Heroes Needs Your Support!
Having run four monthly marathons since January 2021, both Bobby Brooks and Rick Heppard are beginning to feel the strain of their endeavor with minor injuries and fatigue. This past weekend they ran the Gettysburg Festival of Races. While the weather was perfect and...
Running for Heroes March Marathon for Vietnam Veterans
Running for Heroes finished their third marathon this weekend in recognition of Vietnam Veterans Day on March 29. Their goal is to run 12 marathons in 2021 to raise $26,200 for the Veteran’s Village. “Overall, our time is staying pretty consistent. I felt the miles in...
Veteran runs 48 miles in 48 hours to raise funds for Hero’s Bridge Veterans Village
Operation Desert Storm veteran Bobby Brooks is half of the running duo called Running for Heroes. The two are raising $26,200 by running one marathon every month during 2021. The money will be donated to the Hero’s Bridge Village, a planned community for marginalized...
Homebound veterans get a visit and a vaccine
Last week, a U.S. Navy nurse Carolyn Kirkland contacted Michael Guditus, emergency manager for the Fauquier County Department of Fire, Rescue and Emergency Management. Guditus said, “She was concerned that the Veterans Administration was not doing enough for veterans...
Hero’s Bridge Paw Patrol Program Receives a Grant
The Fauquier Community Enrichment Alliance, Inc. (FCEA, Inc.) formerly the Fauquier Hospital Auxiliary, Inc. awards a grant to Hero’s Bridge Paw Patrol Program. The funds were allocated from their Pet Therapy Program. Robin Corcoran, Pet Therapy Treasurer for FCEA,...
Checking In With Our Runners: Marathon #2
This weekend, Rick Heppard and Bobby Brooks completed their second marathon, on their way to 12 marathons in 2021 to raise $26,200 for the Hero's Bridge Veterans Village. While the forecast looked bleak, the runners postponed their start time for a few hours and were...
September Newsletter: A Note From Molly
We have lost 7 of the veterans we serve since June. It is always difficult to learn that a veteran, who we cannot reach during our welfare checks, has passed away. But it also serves to remind us that right up until the very end of their lives, we offer help. This is...
August Newsletter: A Note From Molly
At Hero's Bridge, the majority of our requests for assistance are to help Vietnam Veterans. That war had special circumstances that left more damage in its wake than previous conflicts. A lengthy war spanning several presidents and cabinets. Politicians making...
July Newsletter: A Note From Molly
Summer is still in full swing and so are our Village plans. We are excited to continue promoting our brick fundraiser for all of our supporters to leave their mark on the Village. I would like to extend a special thanks to our Running for Hero's partners, Bobby Brooks...
June Newsletter: A Note From Molly
In April, a three-war veteran died at age 96 in the comfort of his historic farm home with his wife by his side. Not every older veteran has sunset years as comfortable as he did. Too many of our aging veterans end their lives living in substandard housing conditions...
May Newsletter: A Note From Molly
As the daughter of a Vietnam Veteran, military recognition days are on my radar. Each year remembrance days from each of our nation's battles has me thinking of the soldiers who lost their lives in wars and skirmishes throughout the years and throughout the world. I...
April Newsletter: A Note from Molly
There is finality in everything we do at Hero's Bridge. We know that we are serving these veterans in their final moments. In some cases, even their twilight years have passed and they are simply waiting to pass away. It isn't easy to accept. In the five years since...
March Newsletter: A Note from Molly
Our team members and volunteers have done their fair share of running around lately...and I mean that both figuratively and literally! Our veterans could always use an extra hand and maybe some help around their house. Many of them live in old homes that show their...
February Newsletter: A Note From Molly
This month was another busy one for our team. We welcomed social work intern, Amber Mullins from Liberty University. She will be working with our Battle Buddy Coordinator and meeting with veterans. We have enjoyed getting to know her and getting her up to speed. The...
December Newsletter: A Note From Molly
Like many people we know, as we head into December, we are keeping our eyes firmly on 2021. We are all experiencing COVID-fatigue and the veterans we serve are too. We know some at-risk veterans who have been at-home since March with little interaction with anyone...
November Newsletter: A Note from Molly
As we embark on the holiday season, at Hero's Bridge we have much to be thankful for. Primarily, we remain thankful for all our veterans and their service and dedication to our nation. We are grateful for our community that supports our efforts to ensure aging...
October Newsletter: A Note from Molly
We are excited to be a beneficiary of Fun Run Racing's Prince William Turkey Trot. Their catch phrase Trot, Eat, Sleep speaks to all of us as we prepare for a different, albeit still busy, holiday season. I hope you will register for the event and select Hero's Bridge...
September Newsletter: A Note From Molly
Although we have made a lot of sacrifices for the past six months as a result of COVID, I have to admit that being forced to slow down has given us a chance to better connect with our veterans. While we continue to serve them with our six distinct programs, we also...