News and Updates
News
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...
Vietnam Veterans 5K Walk/Run Registration Open
Registration is now open for our Vietnam Veterans 5K run/walk. While registration is open throughout the month of March, don't delay! Last year's event sold out in two weeks. You and your family walk or run whenever convenient for you. Even families that are far apart...
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...
August Newsletter: A Note From Molly
Since March, we have watched our nation's response to the COVID-19 pandemic and while in many cases the lock-down of nursing homes and senior facilities did greatly reduce the risk of exposure for our most at-risk citizens, this is not true for every lock-down. Our...
June Newsletter: A Note from Molly
It has been a challenging month for all of us. Here at Hero's Bridge, we have stayed abreast of the ever changing fallout and safety measures caused by COVID19 and continue to make adjustments as needed when new orders are released by the state Governor. Meanwhile,...
May Newsletter: A Note from Molly
It is with the dedication and commitment of our healthcare professionals that Hero's Bridge is able to carry out its mission. We rely on the kind-heartedness of our volunteers to stand beside our veterans and be a point of contact during an otherwise lonely time, but...
February Newsletter: A Note from Molly
With Vietnam Veteran's Day next month, things have been busy for the Hero's Bridge team. While we continue to serve our veterans and train our volunteers, we have other dedicated volunteers who have been working on our second annual Hero's Bridge Vietnam Veteran's Day...
January Newsletter: A Note from Molly
Happy New Year from all of us at Hero's Bridge! With the year well under way, each of the Hero's Bridge programs have also kicked off the year with a strong start! Our holiday season was spent touching base with our veterans and addressing the needs of new veterans...
December Newsletter: A Note from Molly
We have much to be thankful for this holiday season. We have welcomed more Battle Buddies to help with our veterans, launched a new portrait program to help recognize veterans in our region, and watched the nation pay tribute to veterans both young and old during...
October Newsletter: A Note From Molly
This month we welcomed new Battle Buddy volunteers from our Bootcamp training and have had more veterans reach out to us with a variety of needs. One of our most touching stories includes a Vietnam Veteran who we were able to help during his wife's terminal condition...
September Newsletter: A Note from Molly
I am excited to announce that Hero's Bridge will have a further reach with its new partnership with Capital Caring. Through this effort, we will be able to meet the needs for an increased number of veteran's aged 65 and older. You can read more about this partnership...
August Newsletter: A Note from Molly
This summer we have been busy bringing our new team members up to speed on Hero's Bridge programs. We have assembled a top-notch team of enthusiastic players who will help move the organization forward. We have also formalized regular monthly visits to Mountain Vista...
July Newsletter: A Note from Molly
This spring Hero's Bridge was awarded a renewed grant by the PATH Foundation that has enabled us to increase our support team and add coordinators for community outreach, volunteers, fundraising and administrative support. With these added team members, we are excited...