by Tami Raco
When Military Service Personnel come back from war with all limbs intact and no visible scars or wounds, we often overlook the toll of their service on their heart, soul and mind. This is what they call the “invisible wounds” of war.
Rochester native, Lyndon Villone, a brave young man, decided at the age of 19 to help defend our country’s freedom and join the fight with “The War on Terror.” He enlisted in the Marine Corps in 2005 and served four years active duty as an Amphibious Assault Crewman. Lyndon served two tours in Fallujah, Iraq.
He returned home and faced the challenges of adjusting back into the civilian world. He began to experience the repercussions of managing the impact of war and the effects it had on not only himself but also the way it affected his brothers in arms. Lyndon’s struggles led him down paths of substance abuse, trouble with the law, alienating those who loved and cared for him and ultimately a dark road of lonely self destruction.
In the early part of 2011, a time when Lyndon began facing some of his toughest days, he took in a Siberian husky puppy. Initially this puppy only served as a way for Lyndon to make some money during his struggles. He planned to use this puppy to help with his financial burdens by selling him. One day Lyndon was singing the Marine Marching Cadence and the pup began to howl along with him. From that day forward Lyndon developed a special attachment to the young Husky pup.
Some days Lyndon’s depression had him so recluse and uninterested in life that this pup became the only reason why Lyndon would get up. He would have to get up to feed him, exercise him and care for this young pup. This helped Lyndon pull through some of his hardest days of life. Little did Lyndon know this puppy came to him with a much greater purpose in his life.
In a short time, Lyndon developed a close bond to the husky and he ultimately became a significant part of Lyndon’s recovery. The husky was named Ice, in honor of one of Lyndon’s closest friends, Sgt. Wesley Rice. Sgt. Rice lost his life days before Ice was born, in a military training accident. This loss was one of many that Lyndon would be facing in the upcoming years where his struggles became serious.
During this same year Lyndon was formally diagnosed with PTSD by the V.A. At this time he did not have the tools to manage or fully understand what he was facing. His struggles continued but he was not alone. He surprisingly found companionship and support from Ice. This canine provided an element of grounding and calming to Lyndon’s tormented spirit.
Lyndon’s journey of hardship was very similar to what other returning servicemen/women were facing. The invisible wounds of war, the PTSD complications, the substance abuse, suicidal thoughts and self-destruction were something many men and women faced after their military service. What was different about Lyndon was that he began to find healing in the relationship he had with Ice. This also led Lyndon to begin Therapeutic Horse back riding at the EquiCenter. Lyndon found his happiest days were those that he spent with the horses and with his canine companion Ice. “At those times when I was with Ice and the horses, I felt my best,” said Lyndon.
After experiencing the healing benefits from this type of therapy, Lyndon began to volunteer at the EquiCenter and also trained Ice as a Therapy Dog. In September of 2012 Lyndon and Ice successfully passed the tests and Ice was certified as an official Therapy Dog. He and Ice volunteered throughout the Rochester area providing therapy dog services. Lyndon found this type of work to be most rewarding.
November 2012, Lyndon was about to face one of his most painful losses. Sgt. Chris Sawyers, who served and roomed with Lyndon, lost his life to suicide. This was Lyndon’s sixth close loss of a Marine Corps brother. This took him into one of his most painful emotional places. But at this place of grief, pain and darkness, the idea of Heel the Heroes was born.
In the United States, 22 Veterans commit suicide every day. Lyndon was empowered to help heal the invisible wounds of other Veterans by using the healing powers of canine and equine therapy. The goal of Heel the Heroes is to help Veterans turn their lives around. In 2013 Lyndon took his idea to Syracuse University to the Entrepreneurs Boot Camp for Veterans program. This is where he learned how to implement his business plan and how to launch this non profit organization to help Veterans who face similar challenges. His dream was becoming a reality.
Heel the Heroes is a non-profit organization that is an all-inclusive retreat for Veterans who struggle with PTSD. This retreat will be at no cost to the veteran and will provide canine therapy, equine therapy, as well as therapy from other modules such as music, yoga, art and counseling services. The programs are designed to help Veterans hit their reset button. It is also geared at providing them tools they can bring home to better manage their triggers. Each Veteran will leave with not only the tools but also a short term and long term plan with goals and accountability. Many will be eligible to have their very own Therapy Dog.
In 2014 Lyndon left the Greece area to begin to establish this retreat near San Antonio, Texas. The location was chosen for several reasons. The climate allows the program to be operational year round as well as being in one of the most populated areas for wounded veterans in the country. The township where Lyndon began this – Schertz, Texas – was just named the “Purple Heart City.”
Lyndon is keeping close ties to the Greece community through various Veteran outreach programs as well as the Greece American Legion where he was just named as a Guest of Honor at its Annual Wounded Warrior Concert.
Heel for Heroes is volunteer run and supported 100 percent exclusively by donations. The new organization is beginning their first official Fund Raising Campaign in November 2015. Part of the proceeds from this fundraiser will help bring local Veterans to his Heel the Heroes Retreat in the fall of 2016. To learn more about Heel the Heroes, to donate or volunteer, visit www.heeltheheroes.org
