TreeUmph! helps veterans soar to new heights

Thirty feet above the ground and wrapped in safety harnesses, Winston Ritchey and his son, Tucker, paused before taking on their next challenge at the TreeUmph! Adventure Course in Bradenton.

I thought it was the perfect time to interrupt them, so I shouted upward, "So what do you think of this free day?"

It was Veterans Day, Nov. 11, and the Ritcheys were guests of TreeUmph! as were other veterans and their family members, approximately 100 combined.

"I think it's fantastic," Winston Ritchey shouted down from his lofty perch. "Veterans don't always know where they fit."

GreyHawk Landing's Ritchey, a former U.S. Marine Corps sergeant, was talking about businesses showing their support of military veterans.

Whether it's free meals or car washes or a run through an obstacle course, many businesses in today's world make the effort to show their support of those who serve or have served our country. Fortunately, it's not just on Veterans Day.

Our society, in general, seems more in tune to the needs of those who have experienced and seen the horrors of war. A lot more effort goes into making sure we create the right fit for veterans.

Those of you who have lived a little realize that always hasn't been the case. The tribulations of our Vietnam War veterans has been well documented.

Sure, I know veterans still have concerns such as medical care and help reintroducing themselves to civilian life. Groups have emerged to help disabled veterans move into homes that fit their particular needs but there are many who aren't so fortunate. Post-traumatic stress disorder gets the attention it deserves, but the suffering continues.

A walk among the veterans at TreeUmph! on Veterans Day left me hopeful. 

"I think it's fantastic. Veterans don't always know where they fit."

If you listen to them, there is a feeling the rest of us seem more interested in getting it right, and that's mostly what they ask.

Indeed, we've taken some positive strides since 1975. How many times have you gone up to a current or former soldier and said, "Thank you for your service?"

Probably a lot.

On Nov. 11, it was TreeUmph!'s turn to say thanks.

"It's great to be able to give something back," said TreeUmph! Manager Tom Wesche, himself a former Army sergeant who served in Baghdad, Iraq before his honorable discharge in 2010.

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Wesche chatted about what he perceives to be the prevailing attitude when it comes to veterans.

"I don't ever feel under appreciated," he said.

That's a good thing, too, because of children such as Tucker Ritchey, who wants to follow in his father's footsteps.

"He loves being part of the veterans' heritage," Winston Ritchey said.

The run through TreeUmph! was all fun and games, but Tucker Ritchey realizes it was a perk presented to his dad out of respect.

"Vets are not looking for freebies," Winston Ritchey said.

He said it is a matter of respect, and attitudes.

"I always appreciate the kind of things that are extended to veterans," Winston Ritchey said. "And I personally support many of those companies. A lot of great companies go above and beyond."

Ritchey was deployed during the Gulf War (1990-91) and he said he always felt respected when he came home.

"That conflict, there was more support behind it," he said.

Nevertheless, those veterans, like all our veterans, went above and beyond.

So once again, we say, "Thank you for your service."