This flag stands firm.
Hood River Police Department held a ceremony last week for an organization based in The Dalles known as Outdoor Adventures for Military Heroes.
Officer Kyle Zuercher presented the group with a special flag made from barrel staves, from Heritage Flag Company of North Carolina.
“This is a local program that helps out and our department wanted to honor them,” said Zuercher, a 2004 graduate of Hood River Valley High School who joined the police force last year after a career in the U.S. Air Force as a security officer.
Since 2013, Outdoor Adventures has provided about 20 fully supported hunting and fishing excursions — meals, guides, supplies, and firearms if needed — to wounded veterans including those experiencing Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome. Veterans are generally contacted through Veterans Service offices, and invited to participate, at no charge.
“I’m a hunting and fishing guy and a vet, and I wanted to recognize you for what you do,” Zuercher told the Outdoor Adventures members. “A lot of people don’t know about you and we want to acknowledge what you for vets and all your hard work.” Chief Neal Holste was on hand, along with several other officers, though several had to leave early when a call came over the scanner.
Zuercher had read about Heritage Flag Company’s ongoing practice of donating the 2-by-3 flags to groups around the country, and when he heard about Outdoor Adventures, he presented the idea to his fellow officers. Zuercher applied and the organization accepted, telling him they wanted to reach out more to western states and that honoring a group that supports veterans is near and dear to the guys behind it — veterans who work at a North Carolina brewery and started making and giving away the honorary flags made from repurposed brewery materials.
Outdoor Adventures works with ranchers and property owners to gain access to lands and streams where wounded veterans can camp, hunt or fish, and enjoy the outdoors for a few days.
“Sometimes they don’t get anything in the field but what they usually tell us is that it didn’t matter: the most valuable part was getting out, having that time with other veterans, and enjoying the outdoors,” said board member and excursion guide Hal Woods.
Supporters, and veterans who could benefit from the experience, are needed in Hood River County, according to Coleman.
“We’re trying to reach out to wounded veterans not involved via the VSO,” Coleman said. He can be reached at medichunter@hotmail.com.
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