May 26, 2013

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Reporter: Kylie Dixon Email

Traveling veterans on segways stop in Bonham to share story

BONHAM, TX-- Retired Sgt. Justin Bond is traveling across the country, by Segway, raising awareness about the dramatic increase soldier suicides.

He's spreading the word there is help and hope for our military men and women coming home. Bond was deployed to Iraq in 2004, when his convoy was attacked. He lost his left leg.

"I left the battlefield wounded, I left my brothers and sisters over there fighting and I know when they return home, they're going to need help. I know, I've lost a lot of friends to suicide, in fact just in the past couple of weeks and I'm tired of that."

After Bond realized he wasn't the only one struggling to readjust to civilian life, he started the "Our Heroes' Dreams." A nonprofit organization. It helps grant wishes to veterans and lets them know, they're not alone.

One of Bond's stops on his 3,000 mile adventure was the VA hosptial in Bonham, where Jim Atkins works with the suicide prevention program.

"I think it's important for these kind of guys to come in because the veterans can relate to them in a different way because they both have been in battle," Atkins explained.

Bond's story hit home with, Elgine Clayton, a Viatnam veteran.

"If you know a veteran, you need to talk to them, you need to hug them, you need to tell them you love them, and tell them you care about them and help them be around," Clayton said.

Bond said his goal is to give these veterans a reason to get up in the mornings. To help soldiers find their passion and be able to execute it .

"As Americans, we owe this to our veterans to help them. But it's as simple as helping them find a new mission in life and it's working. We've had a 100% success rate in this mission."

On the Web:

Our Heroes' Dreams

VA Suicide Prevention


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