Homes For Our Troops Benefit Festival January 26, 2012

5TH Annual
Homes For Our Troops
Benefit
Festival
January 27 – 29, 2012
George Bush Park
16500 Westheimer Pkwy
Houston, TX 77082-1608
www.HomesForOurTroopsHouston.org
Celebrate our armed forces and honor their sacrifices at The Annual Homes For Our Troops Benefit
Festival,January 27 – 29, to raise funds to build specially-adapted homes for severely combat wounded
veterans The three-day festival at George Bush Park, 16500 Westheimer Pkwy, combines live music, BBQ
cookoff, military exhibits, carnival, Viet Nam battle reenactment, vendors, car show, auctions,
powered parachute demo, helicopter rides, moving presentations with honored Vets., sporting clays
tournament and much more.

Every day, the men and women of our Armed Forces put their lives on the line protecting our freedom
and independence. Some of those lives are lost, and some are profoundly and forever altered,
suffering injuries so severe that they must rely on others for care, losing much of their
independence. These severely injured veterans have a desperate need for specially adapted homes that
will help restore the independence they have lost. For what they have sacrificed to protect our homes,
we can, and should, build them their homes. Homes for Our Troops can "give back" freedom and
independence to them through a gift of a specially adapted home.

Live Music: For the first time this year, Homes For Our Troops will include a major concert stage. Full
lineup TBA.

Battle Reenactment: A heart-pounding Viet Nam battle reenactment will be staged with an enemy ambush
from the tree-line and troops flown in and wounded evacuation using a vintage Huey helicopter.
Reenactors from other eras will bring American and Texan history alive.

Sporting Clays Tournament: Teams in multiple flights compete at different stations with varying
challenges during the Sporting Clays Tournament hosted by American Shooting Centers. This year for the
first time in Texas, the shoot will include a Gnat Shoot, the wildly popular event that grew out of
the UK where the target is a flying, radio-controlled model aircraft, constructed of Kevlar and titanium
and fitted with pyrotechnic charges that explode to show a hit.

Car Show: Car enthusiasts will see an amazing array of vehicles, from vintage classics to the latest in
sleek power and styling from Ferrari, Maserati, Jaguar, Lamborghini and more, with entries from
prestigious car clubs from around the state.

Air Show: Texas’ world renowned Commemorative Air Force will conduct flyovers to thrill the crowd with
vintage warbirds.Powered Parachute Flights: Powered parachutes provide exciting ultra-light recreational
flight. Ram-air airfoil type parachutes take off from the ground and maneuver with a small prop engine.

Historic Figures: Reenactors will portray some of the most popular figures in our proud military
history such as General Patton, mingling with patrons and providing historic education for children.

Helicopter Rides and Military Display: Patrons can survey the entire event from helicopter rides in a
vintage Huey, and WWII and Korean War era military vehicles, camps and gear will be on display.

Carnival: A major travelling carnival, with generations of history, and a staple of family-friendly
festivals and events will entertain children of all ages with rides and midway games.

Honor Ceremonies: Honored P.O.W.s, severely combat wounded and other veterans will speak on the needs
of returning disabled veterans and the difference Homes For Our Troops makes for them, entering the event
grounds in an honor convoy by the Rolling Thunder motorcycle club. On Friday evening, irreparably
damaged flags are retired in a moving Flag Retirement Ceremony, consigning them with proper form and
honors to a bonfire.

Cook Teams: Twenty-five cook teams will offer samplings of some of the best cooking in Texas on Friday
and Saturday morning until 3:00 PM.

Food Vendors: A host of Food Vendors offering a wide variety of specialty foods and festival favorites
will be serving Friday and Saturday afternoon and all day Sunday.

Craft and Specialty Vendors: Everything from fine guns to gun repair and shooting supplies to crafts
and art honoring our troops will be available.

Auctions: Patrons can help raise funds for Homes For Our Troops and come away with valuable items from
art to valuable guns, from unique memorabilia to prestigious hunting trips. Donations of quality items
for the auction are greatly appreciated and go to help these deserving Vets.

Other Events: Other attractions include exhibition shooting, war dog demonstrations, historic military
weapons demonstrations from the 6TH Cavalry, and much more.

Homes for Our Troops, is a national non-profit whose mission is to build specially adapted homes for
service members who have been severely wounded in combat operations since September 11, 2001. All
specially adapted homes are built at NO COST to the veteran. HFOT relies completely on private
donations, and receives no government funding whatsoever. All monies raised allows the vets the chance
to live their lives, as independently as possible, in their own homes.

Rated 4 Stars byCharity Navigator!
Named a top-rated charity byThe American Institute of Philanthropy

Contacts:

Homes For Our Troops Charity
and Sporting Clays Tournament
Carla Patton
713.498.5046
cpatton@energycorporationofamerica.com
Festival Information and Sponsors
Bob Fuldauer
281.802.2656
trendsofhouston@yahoo.com

Entertainment and Auction Items
Jeanie McHugh
713.823.3665
jeaniemchugh@yahoo.com

Vendors
Michael R. Martin
281.802.2776
trendsofhouston@yahoo.com

Veteran and POW Recipient
and Honoree Information
Nancy Burrus
nanafreedom@yahoo.com
Homes For Our Troops Benefit Festival2012 Veteran Recipient Bios

These American heroes had their lives forever altered twice: first by war and severe injury, and second
by the relief from what would otherwise be greater isolation and hardship provided by getting their own
specially built home from Homes For Our Troops. These vets will explain what a vital difference their
home has made to them and their families and why it is critical to provide for their wounded comrades.
Homes For Our Troops can not contract with a Vet to provide a home until funding is in place, so your
contributions through this event are essential to providing for more deserving Vets. The V.A. estimates
there are 1,000 to 1,500 severely injured and wounded Vets who have already been released from the
hospital and are struggling to find a place. This is a low estimate and many more have yet to be released
and, sadly, there will be more wounded as operations continue.

Austin Burchard
Lutz, FL
Army Sgt.
Gunshot wound while manning a post in Wardack Province, Afghanistan on March 19, 2009. He suffered severe
internal and spinal injuries that left him a paraplegic.
Nicholas McCoy
Boerne, TX
Army Staff Sergeant
On his second deployment in December 2006, when an IED blast near Iskandariyah, Iraq, caused injuries so
severe it resulted in the amputation of both legs.
Neil Frustaglio
Marion, TX
Marine Corporal
He was left severely burned and a double amputee after two IED explosions in Ar Ramadi, Iraq, in December
2005.
Eric Edmundson
New Bern, NC
Army Sgt.
A member of the 172nd Stryker Brigade, 4th Squadron, 14th Calvary, the Stryker vehicle he was driving hit
an IED on October 2, 2005. He sustained shrapnel wounds to his abdomen and right leg, and fractures of the
T4-T5 vertebrae. He went into cardiac arrest and, due to the time taken to revive Eric, he sustained an
anoxic brain injury. This left him unable to walk, talk, eat or drink.
Latseen Benson
Elizabeth, CO
Army Sergeant
Was on his second deployment to Iraq in November 2005, serving with the 101st Airborne, when a roadside
bomb left him a double amputee.
Brett Wolf
Weatherford, TX
Army Specialist
On September 11, 2007, he was injured when serving with the 25th Infantry in South Kirkuk, Iraq, and left
a double amputee.
Daniel Robles
San Antonio, TX
Army Master Sergeant
Was on his third deployment in April, 2006, when he lost both of his legs in an IED attack near Baghdad,
Iraq.
Craig Andrade
Marion, TX
Army Specialist
On his 1st deployment in February 2005 when an IED blast near Baghdad left him with the loss of both legs
above the knees and a burst eardrum.
Kade Hinkhouse
Elizabeth, CO
Marine Lcpl
Was in Ramadi, Iraq, in October 2005, when his HUMVEE was hit by a dual stacked IED. He was ejected,
leaving him with a depressed skull fracture, collapsed lungs and a severe lef injury. His right leg was
amputated and 45% of his skull removed and later repaired by cranial plastic surgery.
Bryant Jacobs
Herriman, UT
SPC Jacobs was serving in Iraq with a month to go on his tour of duty when his HMMWV was hit by an IED on
December 3, 2004.
Matthew Keil
Parker, CO
Army Staff Sergeant
On his 2nd tour of duty, the 25 year old soldier was hit by sniper fire near Ramadi, Iraq. Injuries left
him a quadriplegic, though he has some use of his left arm.
Shawn Monroe
Santa Fe, TX
Staff Sergeant
Monroe was injured when mortar fire hit while he was waiting outside a Baghdad police station.He lost one
leg, suffered extreme injuries to the other leg, and sustained severe internal injuries.

Joseph Smith
Thomasville, NC
Army Sergeant
Smith, a former Marine, was on his 4th deployment when he was left with a spinal injury and Traumatic
Brain Injury after an attack at his FOB in Afghanistan in November 2004.
Nicholas Orchowski
Commerce City, CO
No info avail yet.
Jose “Ivan” Perez
Marion, TX
Marine Cpl
Perez was left with multiple injuries after an IED explosion in Fallujah, Iraq, on February 27, 2007.
Already suffering TBI from a previous explosion, Perez lost part of a finger on his left hand and received
a spinal cord injury leaving him with Paraplegic Cauda Equina Syndrome.
Jose “Daniel” Gasca
El Paso, TX
Marine Corporal
Gasca was left a double amputee after an IED explosion in Falluja, Iraq in September 2008. Cpl Gasca was
driving an up-armored HUMVEE when it was hit by a control detonated IED. He suffered from spinal fractures,
broken ribs, a ruptured spleen and leg injuries so severe that both of his legs required amputation.
Chase Matthews
Eddyville, KY
Sergeant
Sgt. Chasetin Matthews was deployed to Iraq in March 2007 when he lost both of his legs as a result of an
IED explosion. Matthews was driving an up-armored HUMVEE, when an IED detonated directly beneath the vehicle.
Unable to evacuate the vehicle, he was pulled to safety by his commander and, during an ambush, was
airlifted to a field hospital.
2012 POW/MIA/NOK Honored Guest Bios
POW Captain James L. Lollar
Wills Points, Tx
Air Force, Viet Nam
Area of Capture: Hoa Lo - Hanoi on 20-Dec-72
Released: 29-Mar-73

POW Col. Donald R. Spoon
San Antonio, TX
Air Force, Viet Nam
Area of Capture: North Viet Nam on 22-Jan-67
Release Date: 4-Mar-73

POW Terrence S. Kirk
Walnut Springs, TX
Represented by daughter Carolyn Noonan and widow Millie Kirk
30 year Marine
Captured second day of WWII, secretly built camera to document war crimes.
POW PFC William E Baker
Nemo, TX
Army, Korea
Area of Capture: Koto-r-North 1-Dec-50
Release Date: 5-Sept-53

POW Lt. Col. Tim Ayres
Conroe, TX
Air Force, Viet Nam
Capture Date: 3-May-72
Release Date: 28-Mar-73

POW Patrick Reilly
No info avail. Yet

MIA 1st LT. Richard Lee Russell
Represented by wife, Marianne Russell
Missing in Action: 26-April-1972
Navigator on a C130 shot down near An Loc, South Vietnam

MIA Navy LCMD Egan
Represented by Niece Linda Sanders

Official Website: http://www.homesforourtroopshouston.org/