Homes For Our Troops

Feb 15, 2011

“When I Was Shot That Day And I Didn’t Die, I Looked At Myself And Said, ‘I’m Not Done On This Earth’”

Al , , , , , Service Dogs, Veterans

I’ve written about my friends wounded warrior and Canine Companions for Independence graduate Matt Keil and his wife Tracy here a number of times before (“I’m So Proud Of That American Flag…That’s Why I Was Serving My Country.” “OIF Veteran And Canine Companions For Independence Graduate Matt Keil Talks About ‘Homes For Our Troops”).

How can you not?? Theirs is truly one of the most amazing stories that I know, I’m lucky to have met them, and it’s great that they are right out here “in the neighborhood” in Colorado.

Well, the saga continues and gets more amazing all the time.

I followed along from a distance as this was happening, and there’s even more to the story than this very touching Denver 9NEWS video from yesterday tells you, but just watch it. You can even catch a coupla glimpses of Matt’s CCI service dog Gus (including one funny part goofing around at their house). Oh, yeah – standard Kleenex alert applies. (Did I really have to tell you that?)

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“A Little Faith – A paralyzed Iraq veteran’s journey to fatherhood”

Sep 20, 2010

“I’m So Proud Of That American Flag… That’s Why I Was Serving My Country.”

Al , , , , , , Service Dogs

“I’m So Proud Of That American Flag… That’s Why I Was Serving My Country.”

CBS broadcast a PGA special called “Playing With A Purpose” last month about the charity efforts some of the top professional golfers are involved in.

The first segment featured Phil Mickelson and his involvement with Homes For Our Troops and was all about my friends Matt and Tracy Keil who live out here in Parker, Colorado. I’ve written about Matt before – he was shot in the neck by a sniper in Ramadi in 2007, is paralyzed from the chest down other than a little movement in his left arm, and has a Canine Companions for Independence service dog, Gus (who, coincidentally, was raised in the Kit Carson Correctional Facility in Burlington, Colorado).

Video of that segment is now on YouTube.  CCI isn’t mentioned in it, but Gus is very visible. Pretty emotional, too – Matt and Tracy have done a lot of very public things like this, but this is the best one I’ve seen. Just tremendous.

Jun 3, 2010

OIF Veteran And Canine Companions For Independence Graduate Matt Keil Talks About ‘Homes For Our Troops’

Al , , , , , , Service Dogs

KDVR Channel 31 in Denver just did a great news story a coupla days ago with Canine Companions for Independence graduate Matt Keil and his wife Tracy promoting a wonderful organization, Homes For Our Troops, who built their beautiful house.  Matt’s CCI Service Dog Gus, who was raised in the prison program at the Kit Carson Correctional Center in Burlington, Colorado, makes a brief working appearance in the video, too.

As Matt explains in the video, he’s a wounded warrior who was paralyzed with the exception of his left arm by a sniper’s bullet near Ramadi, Iraq on February 24, 2007.  You can read more details about that in a number of places, including here: “After Surviving Sniper’s Bullet, Soldier Looks to Future”

Matt and Tracy have been super representatives for wounded warriors and their families in general and a number of organizations as well, including CCI, Paralyzed Veterans of America, Homes For Our Troops – pretty much anything they are involved with.

This is another placement that I’d describe exactly the same way I did Andrew Pike’s (Andrew and Matt are good friends, BTW) back  late last year:

“Every Service Dog Placement With A Veteran Should Be As Great As This One”