Current Hero's Wishes
Monday, March 6th 2023 - Orlando, FL Hello, my name is Nelson Martinez. I am a retired Marine, husband, and father of 4. I retired summer of 2018 after 22 years of service. Throughout my service, I had various combat tours and assignments, making it difficult to have a Disney World trip, much less plan it. While in the Marine Corps, I dedicated myself to accomplishing the mission first. I often put the Corps and mission first and my family second, and I could only do this through my wife, children, friends, and family's support. Both my wife and I sacrificed much to make our time in the Corps work. I deployed three times to Iraq between 2003 and 2009. I also deployed twice in support of Operation Enduring Freedom to Africa and Afghanistan in 2001-02 and again to Afghanistan in 2010. In between deployments, I was assigned to commands that trained Sailors or Marines for combat deployments or headquarters commands that planned combat deployments for various units. I also spent time at the Marine Corps Wounded Warrior Batallion in 2011. My time at Wounded Warrior Battalion was to take care of injuries I sustained in 2003 deployed to Iraq and a TBI I received in 2010 while deployed to Afghanistan. Between 2001 and 2010, I was heavily deployed and ignored many physical, mental, and emotional issues and injuries to accomplish the mission overseas. Like many veterans during that time, the mission to fight and train for combat came first. Because of that, many veterans, myself included, caused and faced issues not just for ourselves but for our families. Our families sacrificed greatly to help us accomplish our mission. Now that I have been retired for some time and our children are a little older, we can finally plan a trip to Disney World. We have never taken a "true" family vacation for the reasons described above, and we have always taken short weekend trips somewhere or made the best of our children's sports events requiring travel. This year, however, my spring break from college classes and our kids' spring break from elementary and high school line up, making it easy to plan a family trip. Our family is a total of 6. My wife and I have three boys, aged 22, 16, and 9, and our daughter, 14. I am asking for help to purchase 6 tickets for our family to Disney World for the week of March 6-11, 2023. I would greatly appreciate any help to make this dream possible for my family. This trip will be a blessing for our family's many sacrifices. I thank everyone ahead of time for making helping me make this dream come true for them. SEMPER FIDELIS! |
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Sunday, April 2nd 2023 - Orlando, FL Hi! My name is TSgt Jessica Cherry. I have served 9 years in the Air Force. Six of those years spent on active duty and I am currently on year 3 in the ANG. I recently returned home from an eight month deployment overseas. I am fortunate enough to be a mom to two beautiful children (ages 4 and 6) and to my married to an amazing man, who stepped up while I was away. Of course, missing birthdays, first days of school, holidays, etc. were the most difficult to navigate while being away. At their young ages my kiddos didn't understand why I couldn't just come home. However, we made it and we're all happy that I am back home! I would love to surprise my family with four 4-day hopper passes to Disney World. It would be a dream come true to both of my kids. Honestly, there isn't a week that goes by that I'm not asked if we can go to Disney World "next weekend". They would be absolutely ecstatic to go! Therefore, I am requesting four 4-day hopper passes. However, I would be thankful for any level of support in making this dream come true for them! Thank you for your consideration and your support of my fellow service members whose dreams have been granted! |
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Monday, April 10th 2023 - Orlando, FL My name is David Tapia, a severely wounded veteran who served in the United States Army. I was awarded a purple heart during my tour in Iraq and later honorably discharged after 4 years. I have a very supportive wife who has stuck by my side despite my severe PTSD. After years of therapy and counseling I think I can finally manage it to be able to take my four amazing daughters, Nallely 13, Anahi 7, Ximena 3 and Natalia 1 on a unforgettable trip to Disney World with the help and support from VetTix and their sponsors / donors. I thank you in advance for your consideration! |
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Monday, May 1st 2023 - Orlando, FL My name is Bruce Haskin. After serving for nearly 22 years, I am being medically retired related to an injury I received in a VBIED (car bomb) in Afghanistan. I am married to Mary (just celebrated 14 year anniversary), have three children, Austin (11), Katherine (9), and Samuel (7). When I left for Afghanistan in 2019, I planned to take the family to Disney when I returned in April 2020. Well, with the bomb, and then pandemic starting while I was gone, that never came to fruition. Then we moved to Ohio a few months after I returned, bought a house and immediately incurred over $20,000 in unexpected and unplanned major home repairs, and recently another $15,000 in repairs in a house flood while we were away for a few days. I have missed birthdays, anniversaries, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and more, and honestly my family and I need a reset, some true fun and relaxation. We will be forever grateful for this opportunity. I appreciate your consideration and kind donation if you choose to do so. I would like to take my family to Disney World. I have three children therefore requesting 5 tickets if that is possible. Thank you. |
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Monday, May 1st 2023 - Anaheim, CA My name is James Campbell. I am being medically retired after nearly 14 years of military service in the United States Navy. Life has been difficult for my family. In 2013, I deployed to Afghanistan with a Tier 1 Special Operations Joint Taskforce. In many ways, it was the most rewarding experience of my life – in others the deployment had severe consequences for my family and myself. The OPSTEMPO was relentless, we were manned ISR supporting near daily air strikes and compound raids. I suffered a mild Traumatic Brain Injury in country, I began to have nightmares, and was suspicious of everyone. My wife had left me during the deployment, and I came home a single father of my two sons. I remarried in 2018 in Las Vegas to my amazing and supportive wife Brittany, who took on my sons as her own. A month later, we did a PCS move to Hawaii for a desk job as an intelligence analyst and we thought life was going to be our honeymoon. It wasn’t. In 2019, due to my military affiliations, my family was stalked by an extremist who wrote a manifesto planning to do heinous acts to my wife and our two sons. He has since murdered his cell mate and our life has not been the same since the home invasion. Our life literally became a lifetime special. We have moved from state to state to state, first on Humanitarian Support orders, then again because medical treatment wasn’t available due to COVID restrictions. I suffer from Chronic Severe PTSD related to the combat and civilian traumas. Brittany has been incredibly supportive, and we had a baby girl who is now a year old. I’ve been to every level of treatment that exists, residential, partial hospitalization, group, etc etc etc. Even tried Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation therapy. I can’t seem to get back to where I was. Admittedly, this began back in 2013, but I couldn’t manage more than one session of exposure therapy. Now that my service is wrapping up, I feel defeated, like I have let my family down. I am being rated 100% P&T for combat related PTSD with comorbid TBI, Narcolepsy, and Migraines amongst others. I would love for the opportunity to receive 4-day park hopper tickets to take my wife and the kids to Disneyland. I don’t like to get out of the house, but I think with the right accommodations through guest services, I would love to just feel like a normal family again. |
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Friday, May 5th 2023 - Orlando, FL I’m a 19 year Army Veteran on my second deployment to the Middle East. During my first deployment, I had many close calls with mortar attacks and IEDs which left me with social anxiety amongst other disabilities. I know because of my mental health issues, I’ve limited my Family from many enjoyable experiences. I’m hoping to thank my Family of 5 with a sweet vacation when I return this summer. One place we’ve always dreamed of going was a 3 day hopper at Disney World. It can’t make up for the many occasions I missed but the thought of being able to bond at the happiest place on earth would be a remarkable experience and hopefully open a new chapter as I near the end of my Military Career. |
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Monday, May 22nd 2023 - Orlando, FL I am currently serving my 2nd tour overseas in the Middle East as a part of Patrol Forces Southwest Asia. I am married to my loving wife and blessed with 3 beautiful little girls. As a Coast Guardsman, My wife and children understood the importance of my volunteering for a 2nd tour and the impact I can make for my service and country. Although the work is hard and rewarding, I feel my family has the hardest job, my children being without their father for another year, and most importantly my wife for her sacrifice and struggles of maintaining a household with me gone. Our wish is for my family to have a magical Disney World experience when I complete my deployment and return home. We have already arranged airfare and hotel accommodations, we are respectfully requesting help in attaining 4-day park hopper passes plus option for my family of 5. After a year in the gulf, this wish would truly be our way to not only come together as a family once again, but make wonderful memories in the process. Thank you for taking the time to read and God bless. |
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Saturday, July 29th 2023 - Orlando, FL My name is Jameson Carnahan. I was in the 82nd Airborne division for 8 years and on my second tour to Afghanistan I was shot in the right shoulder and then I was medically retired. Since then I have had 12 shoulder surgery and I have been told by the VA doctor that I will always be in pain. I am a purple heart war veteran just trying my best with the pain I am to take care of my family. I was stationed at Ft Bragg for all 8 years of my service I have been married for 10 years with 3 wonderful daughters and we have never been on a real vacation i would love to be able to take my daughters to Disney world. when i was shot and medically retired i have had to work day in and day out to take care of my family. |
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Saturday, July 29th 2023 - Nashville, TN My name is SGM JC Culbertson. My wife and I are high school sweethearts and started dating 13 MAR 1993. We married on 03 SEP 1994 (28 years) and have 3 kids: Mariah - 28; Mason - 26; and McKayla - 23. All 3 kids have degrees and Mason is currently taking college courses for a doctorate in psychology and counseling. Our oldest, Mariah, is married and has 4 kids. That's right, Billie and I are 4-time grandparents! Thank you for all that your organization is doing for our Uniformed Service Members! God bless you and all of your co-workers! I would like to see George Strait, Chris Stapleton and Little Big Town with my wife and our best friends (also Army) on 29 JUL 2023 at Nissan Stadium, Nashville, TN. |
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Monday, September 4th 2023 - Orlando, FL Hello! My name is SSG David Crabaugh. I have served 14 years in the Army National Guard with 6 of those years being either mobilized for deployment or in the Active Guard and Reserves (AGR) program. I recently returned from an 11 month rotation in the Middle East where I operated in countries such as Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar and United Arab Emirates. This recent rotation in which I returned days prior to Thanksgiving was a tough one being away from home unlike the last when deployed to Afghanistan. The reason for this was my two sons, Dresden (7) and Dedrick (5). I thought being gone during the younger years would be easier than when they are older but I thought wrong. The missed birthdays, holidays and spending time with them means so much more at these ages. We have been blessed with good health while I was away serving but now that I am home the boys have one desire to take daddy too, welcome to the idea of Disney World 2023! My wife, Yamilka who is from the country of Panama, is a full time student with the University of Central Missouri working on a Bachelors Degree in Nutrition. This has been challenging for her these past two semesters while I was away. She will be finished in May 2023. I want to surprise them all with a much needed family vacation to Orlando and visit the parks of Disney World and make the boys dream come true and celebrate the success of my wife and show my appreciation to them all. We are seeking assistance with 4 4-day Park Hopper Passes as well as 4 EPCOT Seas Adventures - Dolphin in the Depth. The last time we visited Yamilka's home country of Panama, we took a boat ride where we saw many dolphin swimming near the boat. My children and wife would love to be in the water with the dolphins. |
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Tuesday, September 5th 2023 - Orlando, FL Hello, I'm Technical Sergeant Nicholas Cosand. I've served in the active-duty Air Force for 8 years as a cybersecurity technician. I have been overseas for 4 of those years and TDY over 10 times. I have been married to my wonderful and supportive wife Carly going on six years. Recently I was tasked with a short-notice deployment to the Middle East immediately after returning home from a long TDY. This has caused me to be away from home and my family for all but two months of 2022. Throughout this, my wife has been so understanding and has been my anchor of sanity and support. I know this has been equally as hard on her as it has been for me, which is why I want to surprise her with a vacation to her favorite place on earth. My wife is a huge Disney fan and has been wanting to revisit Disney World for years. I would love to surprise her with 4-day park hopper tickets to Disney World in Florida. This would be our first vacation in two years and it would mean the world to catch up on some quality time with my wife that we both so desperately need! Thank you for your consideration and thank you Vettix for giving us the opportunity to share our story. |
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Monday, November 27th 2023 - Orlando, FL I’m SPC Cardenas and I recently got back from a 7 month deployment in Bulgaria. My wife was 1 month pregnant with our first baby when I left for deployment. So I missed most of the pregnancy but luckily was able to redeploy early for the birth of our baby boy. He is currently 6 weeks old. I would like to take my little family to Disney World to show my wife that she is greatly appreciated for being strong during her pregnancy without me physically being there. |
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