“Wounded Warrior Project really changed my life. They gave me a sense of hope that there’s a chance, like ‘I’m going to make it. I am going to make it through this.’”
Eric Delion
As a high school running back, Eric Delion was planning to be recruited to play college football. But when he broke his hand during his senior season, his dreams of playing football disappeared. Instead, he found himself being recruited by someone else – The U.S. Marine Corps. As he neared the end of basic training, America was attacked on September 11, 2001.
Eric was attached to an artillery unit for the initial invasion of Iraq in 2003, which made the first half of his tour relatively quiet. “We did a lot of blowing things up from a distance,” says Eric.
His second deployment in 2004 was anything but quiet. Now part of a rifle company, Eric says he lost count of all the firefights, incoming mortar rounds, rocket attacks, and vehicles blown up from under him by roadside bombs. The worst was an improvised explosive device (IED) that badly burned one of his close friends.
“His vehicle got hit by a gasoline-based IED,” remembers Eric. “When he got hit, it was like watching a stunt in a movie. His entire body was engulfed in flames. Seeing that and not being able to help because we were being ambushed was one of the most devastating feelings I’ve ever had.”
When he returned home, Eric pulled away from everyone and began drinking heavily. His behavior tore his family apart. It wasn’t long before he was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Then in 2011, four years after leaving the military, Eric ran into one of his fellow marines and the meeting stirred up painful memories. It put Eric back in therapy, where he learned about Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP).
“My first event was a Tough Mudder,” says Eric. “The camaraderie with those guys was just – I can’t even explain how amazing that feeling was. There was a sense of hope.”
Since then, Eric has done many more Tough Mudder events and has even climbed Mount Whitney with WWP. He also discovered his love of cycling on Soldier Ride®.
“It’s therapeutic,” says Eric. “Along with just putting us out there for exposure and not feeling sorry for us. It’s like, ‘Look, these guys are wounded warriors and look what they’re doing.’ It’s very impactful. I look back and smile and I couldn’t be more appreciative for where it’s brought me.”
Now that Eric has found his support system, his goal is to make sure other warriors realize they are not alone.
“For all those who are going through what I went through, know that there’s light at the end of the tunnel. There are always people out there who care. All you have to do is find them.”