The Military Warriors Support Foundation brought five veterans and their families to Patriot Point for a weeklong stay over the Independence Day holiday.

“A lot of things we do takes the fathers away,” said David Dougherty, director of the MWSF Skills4Life program. “This year we are focusing on families and keeping them together on the adventure of a lifetime.”

“This place is amazing,” Trent Brining, a Purple Heart Recipient who was joined on the trip by his wife and two children, said early in the visit. “Can’t wait to see what the week holds.”

The group certainly enjoyed its visit, taking in all that Patriot Point has to offer and even making time for a quick visit to Washington, D.C. At Patriot Point, the group enjoyed the beach and hit the water often, hauling in plenty of fish and crabs.

“My kids will talk about this for years,” said Jeff Cleland, a Marine veteran who was joined by his wife and two children on the visit. “My kids have told me stories of catching crabs every night before bed. They are exaggerating the size and amount of crabs caught, but they loved catching what we ate at night.”

Thanks to Joe and Linda Beck, whose generosity made the retreat possible.

Patriot Point recently hosted Ryan, Mary and their daughter Isabelle for a weekend.

Ryan has 18 years of service in the U.S. Army. Most of that time, he has been on active duty and he has been in the West Virginia National Guard since 2014. He served multiple overseas tours and participated in combat operations supporting Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Ryan was severely injured in a parachuting accident two years ago and assigned to the Warrior Transition Unit at Fort Belvoir for medical rehab at Walter Reed and Fort Belvoir hospitals. Earlier this month, he was approved for medical retirement, but elected to instead defer the retirement for two years and returned to duty in the National Guard.

“My wife, Mary, and I have each stayed at Patriot Point in the past for different events, but this is the first time we were able to bring our daughter, Isabelle,” Ryan said. “During this visit we enjoyed several exciting activities such as fishing, crabbing and sporting clays.  We also had a great time playing in the sand on the beach and chasing small fish around in the shallow water.

“The housing accommodations were perfect for our family and we took advantage of the big kitchen, board games and terrific (Under Armour Freedom Fitness Center).  We definitely look forward to the next time we visit Patriot Point again.”