A Wounded Warrior Rides Again
“I wasn’t supposed to make it, but God had other plans.”
In this season of giving thanks, we would like to personally thank you, our generous supporters, for helping us provide therapeutic horsemanship at NO COST to people with disabilities and challenges, like U.S. Air Force veteran Cindy.
Desiring to further her education after high school, but lacking the financial resources to do so, Cindy joined the Air Force in 1977 for a chance to qualify for the G.I. Bill. She was eager for adventure, so she chose Hahn Air Base in West Germany as her first assignment. Cindy remembers the political unrest in that era but said the threats never concerned her.
Two years later, a few months before being shipped back to the United States, Cindy and a group of airmen decided to attend Oktoberfest. As they entered, an explosion ripped through the crowd. A bomb, placed in a trash can, exploded. Two hundred were injured, and 13 lost their lives. Cindy was so close to the explosion it burned hair and eyelashes. Fragments from the bomb cut her face, nicked her spinal cord, and severely injured both legs.
“I wasn’t supposed to make it, but God had other plans.” Nine months after the bombing, Cindy walked out of Oak Knoll Naval hospital on prosthetic legs. Cindy lives a full life – enjoying her children and grandchildren, traveling the United States, and finally obtaining the college degree she desired. But Cindy wanted to return to horseback riding. Entering the Hooves on the Ground program was a dream come true. Cindy rides Bud, a Haflinger, each week with a smile that never ends.
Your support ensures Cindy and other veterans can come to The Right Path. You play a part in making their dreams a reality.
Thank you!
In HIS Grip,
Julie Jones
Joiner, J. (2020, January 21). Refusing to let evil win – Oklahoma State University. Oklahoma State University. https://news.okstate.edu/articles/business/2020/cindy-crenshaw-martin-f2f.html