JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- It’s the price we pay for freedom. So many of our soldiers return home seriously hurt and need help adjusting to civilian life. Now, a local soldier is making sure service members returning home from combat get the help they need.
Fighting for freedom is why Sgt. Austin Flor joined the military. The Jacksonville native was deployed to Iraq and is now stationed in Germany with the U.S. Army. He thanks God everyday he escaped the battlefield without any serious injuries. But unfortunately the same can't be said for thousands of other soldiers who return home hurt, needing intense treatment and counseling to recover. Action News spoke with Sgt. Flor via Skype.
“Everybody should just lend a helping hand. Helping these guys get rehabilitated and reintegrated back into regular life and make it easier on them,” said Sgt. Flor.
For wounded warriors, the greatest casualty is being forgotten. Flor is making sure that doesn't happen. He's training for a marathon in Frankfurt, Germany, dedicating his journey along the way to those who were injured while serving our country. Flor is raising money for Jacksonville's Wounded Warrior Project. He has raised $750 so far, but hopes to collect at least $5 thousand before he approaches the starting line.
“Just go beyond the normal 'hey thanks for doing this for me.' I'm a firm believer that actions speak louder than words. I'm going to start putting that to work and doing as much as I can for them,” said Sgt. Flor.
And the race to raise funds won't end when he crosses the finish line in October. If he reaches his $5 thousand goal, Flor promises to participate in a marathon once a month and continually raise money for our local chapter. "I just hope it will give other people a little motivation to do a little more for wounded warriors out there.”
If you’d like to donate, visit:
https://support.woundedwarriorproject.org/individual-fundraising/NeverGiveUp/
