Fortunate Sons

In its relatively short history, the United States of America has never had an extended period in which its formidable military force hasn’t found itself embroiled in some sort of foreign conflict. Draft or no draft, the armed forces have always been able to tap into patriotic young men and women willing to lay their lives on the line to protect our allies and assets abroad. While most of these conflicts have initially enjoyed tidal surges of support, more often than not, these veterans return home disillusioned and jaded as they search for meaning within their sacrifice.

Additionally, when the sense of camaraderie and unified purpose they found in the theater of war is suddenly missing, they have a difficult time adjusting to life as a civilian. This has caused a crisis among our returning soldiers leading to staggering rates of depression, drug use, and PSTD; oftentimes sadly leading to homelessness and suicide. Unfortunately, as it stands, it’s clear that the V.A. is unequipped to adequately support these individuals in their time of need. Considering the billions of dollars allocated yearly to defense spending, it really makes one wonder why there’s not a better way to keep these warriors from falling through the cracks.

Sixty-two year-old Greg Baker, a retired Army Ranger who served two tours in Iraq, spent many sleepless nights grappling with this question after retirement in 2018. In order to understand why so many of his brothers-in-arms had such a tough time re-assimilating after the smoke had cleared, he began interviewing vets and experts from all over the country, and what he found may shock you. As he gathered their testimonies, he found that while the horror of combat did play a major role in their struggles, it was the disappearance of the sense of purpose and family that led to the majority of their issues.

Armed with this information, Baker had an idea—maybe he could create a non-profit that would get these vets back together in an environment where they could experience a new, shared mission, one that would place them in an arena where they could not only vocalize and share their stories, but also engage in dopamine-rich activities such as surfing and fishing. 

As a regular visitor to the tropical paradise known as Nicaragua, he knew it was an environment made for the mission at-hand. He also knew of a location to house participants, the sprawling compound of one of his fellow ex-pat surfing buddies, Michael Lindsey. After navigating the hurdles of setting up the non-profit, all he had to do was spread the word to gauge whether or not that was something people would be interested in. As it turns out, they were.

Fast forward 5 years, and Baker’s organization, Fortunate Sons, has hosted six groups of vets hoping to heal–five male, and one femalel. During my stay in Nicaragua this month, I had the pleasure of interviewing this gentle giant to gain a better understanding of his highly successful non-profit. Whether you believe in war or not, this is a telling conversation that illustrates the power of community and connection, two vital aspects of leading a happy and healthy life.

What was your experience like? The good, the bad, and the ugly?

There was so much good. A small town Georgia boy like me would  likely have never gotten out of the South, had I not enlisted. I certainly wouldn’t have gotten to live in Monterey, or spend most of 20 years on Oahu, the two locations I was stationed at in my career. The Army forced me to overcome shyness, insecurities, and fears. It developed me as a leader and taught me the value of surrounding myself with smarter, more capable people than myself. Of course, it also developed my physical and mental fitness, and toughness, as well.  

One of the best things about the military are the bonds that are built by people who endure hardship together. On the negative side, the job too often becomes a person’s identity, and that the job takes priority over family.  

The other bad/ugly thing is losing your soldiers or your friends in combat.  Seeing them wounded or killed; feeling responsible, dealing with survivors’ guilt,  agonizing over decisions made or not made as a leader that might have prevented the loss of someone’s son or daughter. 

I went to war twice in Iraq, once for 13 months and another for 15. I was fortunate not to lose anyone on the first one, although we had several wounded. The second one, we weren’t so lucky–over a dozen wounded, several badly, including traumatic amputations, and two killed in action. 

How did you conclude your service?

After the Army, I was blessed to get to work on a program in Afghanistan that took me there ten times in five years.  It was incredible, because I got to work with so many of my friends and brothers from the Rangers, Special Forces, SEAL and other Special Operations Forces.  Our job was to embed and conduct operations with the units deployed to Afghanistan, and share what had kept us alive, to do the same for them.  It was a very rewarding job.  

I retired from that job in 2018, and in 2019, made the move to live in Nicaragua full time. I’d bought a house here several years earlier after a 2010 surf trip with my bros from Hawaii.

Tell me about the formation of Fortunate Sons. What were the biggest challenges you saw for vets upon return from combat and how did you hope to address them with your non-profit?

For a lot of people, the military becomes their family and their identity, and when their time is up, they struggle with the transition. They don’t have anything in common with the folks outside, they lose their sense of purpose, and their sense of adventure.  This can lead to isolation, depression, addiction, and suicidal ideation . 

I lost the first of many if soldiers and friends to suicide in 2010.  For the life of me, I couldn’t grasp why they’d take their own lives after we fought so hard to bring them home. That led me to start reading and asking questions to a lot of folks. 

I spoke with people such as author and filmmaker Sebastian Junger (Tribe, Restrepo, The Last Patrol), and University of Kentucky Neuropsychologist Dr Daniel Y Han. I’d already realized that without a tribe, a sense of purpose, and some adventure in their lives, veterans tended to not thrive.  

Armed with the lessons I learned about grief and trauma recovery,  some friends and I set out to provide veterans with an experience in Nicaragua that would give them those essential elements and inspire them to find new purpose once they returned to the US.

I chose to call the project Fortunate Sons, as a little ironic play on the protest song by Creedence Clearwater Revival back during the Vietnam era.

What makes Nicaragua special for this mission?

The idea was to  invite interested vets here for a week, to a country most know nothing about, housing them in a barracks style building, and taking them on adventures to surf, deep sea fish, and hike volcanoes. We also partner with indigenous families to do projects for the elderly and sick. Projects such as pouring concrete floors in indigenous homes, and food distribution. I think all would agree that being here with Fortunate Sons replicates the deployed feeling.

What challenges do you anticipate moving forward with your program?

The biggest challenge going forward will always be funding. We are largely funded by a disabled veteran run 501c3, called 22Shenanigans,  but it’s expensive to fly a dozen vets at a time here from all over the US, feed them, transport them, take them surfing and fishing,  as well as renting motorcycles for them, etc.

How have the vets you’ve hosted benefited from the program?

The most rewarding thing has been seeing guys I served with, went to Ranger School or combat with leave here with a new sense of determination and purpose. It helps them realize that they don’t need alcohol or drugs. It’s uplifting seeing them become motivated to get their fitness back and surf like they used to. Furthermore, it  motivates them to restore relationships and help other vets.  

In the future, I hope we can find a funding model that will be sustainable, and that we can expand to have two all female retreats per year, start a retreat for military couples, and  eventually include a course for law enforcement and first responders as well. Another goal is to be able to accommodate people who have mobility issues.  We have hosted our first below the knee amputee, and she was a warrior as far as all our activities, but going forward, we need to upgrade facilities.

I’m excited for our next group in June. A group all from Hawaii, most of whom I’ve known their entire lives–a group I believe will feel right at home in the tropical, wave and fish rich environment here in Nicaragua.

If you’re interested in supporting Fortunate Sons, click here!