2015 FOLDS OF HONOR SCHOLARSHIP AWARD PRESENTED TO TEMPERANCE BLACKMON, DAUGHTER OF JOEY AND ERIN BLACKMON

Joey, Erin and Temperance Blackmon
are shown with
Joey's PTSD companion, Chaos.
During a June 24 evening Kickoff Reception for the September 7 Tidewater Patriot Day Charity Golf Tournament, Folds of Honor Foundation Vice President Major Ed Pulido, Ret., will present a Folds of Honor Scholarship to Temperance Blackmon, daughter of Erin and Joseph Blackmon. The Tidewater tournament helps to fund a number of nonprofit organizations, including the Folds of Honor Foundation (www.foldofhonor.org), which provides "scholarships and assistance to spouses and children of those killed or disabled in service to America."

According to Bill Pearson, Tidewater Patriot Day Charity Golf Tournament Director, Temperance Blackmon's father, Joseph (Joey) Blackmon, graduated from high school in June of 2001. He had completed one of life’s passages and felt the joy of that accomplishment mixed with the good anticipation of what the future had in store for him. While enjoying a summer of fun, dreaming of a world of opportunities, and planning his next step in life, the horrible events of 9/11 unfolded. Determined to defend and protect his country, Joey joined the military.

Joey was sent to basic training at Fort Leonard Wood, MO, and was stationed with A Co, 105th Combat Engineer Battalion and was activated for deployment to Iraq in March 2003. On arrival to his combat theater in Iraq he was tasked as Route Security for a period of 13 months in which he experienced on a daily basis major rocket fire, mortar attacks and several IED blasts. During this period, his vehicle was hit by an IED, causing a commercial bus to slam violently into his vehicle, and resulting in severe trauma to him. After recovering from his injuries, Joey completed this combat tour and also returned and served with a Heavy Equipment Unit on their embedded Recon and Tactics Team.

Joey's combat tours took a heavy toll on his well-being as he continued to struggle with the effects of combat. He has been diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). He was recently medically discharged and awarded 100% service connected benefits for PTSD.

Over the past six years during his readjustment process, Joey has been homeless, separated from his family and continuously dealing with the demons of combat. Today, he is in a better place, with help from his family, his service dog named Chaos, who has saved his life several times, a family community, and the Folds of Honor that supports him and his family. Joey Blackmon will always face stress from his memories of war, but he is now ready to move forward into the next phase of his life.
  
The Blackmons pose with other area families whose children
previously received Folds of Honor Foundation scholarships

No comments:

Post a Comment