By Amanda Roach
DANVILLE
September 25, 2007 07:07 pm
—
A Greenwood marine overcame his own traumatic injuries and created a assistance program to help other wounded servicemen and women.
Seeing the good in that program, a group from Danvillle created a golf challenge fundraiser to provide necessary funds.
Marine Cpl. Klay South, 31, of Greenwood, served as a deputy for the Johnson County Sheriff’s Department before enlisting in the U.S. Marine Corps five years ago.
South said he enlisted because he wanted to do something different with his life. He explained that for him, boot camp and training was fun.
South served two tours of duty in Iraq before becoming injured. He was deployed for the first tour in April 2003 and for the second tour in September ‘04.
On Nov. 11, 2004, South and his regiment were clearing a house in Fallujah of weapons and insurgents when he kicked open a door to a home and was immediately met by gun fire. The insurgent was carrying an AK47 assault rifle and shot South multiple times at point blank range.
South said one bullet struck his foot, while another went through the right side of his face, shattering portions of both his upper and lower jaw. He said he threw a grenade, but everything after that is blank. He did not even remember the trip back to the U.S.
After numerous surgeries, South is continuing to recover. He said he lost 20 percent of his tongue and his entire jaw had to be surgical reconstructed with titanium. He also experiences strong migraines because surgeons were unable to remove the bullet.
While recovering, South said he noticed that several of the soldiers there were in need of support. It was then that he began to think about how he could help younger soldiers cope with their injuries.
Through family fundraisers, South was able to start an organization called Veterans of Valor, Heroes Helping Heroes.
He said the two main goals of the program are to provide backpacks and grant a wish for a soldier. With the backpacks, Veterans of Valor provides Ipods, Sony PSPs, a set of warm-ups, T-shirt, shorts, zip up hoods, and a Bible.
South said the backpacks are Ipod-friendly and allows soldiers to take them anywhere while they are recovering. The wish granting program allows wounded soldiers to receive a wish like sky diving or going to Disney World.
“Its like the Make a Wish Foundation, only for the military,” he said.
In order to help these soldiers, South relies on money from fundraisers and donations. One such fundraiser is the Veterans of Valor Golf Challenge at Twin Bridges Golf Course in Danvillle on Oct. 6.
There will new Chevrolet HHR and Colorado pickup trucks sponsored by Andy Mohr Chevrolet and $7,500 cash sponsored by Cargo Services Inc. in Indianapolis for any golfers who make holes-in-one on three different par three holes. There will also be awards for the longest drive and prizes for first- and second-place winners.
Registration for the challenge begins at 10 a.m. Oct. 6. Proceeds from the golf outing will go the Veterans of Valor organization.
For more information about Veterans of Valor, visit the website at veteransofvalor.org. For more information about the golf challenge, call Bob Adamson at 839-5042 or Paul Morton at 340-8554.
amanda.roach@flyergroup.com
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