LAFFAYETTE — Veterans across Louisiana are impacted by The Wounded War Heroes Organization. What looks like a benefit to raise money turns out to be much more to these war heroes.
Mike Savoie, a corporal in the Marine Corps, was the first veteran to join the Wounded War Heroes. He says it all started when he asked the president of the organization about funding a veterans reunion fishing trip and before he knew it, there were plenty of people willing to donate
“I asked him what it would take for him to charter a trip for us and I was going to have a reunion. Then he called a couple friends to see what it would take to try to make it happen for us, and they had a lot of people that wanted to support it. Then they came up with the idea of wanting to start Wounded War Heroes, and that was the very beginning of the future,” Savoie told UWK.
Savoie served two Iraq combat tours and was honored with purple hearts during both tours from separate injuries.
“I was shot in the head in October of 2004. A bullet ricocheted off my skull. I had a little bit of brain damage. I went back out November of 2005 and got injured several more times after that, one of them leaving me with burns and traumatic brain injuries,” Savoie shared with UWK.
Savoie also said that after 3.5 years in rehabilitation, he was released from the military on medical discharge and received retirement after six years.
“Personally, I’ve watched the organization save many lives doing what they’re doing with the hunting and the fishing and getting people together. When we come out of the military, we think we’re alone. Depression sets in after you’ve seen the things you’ve seen. Then you come home, and you get disrespected by people and you think that everything you did was for nothing. Wounded War Heroes shows you that people really do care about you. You’re not alone. You are loved, and that people do care about what you did. They were basically one of the reasons why I’m still here today.”
Savoie credits Wounded War Heroes for “Sparing his life” after coming home from war and says that its the simple acts of kindness that make a difference in people’s lives.
Since Savoie has been a part of the Wounded War Heroes, he has participated in the Venice Rodeo, Grand Isle Rodeo, the Toledo Bend, the annual Bass Masters tournament, and multiple hunting trips.
22 veterans take their lives a day in the U.S.
The Wounded War Heroes Organization and West Side Bass Masters are hosting the 9th annual veterans open fishing tournament and banquet this week where war heroes’ fish for free. All proceeds of these events will be donated to veterans.
“The tournament is benefiting wounded war heroes. We’re an organization based out of Lafayette. We put on events for veterans. A lot of it is hunting and fishing events and we use it as a therapeutic experience for our veterans,” Joey Stein with the Wounded War Heroes organization told UWK. “Our slogan is ‘Putting veterans back in the outdoors’.”
According to Stein, there are about 400 veterans who benefit from the Wounded War Heros organization. They even send these men and women on trips all over the country.
Stein went on to explain, “22 veterans take their lives a day in the U.S., and we’re just trying to save as many lives as we can.”
Stein explained that when the event first began, there were only four people to put it on: Stein, his wife, his sister, and his brother-in-law. But nine years later, it has come a long way.
“The first year, we raised about $10,000 just the four of us, which was a big deal because before, it was just a couple thousand. Three years ago, we got on board with Optimal Field Services; and when they got involved, we raised about $180,000 in one year. All the money we raised goes to Wounded War Heroes,” Stein said.
Stein told UWK that he is not a veteran himself but finds serving veterans and being a part of this organization to be a way of giving back to them.
Stein recalled seeing the events grow more and more over the past six years since he’s been a part of the organization. He even told UWK that the fishing tournament went from 30 or 40 boats to now 200 boats fishing to support their veterans.
2025 Tournament & Banquet
The tournament will be held in Morgan City at Doiron’s Landing, on July 12. The tournament is open to anyone who would like to participate. Veterans are not required to pay entry fee. Teams of two consisting of only one veteran are required to pay half price ($100). Teams consisting of two non-veterans are required to pay full price, pre-registration ($200). Registration the morning of the tournament will be ($210).
Tournament boundaries – below Hwy. 90 is off limits/All Oak Harbor Subdivisions canals and bayou Tanquille subdivisions canal and Diorion’s launch canal are off limits.
The banquet will take place on July 10th at the Plaquemine Waterfront Park. Doors will open at 4:30 p.m. Admission is free and open to the public. There will be a live and silent auction, raffles, and a meal.
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