Project: Homage To Our Heroes at a Glance
Our Mission:
To pay homage to our heroes by providing them with a free positive mental health outlet 
by way of outdoor recreational trips as well as educational resources. Nations Heroes consist of Veterans, Active Military, 1st Responders, and Gold Star Families. These trips give our Nations Heroes an escape from everyday struggles from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Depression, Anxiety, Self-Harm, Traumatic Brain Injury and other mental health Disabilities. Provided outdoor recreational trips helps format an unorthodox group counseling session by means of camaraderie and discussions of past experiences. Suicide prevention starts with recognizing the warning signs and taking them seriously; blinded by feelings of self-loathing, hopelessness and isolation can best be coped with outdoor recreational activities.
Recreational Activities Benefits:
1. Inter-personal building
2. Grounding one-self
3. Removing tension and stress
4. Make Fond Memories
5. Cultivating love for nature
6. Educational Empowerment and available resources
7. Networking with like-minded people
8. Overcoming and coping mental health disorders
9. Brotherhood and Sisterhood (sense of belonging)
Getting To Know Our President
Our President, Javier , proudly served in the United States Marine Corps from January 2002 to January 2007. In early 2004, he deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom as part of a Joint Task Force stationed at Bagram Air Base.
Upon returning home, Javier faced significant challenges transitioning back to civilian life. He experienced periods of hypervigilance, often waking to perceived loud noises, and carried a persistent sense of unease throughout his daily routine. He avoided public places and large gatherings, unaware at the time that these were symptoms of a deeper issue. Years later, he was formally diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), anxiety, depression, and other service-related conditions.
During the years immediately following his service (2007–2010), Javier worked extensive overtime hours and used alcohol as a means of distraction. In 2010, he explored shooting as a hobby, though it was short-lived. It wasn’t until 2012, when he began camping and fishing at Lake Mohave, Nevada, that he discovered a lasting and meaningful outlet. This passion later expanded into ocean fishing.
Fishing became more than a hobby...it became a form of therapy. On the water, Javier found peace, clarity, and relief from the weight of his struggles. Despite ongoing physical challenges, he continues to pursue this passion, describing it as his place of tranquility and personal balance. Through fishing, he developed a healthier coping mechanism, significantly reducing his reliance on binge eating and the need to overwork as a distraction.
Deeply impacted by his own journey, Javier is committed to sharing this path with others. His experiences inspired the creation of Project: Homage To Our Heroes, Inc.an organization dedicated to ensuring that fellow veterans and service members know they are not alone and that there are positive, healthy ways to cope with the challenges they face.
As Javier shares:
“The mission is to spread awareness that my brothers and sisters in arms are never alone, and that there are positive ways to cope without turning to self-harm.”
, Javier
P.O. Box 4672 Lancaster Ca 93539
661-488-8429
