The following is a letter from Col. James R. Fullwood, USMC – Commanding Officer of Wounded Warrior Battalion-West
Below I provided a rough outline of my memories of our meeting and then establishing the f-Stop program at the battalion.
My introduction to you was through Jennifer Brusstar of the Tug McGraw Foundation. In 2011 or early 2012 during a visit to the Veterans Home in Yountville, CA. Jenn mentioned she knew someone who had a great concept to support struggling veterans through the use of photography, both as a modality for rehabilitation of physical and mental wounds but also as a life changing skill that could lead to a profession. Of course that someone was you.
- After numerous emails and much dialog about your concept for f-Stop, in early 2012 you traveled from Carpinteria to Camp Pendleton, CA. You warned me ahead of time that you were “a hippie” and had no previous interaction with the military…and if I remember correctly had actively protested against U.S. involvement in Vietnam. But what was evident through our discussions over phone and email and then immediately upon meeting you in person is that you had a passion for life and an innate concern for others. These traits, coupled with your sense of humor, made an immediate connection with the Marines that you met during that first visit.
- During your visit you met with the Marine leaders and many of the Navy and civilian medical personnel responsible for the recovery care of seriously wounded, ill, and injured Marines. As we discussed the existing services available to recovering Marines which included equine therapy, mental health counseling/groups, music therapy, and adaptive athletics, it was obvious there was a place for an artistic outlet like photography. After refining the concept, you left Camp Pendleton.
- A few weeks later, you sent a proposal, a charitable offer funded by the Tug McGraw Foundation at the time to the battalion to provide photography classes and engagement support to WWBn-W. That offer was forwarded to the Charitable Giving Section at Wounded Warrior Regiment at Quantico, VA. After a review, your offer was accepted. After the difficult part of developing the concept and navigating the administrative approval process, I’m sure the rest of what was to come seemed easy by comparison!
- But now the devil was in the details. At WWBn-W, we identified space that could be used for a classroom/photo laboratory and began to integrate your program into the battalion schedules. We also coordinated with the medical and mental health providers to ensure they understood the resource that F-Stop would provide to the Marines. You had the difficult part of acquiring cameras, computers, printers, photo paper, books, and all sorts of other materials for the program. Given all of these hurdles, however, you built a program from scratch and established a physical studio at Camp Pendleton in a few short months…a tremendous feat!
- I believe you started with your first 8-10 Marines later in 2012 and from there the program began to grow. The wounded, ill, and injured Marines gravitated to your personality but also saw the immense value in a program from which they benefited in mind, body, and spirit. Aside from the health benefits of F-Stop, your students were gaining a life-long skill and hobby. Further, you engaged Marines to include their families in projects to extend the healing to all aspects of the Marines’ lives.
- And the Marines were proud of their accomplishments. Their photos were on display around the battalion area for others to see as if they now felt strong enough to allow those others to see their very personal struggles. From displaying their work at WWBn-W you challenged them to reach further. In the winter-spring of 2013 you sponsored a showing of your students’ work at a local gallery, which brought senior Marine and local leaders together. The recognition paid to the F-Stop program garnered additional support. It also meant that you had more Marines participating in the program and other locations like Balboa Hospital interested in replicating your success. You were certainly in demand!