Remembering the heroes

Benefit for Special Forces warriors draws sold-out crowd

A standing ovation greeted retired Army Sgt. 1st Class Justin Menchaca when he took the podium Thursday during an event raising awareness and funds for military special operations veterans.

“Just because we took off the uniform doesn’t mean we stop serving as veterans.”

— Torrie Rogers The soldier, critically wounded during action in Afghanistan, was one of the VIP guests at the “ Conversations With Commandos” at the Kendall Inn. The event was hosted by a pair of local Navy veterans — a wife and husband — supporting the Special Forces Trust.

On July 23, 2011, Menchaca on his second combat mission was shot in the head during a battle.

Deemed “a fighter and a survivor” by “Conversations” event organizer Torrie Rogers, Menchaca has undergone extensive rehabilitation, including stem-cell treatment, which can cost up to $20,000 to $25,000 per session.

Rogers and her husband, Jeff Ulfig, are Boerne- area residents who served at the Naval Special Warfare Development in Virginia Beach, Virginia, with Jodi Burns, executive director of the Special Forces Trust.

The trust is a charity providing “meaningful and sustainable support to the Green Berets and their families,” officials said.

“One of (the trust’s) biggest pillars is trying to combat suicide among our veterans,” Rogers said. “Jodi asked Jeff and I if we would host ‘Conversations With Commandos,’ and we immediately said yes.”

“Conversations With Commandos” was established to raise essential funds for programs that support special- forces operatives and their families, ensuring they receive the “meaningful, sustainable care they deserve,” organizers said.

“ It means that just because we took off the uniform, (it) doesn’t mean we stop serving as veterans,” Rogers said. “Their purpose for Special Forces Trust means a lot to us, to my husband and I, just because we ourselves are veterans.”

More than 100 guests flocked to The Kendall Inn Thursday to take part in the event.

During the presentation, Burns detailed “Beyond the Battlefield,” a program that “allows warfighters to ask for help without anyone knowing. It has been wildly successful, and so that really is kind of the pillar of our organization, because there’s nothing else like it out there.”

Burns said Special Forces Trust hosts 15 “ Conversations With Commandos” a year across the country, adding Thursday’s event was one of its first to sell out.

Boerne and the greater San Antonio area are home to a large population of active-duty and retired service members, as well as vital military installations.

“It’s so heartwarming, and I have to hand it to Torrie and Jeff,” Burns said. “ They’ve really dug their heels into this community and you can see they’ve gotten wild support.”

To learn more, visit www.sftrust.org/.