[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 10]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 14104-14105]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




               BOULDER CREST RETREAT FOR WOUNDED WARRIORS

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. FRANK R. WOLF

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, September 20, 2013

  Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, earlier this month, I had the privilege of 
attending the opening of the Boulder Crest Retreat in Bluemont, 
Virginia.
  At the opening, I was joined by dozens of Wounded Warriors, including 
two wounded skydivers who jumped in with an American flag, 1,000 
spectators, 100 volunteers and senior military officials, including 
Admiral James Winnefeld, the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of 
Staff.
  This new facility will provide our nation's Wounded Warriors and 
their loved ones a place to get away from hospitals and rehab centers 
and reconnect as families. The 37-acre retreat is nestled in the 
foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains nearly 55 miles from Washington 
and the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, 
Maryland.
  In addition to beautiful cabins to accommodate guests and a lodge 
where families can gather together, Boulder Crest offers extensive 
outdoor amenities, recreational programs and healing activities. Some 
of these activities include archery, nature walks and fishing as well 
as yoga, meditation and canine and equine assistance therapy.
  I want to congratulate Retired Navy Master Chief Ken Falke and his 
wife Julia, who came up with the idea for the retreat after many visits 
to Walter Reed. The Falkes donated the property and have worked 
tirelessly for nearly three years to make the retreat a reality. I also 
commend the volunteers and donors for their efforts on behalf of this 
notable cause.
  I am proud to have this remarkable facility in my congressional 
district and I submit the following American Forces Press Service 
article on the opening of Boulder Crest Retreat.

 [From the American Forces Press Service, Bluemont, Va., Sept. 6, 2013]

         Vice Chairman Joins in Opening Wounded Warrior Retreat

                            (By Amaani Lyle)

       Bluemont, VA.--On a sprawling, tree-framed landscape, the 
     vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff joined about 400 
     guests today for the official grand opening of Boulder Crest 
     Retreat for seriously wounded service members, veterans and 
     their families.
       Navy Adm. James A. Winnefeld Jr. commended retired Navy 
     Master Chief Petty Officer Ken Falke and his wife, Julia, who 
     donated the land and realized their vision of providing free 
     use of a lodge, cabins, activities and programs that provide 
     respite and aid in reconnection, recovery and rehabilitation.
       ``As more than 12 years of war come to a close for the 
     magnificent men and women who have been fighting it, our 
     collective obligation to take care of them will not end,'' 
     Winnefeld said. ``The majority of the seen and unseen 
     injuries our warriors have endured from Iraq, . . . 
     Afghanistan and other places are scars they'll bear for 
     life.''
       With medical facilities such as the Walter Reed National 
     Military Medical Center and others just a road trip away, 
     Boulder Crest Retreat, Winnefeld said, goes the extra mile to 
     not only be a home away from home, but a home away from 
     clinics and hospitals.
       ``The severity of many veterans' physical and emotional 
     trauma suggests long-term care needs that will surpass our 
     publicly available medical capacity well into the future,'' 
     the admiral said.
       The 37-acre, Americans With Disabilities Act-accessible 
     retreat already has proven popular, with bookings in each of 
     its four private cabins through 2013 and projected recreation 
     and resources for 250 to 500 families each year.
       Each cabin accommodates up to six people and is available 
     for two- to 14-day stays, and guests also can gather in the 
     6,000-square-foot, two-story lodge to connect with other 
     families and participate in programs.
       Visitors also can enjoy outdoor amenities such as an 
     archery range, nature trails, a playground, an organic 
     garden, a bird sanctuary and a fishing pond, while 
     recreational activities include nature walks, Shenandoah 
     River kayaking and swimming, and golf and tennis.
       In addition to the retreat's healing offerings of yoga, 
     meditation, massage therapy, journaling, art and music 
     therapy, Winnefeld also noted featured assistance therapy 
     with dogs and horses, which resonates well with wounded 
     warriors who may be weary of sudden noises and movements.
       Winnefeld directly addressed wounded warriors, lauding them 
     for their courage and buoyancy. ``I'm continually amazed by 
     your grit and resilience [and] your commitment to ability 
     over disability.''
       Julia Falke, too, admired the courage not only of her 
     husband, an explosive ordnance disposal technician, but also 
     of fellow military families, which she said ultimately 
     inspired her journey to Boulder Crest Retreat.
       The Falkes lived in military family housing in both 
     Scotland and her native England. ``We'd always invite the 
     young families stationed there to come and have dinner and 
     feel the comforts of home,'' she said. ``You could really see 
     the difference it made.''
       Thirty years later, the Falkes bought 200 acres of land in 
     rural Virginia, where they took residence in a large, stone 
     farmhouse atop the hilly grass and briar. The couple began 
     visiting wounded warriors and their families at nearby 
     military hospitals, and soon resumed the tradition of 
     inviting guests over for home-cooked meals and relaxation.
       But sending the troops back, Julia said, became less and 
     less practical. So when a friend suggested a writer's retreat 
     for the Falkes' countryside, Julia thought of something more 
     meaningful.
       ``The more we started talking about [Boulder Crest 
     Retreat], the more other people would come to us and say, `If 
     you start it, we will help you,''' Julia said.
       The Falkes soon secured a 501c3 charitable foundation 
     status, and in less than a year, various donors poured more 
     than $5 million into the organization.
       Julia said contributors ranged from the Boy Scouts of 
     America to multi-billion-dollar corporations. ``There has 
     been every kind of involvement, the outcome has been 
     unbelievable,'' she said.
       But the nascent project will continue to grow with the 
     ideas and donations of those who support it, Julia said. 
     ``I've been crying all day long,'' she added. ``To see it in 
     reality is so amazing.''
       Perhaps the most interesting style of arrival to the grand 
     opening was that of wounded warrior Dana Bowman, who 
     parachuted in by way of tandem jump with an American flag in 
     tow.
       In 1994, Bowman, a former special operations troop who once 
     served with Falke, lost both of his legs after being injured 
     while serving on the Army's Golden Knights parachute team.
       Standing tall on legs of steel, Bowman didn't lose his 
     courage, and he became the first double amputee to re-enlist 
     in the U.S. military. So when Ken Falke asked him to attend 
     the Boulder Crest Retreat grand opening, Bowman said, the 
     decision to help his former comrade was easy.

[[Page 14105]]

       ``Absolutely, I said I'd be there to bring the American 
     flag in . . . and to land on target, and that's exactly what 
     we did,'' Bowman said. ``We're able to come back, bring the 
     whole team and tandem jump a warrior in for this special 
     event and day.''
       Bowman said the retreat, at its essence, is about giving 
     back.
       ``At the end of the day,'' he added, ``we all bleed the 
     same way, so we have to rally our troops from the different 
     services to come out and make a difference.''
       Elected and public officials, corporate and private 
     organization representatives as well as Vietnam veteran and 
     former Pittsburgh Steelers running back Rocky Bleier all 
     attended the grand opening.

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