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Wounded Vet Gets a Chance at His Dream Job

by KREX News Room
by Amanda Brandeis

Story Created: Aug 13, 2012 at 6:51 PM MDT

Story Updated: Aug 13, 2012 at 7:24 PM MDT

MONTROSE, Colo.- Life can be fragile, sending us in directions that we never planned on heading.

"A lot of history about myself I just mostly forgot. Pretty much everything that I know now is from when I woke up," said wounded veteran, Joshua Heck.

Shortly after marine corp graduation, Josh Heck suffered a stroke.

"I had to learn how to read and write and talk and type. I had to re-learn colors," said Heck.

After three years of recovery, Heck had to choose a new path and a new dream.

Co-founder of Welcome Home Montrose, Jared Bolhuis, said, "The hardest part of wounded veterans is the transition. When they actually get separated and have to find a new line of work."

"I really wanted to get into horticulture. I don't know if it's from being inside the hospital for so long or what. I just wanted to work outside," said Heck.

"Whether they're wounded, ill or injured, they qualify for our program. What it is is we will move them from anywhere across the country here to Montrose. After that, they tell us what their dream job is," Bolhuis said.

The dream job program gave Heck the means to reach his goals

"It's not a hand-out, it's a hand-up where we set the platform. They come out and they capitalize on it all by themselves," said Bolhuis.

Heck said, "Everyone's doing everything in their power to make sure everything goes smoothly and to make sure that me and my wife have been settled in and have a little home of our own for right now."

Although the road has been rocky, Heck believes he's heading in the right direction.

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