“There will always be wars and rumors of wars.” A prescient observation made many millennia ago.

It would seem that war is endemic to the human condition. Even here in this land we have, war is with us now. Sadly, tragically so.

Consider the warrior — and his or her family — the sacrifices they make, the real fear they feel. Yet, we as individuals and as a people, if we don’t have a loved one actively involved, probably just don’t count war as an ever-present concern. At least not a major concern. That’s just human nature.

But think, if you will, of the many, here in our time, who are being deployed over and over and over to these places that heretofore we really knew little of, and probably couldn’t even pronounce many of the place names.

Over and over and over. For the survivors of these deployments, and their families, there must be something, anything, that we might do to provide for them, when they’re back here in the states, a time for putting aside, even briefly, thought about war.

And there is. “Combat Warriors” is an organization that has as its mission “To honor and support financially and emotionally the commitment and courage of our combat warriors.”

Providing hunting, fishing, perhaps a family weekend at the beach, for these warriors, is a simple but powerful way for us to “serve.”

Wrote one warrior: “Thank you for the opportunity to hunt and fish with Combat Warriors. The experiences I have had with you and the guys from Oregon Inlet and the Great Ditch have been first class. … For me, I am very proud to have had the opportunity to get to know you and all of the Warriors — your organization has given me a chance to relax and refresh my mind and body while getting back to activities that I never thought I would be able to experience again. I have made lifelong friends and look forward to participating in and helping with future events.”

Should you be interested in learning more about this organization, I have provided contact information. Dana Eddings, DVM, is the main contact person in our area: www.CombatWarriorsinnc.com; facebook.com/CombatWarriorsinnc; danaeddings@gmail.com; phone 252-944-5466.