Folds of Honor; Fallen and Wounded Soldiers; Fisher House Coming to Mich.
Michigan Native and Air National Guard F-16 Pilot Lt. Col. Dan Rooney Makes a Difference
By Tony Biata, Vice-President PGA/Golf Relations and
Janina Jacobs, President, Metro Detroit Council, NLUS
Thousands of Americans are familiar with Folds of Honor (FOH), an organization which provides educational scholarships to the families of U.S. armed forces men and women who have fallen or been disabled while on active duty.
However, many aren’t aware it began right here in Michigan.
Donations continue to grow in the state each year, boosted by the efforts of Founder, Lieutenant Colonel Dan Rooney, and former Golf Association of Michigan (GAM) President Bill Wright and his team. A golf tournament benefitting FOH has been held annually and next year’s event is on July 20, 2020 at Prestwick Village GC in Highland, MI. Wright also resurrected the 85-year-old Detroit News Hole-in-One Contest and partnered with the GAM to create a fundraiser for FOH. The annual Patriot Golf Day held nationally and in multiple locations across Michigan also supports this great cause.
The story of how it all began is a tale in opposites: distressing, in that it reflects the ‘me first’ attitude so prevalent today, but amazing because of what happened next.
Returning home from his second tour of duty in Iraq, Lt. Col. Dan Rooney, an F-16 Fighter Pilot in the Oklahoma Air National Guard, became painfully aware of the reality families face when a loved one in uniform has fallen or becomes disabled. As his flight landed, the pilot announced they carried the remains of Corporal Brock Bucklin on board, asking all passengers to respectfully remain seated while his casket deboarded. Lt Col Rooney watched as Corporal Bucklin’s twin brother walked somberly alongside the flag-covered casket to meet his family, which included Corporal Bucklin’s young son, Jacob. Lt Col Rooney ached, thinking of his own wife and daughters. Seeing the other side of war through the eyes of Jacob, was life-altering. 
Sadly, over half the passengers disregarded the pilot’s request and left the plane. Lt. Col Rooney decided he had to do something. Not only would he pay tribute to U.S. service members and their families, he would live as a reminder among civilians that it’s our duty to honor the sacrifices of those who preserve the freedoms we so easily take for granted. Lt Col Rooney committed to spend his life changing the future of America’s spouses and children of fallen and disabled service members.
In 2006, an inaugural event was held at Michigan’s Grand Haven Golf Club, which is owned by the Rooney family, and raised $8.513. Those funds were used to support the families of fallen heroes in the state and thus, the Michigan chapter was born. Now, Grand Haven GC is being renovated by none other than FOH supporter Jack Nicklaus and will reopen as American Dunes Golf Club.
FOH is proud to have awarded approximately 24,500 educational scholarships in all 50 states and some U.S. territories since then, including over 4,500 in 2019 alone. FOH has 25 chapters spreading their mission in local communities across the country. This year, 72 scholarships were awarded in Michigan, totaling more than $351,000 in financial assistance. Thirteen of those recipients were first generation college students.
Join us as we honor the noble sacrifices of our military heroes by educating their legacy. Learn more at www.foldsofhonor.org
For information on the 2020 FOH July golf event at Prestwick Village or the Detroit News/GAM Patriot Day Hole in One contest Monday, September 14, 2020 at Livonia’s Whispering Willows GC, contact Bill Wright at 248.935.4351 or billwright1199@yahoo.com.
Army Veteran Scores a Hole-In-One 12th Annual FWSF Golf Outing
By Doug Waite, Board Member, FWSF
Army Veteran Jason White, 39, carded the first ever hole-in-one at the 12th annual Fallen and Wounded Soldiers Fund (FWSF) 9/11 Day of Remembrance Golf Outing at South Lyon’s picturesque Moose Ridge Golf Course.
“I consider it a good round if I have any balls left in my bag at the end of the day,” said White, a casual golfer who plays just a couple times per year. He scored the hole-in-one with a 7 iron on the course’s signature 16th hole, a 145-yard par-3.
“We saw the ball hit the green and then it just disappeared,” White said. “I thought it bounced off the back of the green.”
White scored more than an ace on his teams’ card: he won two roundtrip airline tickets to any destination in the continental United States. 
The FWSF outing is played at Moose Ridge every September 11 and honors those who have sacrificed much for the Global War on Terrorism (GWOT). Money raised goes to the veterans and their families. White was one of ten sponsored Michigan veterans in attendance and is the recipient of FWSF assistance. “I’m glad they were there to help,” White said of his post-service needs.
The 2019 event netted $6,800. Since its founding in 2006, The Fallen and Wounded Soldiers fund has provided over $6 million to Michigan veterans and their families.
Fisher Houses Arriving in Michigan To Serve Families of Vets
By Kate Melcher, Executive Director, Fisher House Michigan
Golf is the best-known sport for supporting charities and worthy causes, locally and across the globe. When golf is blended with doing good and giving back, the scorecard hardly matters. Whether your team posts a birdie or a bogie on the 18th, you’re still raising funds and awareness for worthy causes such as Fisher House Michigan.
A Fisher House is like a Ronald McDonald House for our Military and Veteran families. While there are 85 active Fisher Houses around the world, there are none of these comfort homes available for our Veteran families in Michigan. Fisher House Michigan and their supporting organizations around the state are aiming to change that!
Each year, countless organizations host events from spaghetti dinners to silent auctions, garden parties to golf tournaments. In fact, in 2019, Fisher House Proud Supporter organizations hosted more golf tournaments in Michigan than ever before. Collectively, these tournaments raised over $200,000 for the Fisher Houses coming to Michigan.
Featured tournaments include:
- Thomson Reuters Veterans Network Tournament at Lake Forest Golf Club in Ann Arbor
- UAW Local 900 Golf Tournament at Fellows Creek GC in Canton
- Ron & Scott Memorial Golf Tournament at Winding Creek GC in Holland
- Sons of the American Legion Outing at Raisin Valley GC in Tecumseh
- Billy Casper Golf: World’s Largest Golf Outing at Sanctuary Lake GC in Troy
- Billy Casper Golf: World’s Largest Golf Outing at Fellows Creek GC in Canton
- Wounded Wing Golf Outing at Selfridge Air National Guard Base Golf Course
Stay abreast of tournaments coming to your area by following @FisherHouseMich on Facebook and Instagram, and checking our newsfeed on www.fisherhousemichgan.org. For more information about the Fisher Houses coming to Ann Arbor and Detroit, how to get involved, or when the next tee time is, contact us at info@fisherhousemichgan.org or 518-481-0552.
Editor’s note: Melcher attended officer school and flight school and went on to fly Apache helicopters and attained the rank of Captain. She is now retired.
