By LAURA BROOKHART / Community Columnist

At the recent Helena Business Association meeting, I learned of an organization called Lone Warriors, Inc. founded by Eric Fort and his wife, Carolyn.

Eric Fort’s father was a United States Navy Pilot who was killed in action in Vietnam.

At 18, Eric enlisted in the Marine Reserves and was first a Platoon 1024 squad leader at Parris Island. Afterwards he served with 4^th Battalion 14^th Marines Lima and Headquarters Batteries in Bessemer.

He graduated from Samford in 1993 with a BS in Business Administration.

“After serving stateside in California during Operation Desert Storm, I received so much support and gratitude from friends and family, from my fellow Samford students and even complete strangers, that I knew that one day I would want to pay back the generosity I was shown,” Fort said.

Lone Warriors, Inc. received 501(c)(3) status in May 2015. They will help to assess the needs and engage in construction projects, continued home maintenance and repair.

“In order to enable and enhance the Veteran’s quality of life, we consider no project too big or too small for us to assess, manage and support.”

Lone Warriors, Inc. has built a database of contacts within a variety of professions that are willing to provide services at reduced or no cost to not only U.S. Armed Forces Veterans but also their family members.

The movie “Of Men and War”about the high rates of PTSD among soldiers who have endured the depraved world of combat experience and their symptoms was recently shown in Alabaster.

“If you or your group are looking to pay back to those who have put their lives on the line defending our freedoms please contact us,” Fort said. “We will never have too many to help with this battle!”

Donations are accepted on the website, with 100 percent going towards supporting their mission of providing quality life services to disabled U.S. Armed Forces Veterans.

To find out more, visit the contact page at Lonewarriors.org.