Welcome Home - A Podcast for Veterans, About Veterans, By Veterans
Welcome Home is a Willing Warriors and the Warrior Retreat at Bull Run project. The program highlights activities at the Warrior Retreat and issues impacting all Veterans. For questions or feedback, please email us at podcast@willingwarriors.org.
Welcome Home - A Podcast for Veterans, About Veterans, By Veterans
Semper Fi & America's Fund Transforms Lives
What happens when a Marine survives what should have been unsurvivable? Tony Porta's story begins with a catastrophic IED blast in Iraq that claimed the lives of his fellow Marines and left him with burns over his entire body. From that moment in 2007, his journey through 143 surgeries and six years of hospital care reveals both the brutal reality of combat injuries and the extraordinary resilience of a Marine.
Tony takes us through his remarkable awakening from a coma on his mother's birthday, the angel he believes helped him escape his burning Humvee, and the painful years of reconstruction that followed. But this isn't just a story of physical recovery—it's about finding meaning, community, and purpose when life as you knew it disappears in an instant.
The conversation shines a powerful light on the crucial role of Semper Fi & America's Fund in Tony's recovery. When military support systems reached their limits, this organization stepped in to help his displaced family keep their home, secure appropriate housing near the hospital, and eventually provide a smart home that accommodates Tony's needs. Their comprehensive approach recognized that healing extends beyond the wounded warrior, encompassing caregivers and children who share in the journey.
Perhaps most moving is Tony's candid discussion of finding "home" after war. His heartbreaking experience of rejection in his hometown led to an unexpected discovery of a welcoming community that saw beyond his injuries. His story reminds us that true healing happens when wounded warriors find acceptance, purpose, and support to build a meaningful future.
Ready to make a difference in the lives of wounded warriors like Tony? Visit thefund.org to learn more about Semper Fi & America's Fund and support their vital mission.
Good morning. I'm Larry Zilliox, Director of Culinary Services, here at the Warrior Retreat, and with me this week is our co-host, John Wall, and our guest this week is Tony Porta. He's a retired Marine and he's here to tell us about not only his service and his transition and his transition from active to veteran, but also he's here their mission to include those who are combat injured, critically injured, in all branches. So we're very happy that you're able to join us, tony. So welcome to the podcast. Thank you. So if you would tell us a little bit about your journey joining the Marine Corps, why you picked the Marine Corps and not the Air Force, and your service up until that point when you sustained your injury, yes, well, for me it was 9-11.
John Wall:When 9-11 happened, I told my parents that I was going to join the military, mainly to do my part as well. In 2005, right after high school, I joined the Marine Corps, graduated boot camp and deployed to Iraq in 2007. May 5, 2007, that's uh, my life was changed forever. I um, I was uh really bad injured, but that day I lost two of my best friends, two marines, and since that day I, uh, I was injured. May 5, 2007. I was medevaced to San Antonio, texas, to the Best Burns Center for the military. It used to be called Brookhaven Medical Center, now it's called San Antonio Medical Center, where I spent six beautiful years.
Larry Zilliox:Yes, and for our listeners. So you know, tony's an overachiever, because during that time you had 128 surgeries plus yes, Is that a record?
Larry Zilliox:Not quite. Oh, my goodness. Okay, it's a lot, it is a lot, yeah, it's, it's, it's a crazy amount of I think about it. I think about the treatment that you received, and there's probably no other place in the world where, as an injured service member, they would get that kind of attention than here in the United States and with the U? S military. And for those listeners who aren't aware that when I'm assuming you were injured in combat theater, you were stabilized and then you were flown to Germany yes, lindestahl and in Germany they decide basically where the best stateside hospital is for you based on your injuries. So our listeners understand that for burns and inhalation injuries they almost always go to San Antonio. If you have PTS traumatic brain injury you could very well go to Fort Belvoir Community Hospital and then any kind of mobility issues usually go to Walter.
Tony Porta:Reed. Yeah, that includes TBI as well.
Larry Zilliox:Yeah.
Tony Porta:Yeah, they have a big center there.
Larry Zilliox:Well they have that center there, because another point I want to make to our listeners is that, generally, whatever combat injury you sustain, it's most likely going to be accompanied by TBI and PTS. So it's very rare that you're going to be in a vehicle that encounters a roadside bomb, for instance, and you may have some burn injuries or some sort of you know broken arm or even an amputee. There's going to be TBI and there's going to be PTS. There's no doubt about it. So you get to San Antonio and what are you thinking? Or where in the chain of events did you become aware of the seriousness of your injuries?
John Wall:Well, the first couple of months it was, I think, everything started back when I arrived to San Antonio. The Marine Corps, of course, called my mother and my dad and I'm from Maryland so they flew my dad, my mother and my sister to San Antonio because they didn't know if I was going to make it or not. I was in really bad shape. I didn't have skin at that time anywhere in my body. My face was completely gone, my right arm was completely gone, my left hand, there were bandages all over me. So when they flew my family to San Antonio, texas, I got there on May 7th and my mother I remember the voice of my mother. The only thing that I was able to remember it was the voice of my mother, just her. And I remember she used to tell me every single day to wake up because soon was going to be her birthday. Her birthday is on May 11th.
John Wall:So, uh, uh, when I was in San Antonio, I was, uh, I was in a coma. I, uh, I was in a really bad shape. Doctors didn't know if I was going to make it or not, but surprisingly, I woke up on May 11th. Wow, may 11th. I woke up saying where's my mother? Today's her birthday. Wow, and I was. I couldn't remember nothing else, but the next day I went back in Tacoma for 30 days. Wow.
Larry Zilliox:And when you were transferred from Germany into San Antonio. Do you remember any of that flight or any of?
John Wall:that? Yes, I do, I do. I remember when the ID went off. It completely destroyed my truck. I was driving that day I had my gunner, who you were, in a Humvee A Humvee, yes. He lost his life right away. Same day with my A driver.
John Wall:We lost his life right away same day with my A driver and we had so much ammo and so much fuel inside the truck that my friends couldn't get near to my truck to rescue me. So I remember everything was on fire. I remember my Humvee broken in four pieces. I couldn't open the door and I believe in God. I believe an angel saved my life. He opened the door for me and I was able to get out.
John Wall:My friends told me the same thing. They told me they don't know how, but they saw the door opening by itself and seeing like someone carrying me to safety. I was able to get off from the truck, go to the vehicle behind my truck and I remember my friends telling me porter, hold on, hold on, we'll, we'll get to safety soon, just hold on. Then I remember uh being in the helicopter, the medics trying to keep me awake, tell me, don't go to sleep, don't go to sleep. Uh remember uh punching me on my chest and the next thing I remember was, uh, a little bit I think it was in germ just seeing the nurses and the doctors and just saying hold on, hold on. And after that I just remember seeing the beautiful face of my mother.
Tony Porta:Wow, wow. That's a blessing, tony man. It's good to have you here. Thank you, your story is incredible. We appreciate your service and your sacrifice and you know going through that journey I have no doubt you had an angel. Sorry you had to endure that. Sorry for the loss of your best friends while you were there. Yeah, the struggles that you've gone through are tremendous. I mean you said 128 surgeries plus six years, I thought, you know, with a TBI at Walter Reed myself, two, three years was a long time, but I just don't know how you did it. I was at my limits at that and not even going through the severeness that you've gone through, and you know. I just want to say we are here at the Willingway Retreat, we're humbled and we're blessed to have you here and we appreciate you sharing your story.
Tony Porta:My understanding is, while you were at the hospital, you were connected with a particular fund. What's the name of that fund? Can you tell us a little bit about that and how they supported you through that journey? Yes, of course that's the name of that fund. Can you tell us a little bit about that and how they supported you through that journey?
John Wall:Yes, of course, that's the Semper Fi in America's Fund. Well, my family actually met them first my mother and my father and my sister. They were helping them from day one, from day one. But when I woke up and and I was able to to see around, I remember seeing my first case manager, who was sandra sailor and caring a long time ago, and they used to encourage me every single day, telling me tony, don't, don't give up, just worry about yourself and we'll take care of your family.
John Wall:And that meant a lot to me. Just remember, uh, just like I said, I'm, we are from maryland and I was made it back to san antonio, texas, long ways from home. Yes, they left everything behind their jobs, the house. My sister stopped going to school. They left everything because they didn't know if I was going to make it or not. Every day was a struggle. Every day they were really happy, uh, one minute, and the next minute they were crying because I was, I was doing so well in one minute and then and the next minute I was down. And I was like that for several years.
John Wall:But then I remember the first time I really asked for help. It was when I was really tired of being in the hospital. We had a place for wounded warriors outside the hospital, but they were full. My parents were staying in a hotel room close to the hospital and they only had two beds for them and my sister, and when I was well enough to to get out from the hospital, I was moved to that same hotel. I was in that hotel room for for a couple of I I'll say, two months, sleeping with my uh, sleeping, uh in the bed and my mother was doing wound care with my father every day and in the same same uh same time, going to the hospital and do therapies, having surgeries and things like that. But I was getting sick, I was getting really sick.
John Wall:It was just a hotel room right you know, just imagine for four, uh, for four um yes for myself and my parents and my sister.
John Wall:And then then that's when I talked to Karen and I told her Karen, I need help, I want to move to an apartment or somewhere where I can have a little bit of space, when I can see my mother at least have some kind of privacy, or my father or my sister, because it was really hard, it was really hard for them. They never complained, but they, they told me, don't worry, we'll look for we look, we'll help you get an apartment. In a couple days later, I was moving to a, an apartment complex close to the hospital, and they helped me pay the apartment. They were also helping me with my parents.
John Wall:See, like I said, I have no complaints with the military at all. They did their best, but there was a big gap. There was a huge gap. That the bit the military couldn't handle. Right, it's a 2007. There were a lot of injuries, there were a lot of casualties, mm-hmm. So a lot of people, just like myself, I was, I was in another state, away from home, right. So my parents left everything behind and the fund helped my parents pay for their mortgage as well, back home until they could go back to work, and they did it for six years, because that's how long I was in the hospital six years.
Tony Porta:And that was the Semper Fi Back then it was called Semper Fi Fund, correct? Yeah? Now I believe it has transitioned a few years back to Semper Fi American Fund and we share a common denominator here. I'm an alumni of that as well and that's because of the American Fund, I think they you know they, like you said earlier, they were getting so many people, they were inundated, right, and there wasn't a lot of resources, and then I think they saw there was a greater need for other service members and so they moved it to the fund, our Semper Fi Fund, american Fund.
Tony Porta:You in your story here, in regards to being with them, those folks there are just amazing. They try to really go above and beyond to help the service members that are truly, you know, injured and wounded and ill and it sounds like they took really good care of you and we're good to have, you know, organizations like that out there that want to step up, and you know when these I don't think our listeners out there really want to step up and you know when, when these I don't think our listeners out there really know, larry, you know these service members. They go through a lot, you know, in the hospital. Some of them become long-term patients, sure, you know, from their injuries sustained, and even you know non-injuries, you know, I think the average person when I was there a couple of years ago, you know, was probably three years, three to four years, just in a hospital environment, sure, doing their thing.
Tony Porta:And it's nice to have organizations like Semper Fi, american Fund, you know, and Willing Warrior, and there's many other that are out there that are stepping up, that are stepping up and it's just it's really nice to you know, understand that I think it was like four gold star moms or something like that that started the organization. Is that correct, tony? Do you know that answer? The folks that founded it, was it?
John Wall:mothers. No, karen Gunter, she was a nurse at that time, okay, when she saw the needs of, because there were a lot of casualties and a lot of injuries, okay, so, just a small group of wives. They raised a little. I think their first grant was for $500 when they spent it all in Wonder Warriors.
Tony Porta:Just uh-huh, uh, just like me, and that started in san diego, uh, san antonio it started in san diego.
John Wall:Oh, in san diego, yes, it's there. In california, in california, yes, yes. And then they moved to everywhere, everywhere yeah they, uh.
John Wall:They're all well known all around the country because they have an amazing program. They didn't only help me with apartment, they helped my parents, just like I said, with their mortgage. And a couple of years after me, when I arrived to San Antonio, my dad had to go back to work and I had major surgeries. Every day was a struggle. As I said, I had over 128 surgeries I think 143 surgeries in total, but some of them were really bad. Some of them were small, like opening when I was burning, I was making a fist, so my skin melted all around my fingers so they had to separate one finger at a time, but they were tiny compared to some other surgeries. For example, my face was so burned that I didn't have skin. Doctors had to rebuild my lips, my nose, my cheeks. Rebuild my lips, my nose, um, my cheeks, my um, my uh. Everything that you see from my face doesn't belong there. Everything belongs to their uh, they, uh. They came from my shoulders. My mother used to. My mother became my nurse, my doctor, doctor, everything, everything.
John Wall:What a great person to have to take care of you, though, right, yes, yes, but it was really tough. She couldn't handle it by herself. So when we would need help, the fund flew my dad several times from Maryland all the way to San Antonio to help me out. When I was ready to move away from the hospital area, I was able to move to a house with the fund, where the fund helped me out as well and also helped me to provide a vehicle where I could move around with a wheelchair, and there are a lot of programs out there and they're still helping me out if I need it. They have amazing programs for caregivers as well, for example. Being a caregiver is not easy. No, it's not easy.
Tony Porta:I mean you basically uprooted your family to go to another state to see their son and their brother. Just, you know, not the same as it was when they remembered him leaving and and, and their world is just turned upside down, you know. And then they got. You know they're dealing with all the emotional battles and you know displacement at that time and why they're still trying to hold on to you and hoping and praying that you're going to come through and you're going to keep fighting and still be with us. And you're right, it's hard on the caregivers and there are organizations out there that actually help caregivers. I know this is one of the organizations that can help caregivers as well, along with the Semper Fi.
John Wall:Yes, and the children as well. For example, when I retired from the military back in 2012, I was ready to go home. I told my wife I was able to meet someone. I met my wife in 2010, when I was still having surgeries. I met my wife in 2010, when I was still having surgeries. She was able to see the person who I was inside and not outside, and I was blessed when my son was born. We had my son in 2012, a day before my retirement ceremony, so he was a nice present.
Larry Zilliox:Yeah.
John Wall:But, um, I was ready to move, uh, to move back home. I love Texas. Texas is a great state. I love Texas to death.
Tony Porta:Everything's big in Texas. Yes, everything is big in Texas.
John Wall:But uh, now they're like home, sweet home, yes, but as I always used to tell everyone, I used to ask everyone why did the military have to build the best burn center in the hottest place of the US? Yeah right, that's a good point.
John Wall:They know we can't sweat anymore. We have issues with the heat and the sun, sure, so I wasn't able to enjoy my sun. It was too hot for me. Even I used to get blisters on my hands, used by opening the car, wow, so I couldn't enjoy my son. So in 2012, I uh, I told my wife to that I want to go back home, that I want to go back home yeah we moved back home, but I home.
John Wall:But I had a hard time with people back home. I wasn't accepted. Just because the way I looked back in 2012, I still had a lot of stitches on my face, going through some surgeries. It was hard. One day, I remember being, I took my wife and my son to the store and, as someone, I always carry something related to the Marine Corps, so they can, so people can know that I'm a veteran. I'm proud. I'm proud that I'm always wearing something with the Marine Corps logo on it. So one day going to the store, I remember just hearing someone saying it out loud, if it was worth it, and that changed my mindset. I started sweating. I started getting a different kind of panic attack, not for me, but for my wife and son. It was just a split second that I realized that. I asked myself what am I doing? What kind of life I'm giving my son and my wife? I was ready to give up. I was ready to give up.
John Wall:I told my wife that I wanted to go back to San Antonio, where the environment is friendly yes, it's really friendly to veterans. Yes, sir, because they are used to see wounded guys like me all the times. So I decided to go back to Texas and I called Karen and Sandra, my case manager, and I told them I made a big mistake. I want to go back to Texas. Please help me because I'm really struggling.
John Wall:And I remember them telling me don't do it, enjoy your son, enjoy you, love that area. If that area doesn't, doesn't get used, doesn't, doesn't accept you or doesn't like you or the way you are, go somewhere. They go somewhere where you can feel like home, being home, and that's what I did. I decided to drive north with my wife and found a really small town, and weeks before that I did an interview with USA Today about when home is not home anymore and I found. After that we found a really small town in Lovesville, Virginia. When, just by mistake, I found it and my wife was thirsty, we stopped at the 7-Eleven store and when I stopped, two couples recognized me and told me that, asked me if I was going to move there.
Larry Zilliox:Oh.
John Wall:I said oh, yes, I will. That's your sign from God. Yes, that's the sign I told my wife. I think this is it.
Tony Porta:Yeah.
John Wall:I think this is it.
Tony Porta:And you couldn't have picked a better place. That's a beautiful place up there. Yes, we're glad you found a home.
John Wall:Really friendly. It's a beautiful place up there. Yes, I'm glad you found a home, really friendly. And I called December 5 Fund and told them I might have found the right spot. And they told me are you sure? I said don't know, but it feels like home. And they told me where I can do anything everything by myself. It's a smart home. Smart home, yes, and my gosh, without the fund I don't think I would have make it this far.
Larry Zilliox:Yeah.
John Wall:Because one. They gave me the peace that I needed in the beginning, used to focus on myself and not worry about my family, about them losing their homes or their jobs. They were with me since they went until now and they take care of my family. I know for a fact that if something happens to me, they will always be there for my family. They help my wife as well many times with amazing retreats and amazing programs, because I think it's not only us that we suffer, it's our wives and our kids as well. Sure, for example, me. I struggled with my wife several times, not because I wanted to, but there were a lot of wounds that I didn't close I I wasn't able to close those wounds and unfortunately, my wife had to pay the consequences of the nightmares of me not being able to sleep, of me waking up every, every night, sweating mm-hmm of me.
John Wall:Sometimes, when I'm really struggling with depression, I ha, I go too much to the basement and you stay there and my wife has to have to endure all of that pain with me. So they helped my wife as well and I can say the fund has helped me so much, yeah, and they have done so many things for so many veterans.
Larry Zilliox:Let's get our listeners to the fund webpage and it's really simple. It's thefundorg, thefundorg. I want all our listeners to go there, and our regular listeners know what I'm about to say. When you're there, you know where that donate button is. It's up in the right-hand corner. It's a big red button. It's the same for all veteran service organizations. But if you're going to go to that webpage, I want you to make a donation, because you have heard Tony's story and the amount of assistance that he's gotten is tremendous, and he's not the only one.
Larry Zilliox:It's not like they do this for just one or two guys. They need substantial financial assistance. They need substantial financial assistance, and you know, if you are active duty, think about CFC. If you work for a company that will match your donation. Let them know that you want to give to the Semper Fi Fund, america's fund, and give what you can, because this is one of the organizations out there that is filling the gap in such a way that it's changing the lives of our wounded, ill and injured service members, and so I can't say enough about what they do and how they've helped you. And they have a lot of programs. They have transportation programs, they have job placement programs. They have transportation programs, they have job placement programs, they have caregiver programs, they have financial, what they call bedside assistance, financial assistance. So in your particular case, your family's case, I know they had. It's not just fly them to San Antonio, but then you have expenses like okay, and we need toothpaste, you know, we need to change the clothes, we need things that cost money.
Larry Zilliox:The Semper Fi Fund is there and they're there to help and they are actually helping. So, please, it's thefundorg. I want everybody to check the webpage out and donate. Hit bang on that big red button and donate what you can, because this is really a place where you can make a difference, where you can put your money and you know that your money is going to be put to good use. So really, come and visit that webpage, check it out. It's thefundorg. Tony, as we kind of wrap it up here, sort of gone over a little bit, but that's okay. You have an amazing story and I don't think our listeners are going to mind one bit. If there's one thing that you can leave our listeners with and let them know about Semper Fi, america's Fund, what would that be?
John Wall:They will not be able to do this job with all of your support. We count on your support. Like I said, I'm not the only one. There are thousands of guys that are still struggling. They're still struggling out there and they will need help for a long time. There are still a lot of injuries right now that are happening during training and we need to make sure that our generation, they, know that if something happens, great organizations, just like the fund, will be there, will be for them, or for a long time. They will be here for a long, long time. They cannot do it without your support, man. Well, thank you. Yes, yes, make sure that they are. They have changed my life forever and they're changing many lives wherever, and they have done it for a long, long time so John is an alumni, Semper Fi alumni.
Larry Zilliox:What do you want our listeners to know about your experience?
Tony Porta:I won't really talk about my experience. I mean it's pretty much he's captured it all. You know this fund steps up. They really support the individual that's actually going through that journey at that time. They do really step up and support the family, especially your caregiver.
Tony Porta:Everybody that I've encountered at the fund is just amazing.
Tony Porta:As Tony said, we're both three different people that support us.
Tony Porta:I don't know if everybody gets the same or not, but you know, and they engage with the wife or spouse and kids and it's just, I think they try to really approach it from the whole life perspective because they know there's many things that impact you, not just the injuries or whatever you're dealing with, but there are many outside environmental issues that are happening, and so they really try to bring it together and support pretty much every aspect that they can think of.
Tony Porta:You know, and if, if they can't find it, they they know how to reach out to get that support or if they don't have it right away. And, like you said earlier, you know listeners, please. You know if you donate just a dollar or you know a couple hundred thousand if you're, you know, blessed like that, you know that would be amazing because we got a lot of service members that are with this fund for the rest of their life. They're alumni. They're always going to need assistance and not only do we just need funding, we need people to volunteer. You know volunteer is critical for that organization as well.
Tony Porta:So, I think that you know this is. I have two funds that I like, or organizations it's Willing Warrior here in Bull Run, yeah, and then Semper Fi America Fund is. Those are the top two for me right now. They've really, you know, put their money where their mouth is and they show up and they love and they care about everybody, yeah their mouth is and they show up and they love and they care about everybody.
Larry Zilliox:Yeah, well, once again, listeners, the uh. The webpage is thefundorg. Uh, tony, thank you for coming and sitting down with us and telling your story. We really appreciate it. Thank you, yeah. Thanks, tony. Yeah, so we'll have another episode next Monday morning at 0500. You can find us on all the major podcast platforms. We're also on YouTube and on Wreaths Across America Radio, so thanks for listening.
