ACTION

The Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) pays millions of dollars for commercials showing injured service members. Many were forced to sign non-disclosure agreements (why?). I have talked to many Veterans who were promised many things from WWP and did not receive anything in return for the use of their likeness in commercials and print ads.

The commercials do not mention anything WWP does to help the injured service members. Listen closely to the commercials as they parade an injured veteran around like an injured animal. They pay famous actors and musicians to pull on the nation’s heart strings. Fox News takes millions in commercial revenue from WWP, along with A&E and other T.V. networks. I have written to Fox and others begging them to investigate for themselves. I imagine they too are blocked by a non-disclosure agreement.

WWP has many paid board members; this is not legal, according to their own company bylaws. WWP claims that only one board member is compensated. In addition, they have multiple board members and employees who are former Veterans Administration employees, including the former head of the Veterans Administration. This allows the WWP to tap into federal grants that may not otherwise be available. WWP has made sure to hire board members from high places to give credence to their claims. I beg to differ and believe most people will too.

WWP has twelve or more offices in seven states employing thousands of civilian employees and very few former veterans. These employees should be volunteers. Yet every dime they collect for their paycheck is on the back of an actual injured veteran who needs assistance. I called and talked with six different paid civilian employees, and all stated that WWP does not award any type of financial assistance. Injured Veterans do not want to go on trips very often; however, they do need financial assistance while going through their recovery.

WWP uses other non-profits and organizations to provide trips and special events. Why are they not using their own donations? I believe they have so many employees working on collecting donations and soliciting help from other organizations that the actual help to veterans is minimal in comparison to donations.

WWP uses Non-Disclosure agreements with actors and employees to keep them from telling the truth about where the money actually goes. One pilot who used to do Air Shows with them shared this information with me; he said the WWP wanted them to exit the room with donors so they could be in complete control of donations. He refused to sign a non-disclosure agreement because they were taking all the credit for the air shows he and others were performing.

WWP is a for profit business, working under the umbrella of a non-profit. I believe they should be exposed for what they really are; many caring people are duped into donating to WWP,  believing their donations will really help injured veterans. No financial donations, no homes built, no material donations; and according to their own website and commercials, it is not clear exactly what they do. I know they help a handful of veterans by showing up at hospitals, throwing their logo on a veteran’s chest, and snapping a picture to look like they are helping wounded warriors.

WWP is a fraud created by former military members and former Veterans Administration employees that needs to be investigated immediately. They will not go quietly and have an army of lawyers on staff to punish all those who try to expose them. I leave it up to every American to investigate on your own; do not take my word for it. Tell your friends and relatives not to donate to WWP; just help a veteran directly.

Comments and questions can be directed to Dean Graham with Help Indiana Vets by calling (317) 610-9779 or emailing 911@helpindianavets.com. Visit http://www.helpindianavets.com.

Here is Charity Navigator’s Rating of WWP.

And here is what another veteran-friendly site has to say: http://asknod.wordpress.com/2013/08/19/wounded-warriors-project-a-scam/

Dean M. Graham is an Iraq veteran and retired from the US Army. 

Photo credit: U.S. Army Europe Images (Creative Commons)