Warrior Ranch brings Geer, veterans together

Gold Star Braden Geer, of Rose Hill, Kan., was able to share a moment of the camaraderie his father and other veterans share during the 7th Annual Operation Gunsmoke Helicopter Hog Hunt held at the Young County Warrior Ranch March 22-24.

“This is my first time here,” said Geer. “I have wanted to come in the past. I was always busy with school. Now that it is my senior year in high school, things are winding down. This is going to be a lot of fun.”

Geer is a Gold Star because his father, Chief Warrant Officer 4 Terrance W. Geer, died Aug. 19, 2009, while serving in the military. CWO4 Geer was a combat veteran with 12 deployments, 11 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and one in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. At the time of Geer’s death Braden was nine years old.

“My dad was assigned to the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne) (at Fort Campbell, Ky., as an Instructor Pilot and Aviation Safety Officer.) He died two weeks before he was to retire. He was a (MH-60 Black Hawk) helicopter pilot and went on a training mission for high altitude training.”

The helicopter crashed near Leadville, Colo.

For the rest of the story see the Saturday, March 30 edition of The Graham Leader.