Lancer Legacy Ranch provides a new life for veterans with PTSD

Plans for a self-sufficient community and therapy center

By Alex Meachum, KTAL News, 10 November 2015

 

Driving outside of Mt. Pleasant down the long, gravel County Road 4315 in Cookville, Texas is where former members of the military are creating a self-sufficient community for fellow veterans suffering with PTSD to live and recover.

The Lancer Legacy Ranch grew from an idea to a cooperative effort by a group of platoon members who fought alongside one another in Iraq and Afghanistan experiencing the most intense combat situations including sustaining injuries during an ambush attack.

Retired US Sergeant and now Operations Manager for the ranch, Carl Wild, said when he came back from overseas, he didn’t feel like the same person, even adjusting to basic parts of life was difficult.

“I had a lot of trouble adapting. I came home and didn’t feel the way I used to feel. I was angry a lot, upset a lot and didn’t feel comfortable in normal situations. I couldn’t deal with crowds. I just wasn’t the same person I used to be,” Wild said.

Wild, along with Retired US Army Sergeant and Captain Matt Fisk, say PTSD feels unshakeable and hopeless at times. They suffered and dealt with its symptoms for years. The only difference came when they reunited with members from their platoon. As though it gave them a sense of normalcy again. Forming a unit again gave them a calmer, more comfortable sense of attitude.

“We noticed after being apart for so long and being around our friends again we felt like our old self,” Wild said.

It made them want to do something. They joked about living out on a commune together but after time passed and the symptoms of PTSD persisted Fisk thought it was actually a good idea. With help from his fellow veterans along with his wife Lisa, they embarked on establishing a livable, sustainable plot of land where veterans could recover together.

“We had each other’s backs in combat and we have each other’s backs now,” said director, Fisk.

Still in the early stages, they’ve spent the last half of this year working to make their own sources of water and power, constructing temporary homes with plans for permanent ones, and growing crops and raising livestock.

“To be able to feed and care for ourselves and 25 veterans on this ranch at all times,” Fisk said.

Feelings of wanting to be isolated is strong once back from combat, Fisk said. They understand it because they lived it he says and hopes his dreams for the development of the Lancer Legacy Ranch will ultimately help other veterans adjust back into life at a quiet pace. Away from busy cities, crowds of people, and the daily pressures of society in general, Wild said it can provide an alternative lifestyle for people seeking something more than what they’ve been offered so far.

“Instead of sitting in doctors’ offices and doing therapy and having prescription medications thrown at you, there’s other ways you can find to cope,” Wild said.

They will also focus on peer-to-peer therapy where veterans can work, live, and recover together. Several veterans have stayed on the ranch so far and Fisk’s wife, Lisa says she has noticed the impact it’s had on them.

“Just talking to the ones who have been out here, I’ve seen a change,” Lisa Fisk said.

She said it wasn’t easy at first but she acts as the “mom of the ranch” along with already being a mom to their newborn baby.

“I do the cooking and cleaning, you know those things men don’t always do themselves,” Lisa said.

She said she wanted to support her husband, but sees the kind of change they can have in people’s lives.

“Well it hasn’t been easy but I just want him to be well and be happy so I’m here for him and anyone else who needs me,” Lisa said.

They say PTSD can feel like a losing battle, but there is hope. Wild believes he is an advocate of how the idea will work.

“It’s greatly helped me. I’m not the same person I was a year ago. I’m more outgoing, I’m more talkative, I feel comfortable around strangers, I can do groups. I’m just a completely different person altogether. I feel confident that it helped me adjust back to society,” Wild said.

They say there will be work catered to physical and mental capacity of each individual and with each new building, plant or cattle it will give them mental relief to be working purposely again.

“Perhaps you’ve reached a point in your live where you feel it’s never going to get better, I will never recover, I’m a completely broken individual. I would just tell you that’s false. We’ve seen it, we’ve lived it and done it. There’s hope for you. There’s people who understand your struggle and your journey,” Fisk said.

They offer the ranch to any veteran seeking help and will provide them access to programs where they can learn about how to live off the land. They have a partnership with other organizations in the region that teach farming and outdoor living skills. Fisk said he believes they can make an impact into the epidemic of PTSD and appreciates all the support he has received so far from the community and the county.

If you would like to learn about what they can offer you can visit their website: www.lancerlegacyranch.com.