About Chris

Hometown: Collinsville, Ill.
Family: Chris and his wife, Erika, have two children, Austin, 16, and Hunter, 19 months.
Background: Chris served as a logistics operator and martial arts instructor in the United States Marine Corps for eight years. After leaving the Marine Corps, he taught weapons and tactics at San Diego College until he was laid off in December 2008. Chris then took a job with a private company that specializes in tactical training and traveled overseas to Afghanistan to help train Afghan border police. In June 2009, Chris sustained a terrible injury when an improvised explosive device was detonated beneath his vehicle. Although Chris lost both legs from the shin down, he has learned to walk again through the use of prosthetic devices.

Q&A with Chris Fleming

Injured in Afghanistan one year ago, this vet has returned to the outdoors, rediscovered camaraderie and made lasting friendships through the NWTF.

NWTF: How long have you been interested in the outdoors?

Chris Fleming: All my life. I started hunting when I was old enough to hold a gun. I hunted all throughout high school and when I was in the Marine Corps.

NWTF: How was your turkey season this spring?

CF: It was great. I went out with my friend, Pat Morse, Wheelin' Sportsmen volunteer coordinator for Illinois, and nailed a 24-pounder. It was a textbook hunt. (See page 68.)

NWTF: What's your favorite thing about turkey hunting?

CF: Turkey hunting is more interactive than deer hunting. You're actively hunting, not just waiting and hoping a bird crosses your path. When you send out a call and a turkey calls back, you can feel the excitement in your chest. I understand how it can be so addictive.

NWTF: How did you get involved with the NWTF?

CF: I had heard Michael Waddell mention the NWTF on his television show, but I didn't know a whole lot about it. After I was injured, I was venting about being stuck inside, then someone told me about the NWTF. The more I learned about the NWTF, the more I realized how big the NWTF is and how much of a family it really is. When I attended an organization banquet for the first time, it was like a big family reunion for everybody there.

NWTF: You've been on several hunts through Wheelin' Sportsmen. Do you feel the program has helped you in your recovery process?

CF: Oh, absolutely. I've never had such a great time hunting. Even though it is twice as hard for me to hunt now, it is twice as fun.

I recently met Gary Franklin, father of Regional Field Supervisor Chad Franklin, at the Illinois banquet. After chatting for a while, Gary decided to put together a New Mexico elk hunt for me next year. He explained that the terrain will be rough, so I will have to learn to ride a horse before the trip. I've never had an opportunity like this from anywhere else. It's enough motivation to get me out of the bed.

NWTF: What kind of relationships have you built with people you have met through Wheelin' Sportsmen?

CF: When I first contacted the NWTF, I learned that my area was in between Wheelin' Sportsmen volunteer coordinators. Pat, who I had not yet met, was going to be our new one, but he had not started yet. Regardless, when Pat caught wind of my story, he hopped on a train and traveled nearly 250 miles just to take me deer hunting. He is a fantastic guy with great morals, and I've become close to him and his whole family. He'll do anything for me.

When I rejoined the civilian world, I lost the camaraderie I was used to having in the military. The NWTF filled that void for me, because it is so family oriented.

NWTF: If someone were undecided about participating in a Wheelin' Sportsmen event, what would you tell them?

CF: Just dive in. The Wheelin' Sportsmen folks don't treat you like a disabled hunter; they treat you like a hunter. They listen to you, share stories with you and make you feel like one of the guys.

Fleming on the job in Afghanistan

NWTF: How do able-bodied guides affect Wheelin' Sportsmen participants' lives?

CF: I went on a pheasant hunt and a turkey hunt though the Wheelin' Sportsmen program and those were easily the two best days I've had since I was injured. I couldn't have done it without the guides.

When Pat guided me on a turkey hunt, it was more exciting for him when I took my bird than if he had taken it himself. I could see that, in his heart, his goal was accomplished. The look on his face was just inspiring.

NWTF: What would you tell people with disabilities to encourage them to pursue their passions?

CF: Getting outdoors again and pursuing your passions will change your life and will either get you back to where you used to be or where you want to be.

When I was invited to the Illinois banquet, I still had a lot of pain and did not think I was physically capable to make the trip. It was an all-day event, with a drive that was several hours long. But my Wheelin' Sportsmen friends took care of me, showed me that I could do it and even gave me a pat on the back on my way out the door. I have so much thanks to give those guys.

I'm excited to tell everyone what the NWTF has done for me. I always tell people to become a member, even if they are not hunters, because NWTF membership fees help people like me get out and hunt.

Without my friends in the Wheelin' Sportsmen program, I wouldn't be in the woods now. I couldn't do it without them. And they're not just taking me out there, they're training me to get out there myself and showing me that as long as I have the right tools and equipment, it's easy. I'm telling you, it's a real confidence booster. Wheelin' Sportsmen makes the impossible possible. — Melanie Swearingen