By Kathie Rowell

About five years ago, Col. John D. Folsom, USMCR (Ret), visited Walter Reed National Military Medical Center and observed a young servicemember with a traumatic brain injury (TBI) being comforted by his mother and sister.

“What came to my mind as I watched this scene unfold is ‘What will happen to him in his life when his mother is no longer able to take care of him?’ I thought, ‘He'll probably go to a regular assisted-living center.’ A lot of these veterans who have TBI are relatively young, and if they end up going to an assisted-living center, the folks there are not going to be anywhere near their age, and they're certainly not going to have the shared experiences.”

Folsom, a MOAA Life member who served 30 years on active duty and reserve duty, as a helicopter pilot and air boss deploying to Iraq, Afghanistan, and Europe, had already founded Wounded Warriors Family Support (WWFS) in 2003. The nonprofit’s mission is to provide help to the families of those who have been wounded, injured, or killed during combat operations with caregiver respite, welding training for veterans in partnership with UAW-Ford, family retreats, and the Mobility is Freedom program, which provides grants and modified vehicles for wounded veterans. Since its founding, the organization has served more than 1 million families.

His experience at Walter Reed became the idea for Dunham House, a facility for 30 combat-wounded veterans with TBI who will live together and help each other in Omaha, Neb. It’s named after Marine Corps Cpl. Jason L. Dunham, who died in 2004 while protecting fellow Marines by covering a grenade with his body in Iraq. He posthumously received the Medal of Honor for his actions.

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Ground was broken for the facility last fall, and opening day is Sept. 11, 2026. Staff members are in place, and applications are being accepted for residents.

WWFS Board Chair Lt. Gen. John B. Sylvester, USA (Ret), a longtime friend who was with Folsom when he observed the scene at Walter Reed, describes him as an out-of-the-box thinker, knowledgeable, gruff, sometimes very, very funny, and “just an incredible human being.”

“The stuff that comes out of John's mind is different,” he said. “He's all heart, and he's worked his butt off.”

As his hard work on Dunham House is about to pay off with its opening day, Folsom hopes that spiritual bonding between servicemembers who have seen combat will help heal the wounds that medicine can’t and that parents can find assurance for their loved ones’ futures.

“I hope the parents of these individuals will have a burden lifted and find peace of mind knowing that their sons and daughters will be cared for properly,” he said.

For more information on how to donate or apply for residency, go to Dunhamhouse.org.

Kathie Rowell is a writer based in Louisiana.