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Fighting for
Mississippi’s Veterans
Poppy Williams
“Sometimes the hardest wars
are fought at home.” - Anonymous
Cheryl Bruce is a shining example that one
can use their life experiences to positively impact
the lives of others. Although she is too humble to
admit it, through the work of her nonprofit, the
Wounded Warriors of Mississippi, Cheryl has
shaped the lives of hundreds of Mississippi
veterans.
According to Cheryl, this all started through
the inspiration of her son, Dustin Ryan, who
bravely served in the U.S. Army and was deployed
to Iraq in 2005. After a IED (improvised explosive
device) hit his vehicle and resulted in serious
and traumatic brain and back injuries, Dustin
returned home. However, the Dustin who
returned was admittedly different than the
Dustin who first deployed.
“You might not always see a veteran’s injuries
since not all of them are visible. Post 9/11, we have
hundreds upon hundreds that came back with
physical and/or mental scars. They made the
sacrifice, served our country, and then came
home as a changed person – just like my son,”
said Cheryl.
Through her experience seeing Dustin
struggle with those mental and physical scars,
Cheryl knew, first-hand, that veterans needed
more – more support, more camaraderie with
other veterans, more action, and more prayer.
Though Cheryl initially raised money for the
national Wounded Warriors project, she decided
her time would be best spent focusing on
Mississippi’s veterans. And just like that, the
Wounded Warriors of Mississippi came to life
and is thriving nine years later.
Wounded Warriors of Mississippi is a 501(c)3
nonprofit organization that supports Mississippi
veterans who have served in the armed forces post
9/11. They aim to support Mississippi’s veterans
mentally, physically, financially, and spiritually,
through a wide range of services and aid. They
also stand up for veterans to educate against and
prevent veteran abuse.
78 • MARCH 2023