Why these veterans came to Alaska’s North Pole to see Santa -- and each other

If part of Christmas means sharing the holiday with others, some veterans received an early gift.

The Wounded Warrior Project, a charity dedicated to helping injured U.S. servicemen and women, particularly those who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, adjust to civilian life, recently brought 21 veterans and family members to North Pole, Alaska.

And it was cold. The meet up took place in early December when temperatures were in the negative teens.

The group got to see Christmas in Ice, in which professional ice sculptors carve Santa and his reindeer, mazes, slides and other creations from blocks of ice.

But this trip wasn’t just about visiting Santa’s hometown.

Bonding events and peer-to-peer interactions where veterans have a chance to meet each other are key to the organization’s mission to help create “the most successful, well-adjusted generation of wounded service members in our nation’s history.”

U.S. Army veteran Jason Reudgen said in a statement about the North Pole event: “I feel very comfortable around my fellow wounded warriors, and because of this I get out and do things.”

The organization works to heal wounds that are visible and invisible, such as PTSD.

Why does this organization work so hard? Here are findings from a 2015 survey of 23,000 injured service members affiliated with Wounded Warrior:

-- 59% say they find little meaning in the daily life routine;

-- 52% say physical health problems caused them to cut back on work or other activities;

-- 16.6% (non-active duty) are unemployed; and

-- 1 in 3 don’t feel comfortable with the current mental health care resources provided by the Department of Defense or the Veterans Administration.

Gathering at the North Pole -- or for a hike, a bicycle ride or any of a number of events hosted by Wounded Warrior -- is all part of the organization’s year-round plan to heal and help.

And in case you’re wondering: Alaska’s North Pole isn’t so hard to find. It’s a suburb near the city of Fairbanks.

Info: Wounded Warrior Project

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