Cpl. Travis Fugate, blinded in the Iraq war, graduated at the Oregon campus of Guide Dogs For The Blind (GDB) with the help from The Sentinels Of Freedom.

Mike Conklin, creator of the nonprofit Sentinels of Freedom Scholarship Foundation and friends who were attending the graduation was warmly welcomed and given a tour of the beautiful campus, including a state of the art veterinary hospital and the kennel where they keep the dogs in their last "semester" of training as guides. “This was my favorite part of the tour as we got to pet and interact with the dogs. I wanted to bring them all home with me!!!” stated Conklin.

After the tour, he was escorted to a lovely room where they had set up a beautiful buffet lunch, but too excited to eat because Travis and Fess, Travis’s gorgeous 2-year-old male black lab guide, would be arriving momentarily.

“When Travis and Fess walked through the door, the tears started flowing. It was sight I'll soon not forget. Travis looked so handsome and confident with his shiny black dog at his side, and it was obvious that a permanent bond of love and trust had been established. Travis walked with a new air of confidence and pride, and when he realized that we were there, I think he was truly touched,” stated Conklin.

At the graduation ceremony Mike Conklin spoke with gratitude to the men and women defending our country, past and present, and to GDB, and made his presentation to Jim Dugan (training supervisor for GDB) from the Sentinels Of Freedom. Conklin was presented with a plaque and medal, and a check to GDB from the Sentinels and the Preservists.

There were six students graduating, and Travis was the second one to be presented with his guide. The first student admitted that she wasn't much of a public speaker, but when Travis was handed the mike, he said, "Sit back and relax because I'm a great public speaker." Everyone laughed enthusiastically!

The ceremony was a combination of laughter and tears and the heartfelt gratitude of the students, the composure of the people who raised the dogs and then selflessly returned them to serve as eyes and a compass for a blind person. Suffice it to say, it was an experience that I know none of us will ever forget.

The Sentinels Of Freedom’s mission is to provide life-changing opportunities for men and women of the U.S. Armed Forces who have suffered severe injuries and need the support of grateful communities to realize their goals and dreams.