Veterans to Benefit from Treasure

The pursuit of wealth, fame and treasure in America is a staple to its history. In the early days, men and women alike flocked to the west in pursuit of gold. Today, some sue cities to gain a bit of wealth, others play lottery, and some use their elected office for personal financial gain.

A few still risk it – whether it be through small business, working that not so secure nine to five job, or wild adventures.

One man, Cork Graham, considered one of the best adventure memoirists of his generation and a #1 New York Times best-selling author, chose to walk right into a nightmare in pursuit of treasure. But when the treasure is found, it won’t be for personal gain – his goal – if he finds the treasure – is to use the money to create a vocational school and sanctuary for combat veterans struggling with homelessness and PTSD.

TREASURE QUEST: SNAKE ISLAND is a new series airing Friday at 10PM ET/PT on the Discovery Channel. This real-life adventure captures Cork Graham and his crew as they gear up for their first venture onto the deadly Snake Island itself, where they’ll face triple digit heat, cave-ins, and their first terrifying encounter with one of the world’s deadliest vipers.

I had the chance to interview Cork and his story is incredibly compelling. Back in 1982 he was a midshipman with plans to fly the F18. After it was revealed he suffered from PTSD as a result of being in Vietnam as a child in 1968, he asked for a leave of absence to go back to Asia in pursuit of tracking down MIAs. His request was granted.

So in 1983, Cork Graham burst onto the international scene, not as an author, but as a photojournalist. Now considered a combat photographer, he cut his teeth on the Kampuchea/Vietnam War and Hmong resistance in Laos. Intrigued by the possibility of finding Captain Kidd’s treasure and learning what happened to American servicemen and women listed as missing in action (MIA), he accepted an invitation to cover a covert treasure hunting expedition to an island off the west coast of Vietnam. While on the adventure, Graham was captured by militia of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and held on trumped up charges of spying for the Central Intelligence Agency.

He spent 11 months in captivity; 7 months of those in solitary confinement.

After gaining his freedom, Cork went on to be a drug and alcohol rehab counselor yet the lure of treasure continued to call his name. He has spent the past 20 years on treasure-seeking adventures.

But the pursuit of treasure and the adventure, without meaning, no longer has Cork’s attention – purpose is what drives Cork and the treasure is a means to fulfil that purpose – serving Veterans who need a hand up – a fresh start.

Bottom line: Cork is one individual who embraces vision and ignores the road blocks. When the vision is big, the circumstances don’t matter. TREASURE QUEST: SNAKE ISLAND is more than an adventure, treasure-seeking reality show, it is one man’s quest to help change the lives of those who seek real treasure: purpose and meaning after serving on the frontlines. This is one show worth watching.

Michael J.R. Schindler

The Military Wire, hosted by Mike Schindler, interviews some of America’s most elite men and women who have served this country in hopes that you the listener will gain an “ah-ha” moment that will help you move your life forward.

Mike is a US Navy Veteran, an award-winning author, and has been featured on Yahoo Finance, the Boston Globe, NY Post, USA Today, Q13 Fox, and numerous other media outlets discussing why today’s Veterans are truly one of America’s Greatest Assets. Mike is the author of two highly endorsed books, “Operation Military Family: How Military Couples are Fighting to Preserve their Marriages,” and “U.S. Veterans in the Workforce: Why the 7% are America’s Greatest Asset.”

www.operationmilitaryfamily.com