Upper Keys businesses and residents once again rolled out the welcome mat for wounded Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans coming to the Keys for some diving and relaxation.</p><p>From Sept. 23 to Oct. 1, the soldiers participated in the Upper Keys and Deptherapy Wounded Warrior Tour, which twice a year teaches diving to a new group of wounded soldiers. About nine soldiers from Fort Campbell, Ky., five Royal Marines from the United Kingdom and four U.S. Marines participated this time around. </p><p>Deptherapy is a nonprofit organization in the United Kingdom that encourages wounded soldiers to get involved in scuba diving to help their healing process. Fraser Bathgate of Scotland is the vice president and training director for the International Association for Handicapped Divers. He originally contacted Kenny Wheeler, manager of Ocean Divers in Key Largo, about becoming involved in the cause. Wheeler calls himself “Fraser’s U.S. arm or connection.” </p><p>Ocean Divers holds a fundraiser every year to help pay expenses for the soldiers and their families in the Keys, including lodging, entertainment and meals. Local businesses help through donations. </p><p>“This event is so worthwhile. We have businesses calling us to ask us how they could help or contribute. The volunteers have all said that they want this to be a true gift to these people, nothing else,” Wheeler said. </p><p>“What sets this organization apart from the others is no matter what type of injury the wounded soldiers have, they are welcome to come and participate, and they are encouraged to include their families as well,” Wheeler continued. </p><p>“The organization realizes that the entire family is traumatized when the soldier is wounded. The Upper Keys and Deptherapy Wounded Warrior Tour can take up to 16 soldiers every year, and, if the boats have space available, then the families are welcome to join in as well and get introduced to the world of diving.”</p><p>The divers and their families stayed at The Islander Resort in Islamorada. Ocean Divers furnished diving instruction and dive trips. The group was fed by Rib Daddy’s, Mangrove Mike’s, the Green Turtle Inn, Key Largo Conch House, VFW Post 10211, the Elks Club, the Key Largo Moose Lodge, The Galley and Sharkey’s. </p><p>Claudia Moriarity, a librarian at the Key Largo Public Library, coordinated all of the lunches through the VFW and its auxiliaries. Her son is a Marine who served two tours in Iraq and is now fighting in Afghanistan.</p><p>For entertainment, the soldiers and their families visited Theatre of the Sea, the History of Diving Museum and the Everglades Alligator Farm. Wheeler calls Bob Shockley, owner of the Appliance Doctor, “his legs” because he does all of the running around for this group. Shockley also organized fishing trips through the Fantastic Two and Leave It to Beaver charter boats. </p><p>Bob Marshall of Rib Daddy’s has worked with Wheeler from the start of the program three years ago. He hosts the group’s welcoming party on the first night of each visit and then a wrap-up party on their last night in the Keys. </p><p>Wheeler’s involvement in the project stems from his past history of being in the Air Force, he said. He was an aircraft weapons systems specialist, a nuclear weapons systems specialist and even worked as an explosive ordinance disposal specialist. He eventually flew planes before retiring as a weapons systems officer. After he got out, he became interested in diving back in the 1980s and loved it so much that he decided to work at it full time. He moved to the Keys 16 years ago.</p><p>One of the first organization to participate in the program is Eagle Divers, a dive operation from Fort Campbell. Eagle Divers is a nonprofit organization that trains wounded and injured service members who have a variety of injuries including paralysis, amputations and cognitive disabilities. They also work with various other handicaps and limitations. Scuba provides a means for individuals with limited mobility an opportunity for increased freedom of movement, the group says. </p><p>Mark Stuart is the treasurer of Eagle Divers. He’s a retired first sergeant with the 101st Warrior Transition Battalion and continues to do the same job as a civilian contractor with SERCO, the Army Wounded Warrior Program. He attended the event last week with his wife and said, “There are not enough words to explain what this has done to help these soldiers.”</p><p>One soldier in Stuart’s group wrote that he was “actually glad he had this terrible disease, because he had never met such gracious people and had the best experience of his life.” </p><p>“The heart of the people in the Keys is overwhelming,” Stuart said.