By NOREEN HYSLOP
Contributing Writer
Tom Love is a patriot. Always has been. He served his country in the uniform of a United States Marine during the Vietnam era, and at 78, the uniform still fits like a glove when he dons it proudly as a member of the American Legion Honor Guard. Love is one of several members of the unit who have served since its inception in 2008. Once a Marine, always a Marine.
Always community minded, Love has also served as secretary of the Dexter Airport Board for more than 25 years and serves as well on the board of directors for the Stars and Stripes Museum. Additionally, he has worked in various capacities with the American Legion and is a longtime member of the Stoddard County Flying Club.
As an Honor Guard member, Love has participated in more than 300 services honoring his fellow servicemen as they have been placed to rest, most often at ceremonies held at the Missouri State Veterans Cemetery in Bloomfield.
Eight years ago, Love made a decision that would, over time, benefit the lives of fellow veterans in ways that even he could not have imagined.
Love and his son-in-law, Alan Hedrick, partnered in owning a 125-acre tract of land in Stoddard County that now three generations of the Loves and Hedricks have enjoyed. A modest cabin constructed in the woods at the site has been witness to family gatherings, holidays and often the celebration of successful hunts. The farm, located west of Bloomfield, is home to the elements typical of Southeast Missouri - native hardwoods and pine, wildflowers, rabbit, fowl, turkey and of course an abundance of deer.
In 2011, Love placed his cherished Gobbler Ridge farm in the hands of Dexter's Post 59 Kenady Hanks American Legion, an organization in which Love has served for decades.
With no money exchanged, Gobbler Ridge Farm was leased to the Legion for the sole purpose of disabled veterans from Stoddard County -- and beyond -- to utilize. The farm became available as a haven for disabled veterans, where they could hunt, take photographs of wildlife, or simply enjoy Mother Nature in a setting that accommodated their special needs.
"We just wanted every disabled veteran to have the opportunity to enjoy this place as much as we have," Love says of the effort.
Once the lease agreement took place, the "labor of Love" enlisted the help of fellow Legion members, and as the word spread of the endeavor, other "legions" of business owners and volunteers came forward with needed manpower and monetary donations to aid in upgrading the wildlife facility.
The primary focus was on accommodating the needs of disabled veterans. Ramps were built, trails were improved and made wheelchair accessible, and a handicap accessible deck was built to overlook the pond situated in close proximity to the cabin. The cabin even underwent updates in anticipation of its pending guests, and an 8-by-12 foot elevated and heated blind was constructed on the eastern edge of the farm, complete with a gradually inclined handicap ramp.
"We've tried to accommodate any wheelchair or mobility aid that might be needed," Love explains.
In the late summer of 2012, Gobbler Ridge Disabled Veterans Facility welcomed its first disabled veterans to the farm. With the help of a host of volunteers, five disabled veterans from the area were transported to the farm for a day that included escorted ATV rides around the property, time at the elevated blind, a catered barbecue lunch and just generally enjoying the outdoors in a setting they had rarely been previously afforded.
Since that initial visit, over 200 disabled veterans - some whose disabilities derived from service time and others whose conditions came later as civilians - have had an opportunity to visit Gobbler Ridge. Some are repeat visitors.
Tom Love is quick to credit anyone other than himself for the success of the disabled veterans facility.
"None of this could ever have been accomplished without the help of donations from this community and surroundings communities. There is no way to name all who have given their money, time and supplies to this project," he says.
The Missouri Department of Conservation is one of the entities that is readily credited with the project's success. The MDC immediately came forward to aid in developing food plots that include utilizing clover, wheat, beans, corn, milo and chicory at the farm.
"They have helped tremendously, and on the first Thursday of each deer season, the department provides six to eight agents to assist veterans on our biggest hunt of the year," Love explains. "They willingly help with wheelchairs, guns, safety and even help clean the deer at the end of the day."
The Sikeston Rotary Club provides lunch on the grounds for that annual event, and the MDC provides the evening meal at the cabin. The Department of Conservation also assists with a ladies' rabbit hunt each year, youth hunts and turkey hunts for veterans.
Love cautions, "Many people are under the impression that we have a tremendous amount of hunting on the farm, but this is a small farm in comparison to many. We can't accommodate a large number of hunters at one time. The majority of veterans come to the farm to simply enjoy nature, to have a meal at the cabin, to just get out and breathe the fresh air and to associate with other veterans."
Recently, a second blind was added on the west side of the farm, made possible through donated materials and constructed through the efforts of the MDC. Additionally, four accessible ground blind areas are now available for veterans from which to hunt or observe the wildlife.
"We also now have about five acres in food plots," Love added, "increased from about two acres when we started the project."
Chat paths now wind through the farm, replacing the dirt ones that formerly made navigation somewhat of a problem.
Another recent and significant improvement at Gobbler Ridge came when the farm became accessible to the county's Public Water and Sewer District.
"We previously had only a cistern with a 500-gallon tank that collected water provided by God off the cabin roof," Love explains.
"I kind of preferred it that way," he laughs, but admits that changes are sometimes necessary in the name of progress.
It was a primary goal of Love's to operate Gobbler Ridge without any government assistance. From the start, it was important to him and to Post 59 members to operate privately, without severe governmental restrictions. The farm runs totally on donations, and it is the intention of Post 59 to continue operation of the disabled veterans facility on that basis.
"We've been able to do that," he says, "but, that's only been accomplished through the efforts of several individuals who wanted to illustrate our appreciation to the veterans who have given so much for the rest of us."
"I only hope," Love adds, "that everyone who has contributed to the efforts at Gobbler Ridge understands the difference they've made in the lives of these veterans. It's a gratitude that cannot be measured."
Any disabled veterans who have an interest in visiting Gobbler Ridge Disabled Veterans Facility is encouraged to contact Tom Love at 573-820-0802.