A roadside bomb that went off 6 feet from Brett Miller’s car door while he was on a mission in Iraq left the young man blind in his right eye, deaf in his right ear and partially paralyzed on his left side. The 34-year-old Sisters resident has had more than 28 surgeries and spent time in hospitals on both coasts and in Germany. He signed up with the U.S. National Guard when he was 24 years old, willing to sacrifice for his country.

Now, someone wants to give back to Miller.

Dan Comingore, 37, of Madras, a former fishing guide and owner of a custom-built jet boat, is working on an October fishing trip on the Snake River where his guests of honor will be veterans from around the region who have suffered injuries.

“(These soldiers) have sacrificed more than what most of us will ever understand,” Comingore said. “A few years ago, I was thinking, I wanted to do something to give back to the soldiers that were wounded in service … It’s a way to thank them.”

Miller, who can’t work and is living on a fixed income, said it’s an “awesome” way to do so.

“The opportunity for something like this, for someone on a fixed income, it’s a pretty hard thing to swing,” Miller said.

“It’s pretty darn awesome for them to be able to take us out for nothing. It’s not just awesome to get to go with a guide on Hell’s Canyon, but also the opportunity to meet other people in the same boat that you are.

“Out in the middle of nowhere, it gives you time to relax … You always have something to talk about with the other guys,” Miller said. “It’s a good mixture.”

James Fries, of Idaho, who received two Purple Hearts after being shot in the face and stabbed several times on tours during Desert Storm and while serving in Somalia and Panama, can’t wait to be on the river.

“This is really exciting to be part of,” Fries said. “What made it even more exciting is Dan has allowed us veterans to bring someone as a guest. I’m bringing my fiancee. By then we’ll be married, and it’s exciting to have her involved.”

Although Comingore’s initial idea was for wounded veterans, he made a few exceptions. The parents of Pfc. Thomas Tucker, who died in 2006 while serving in Iraq, and the father of Lance Cpl. Dale Peterson, who was killed in 2007 when his armored vehicle hit an improvised explosive device in Iraq, will be part of the fishing trip.

“We are excited. For three years, my wife hasn’t wanted to go anywhere,” said Wes Tucker.

“We are very honored to go with disabled veterans. I think what Dan is doing is just wonderful,” Tucker said.

Tucker said he immediately thought of Greg Peterson, Dale’s father, when he heard about the trip.

“We like to hunt. We like to fish, and that’s something our boys did with us, too,” Tucker said.

Comingore has recruited three other boat captains beside himself, plus a deckhand for each boat. Everyone is donating their time, fuel, fishing equipment and boat. A Madras ranching family, Tom and Stacy Norton, of Norton Cattle Co., have donated beef for a barbecue and other Madras residents are also pitching in to help.

Comingore said when he first started looking for disabled veterans, an advocacy group called the Wounded Warriors Project helped him find interested people from the region. He hopes that as this trip gains publicity, he will have the opportunity to take more injured veterans on trips in the future.

“I would love to do this next year and turn it into an annual event,” Comingore said.

To make a donation

Soldiers of the Snake, Columbia River Bank, P.O. Box 0 , Madras, OR 97741