WATERLOO, Ill. — There's a special place in Illinois giving disabled and troubled veterans a renewed sense of hope and brotherhood.
It's called Dude's Playground: a hidden sanctuary in Waterloo, Illinois where disabled veterans find solace, friendship, and a flicker of hope.
"Here at Dude's Playground, our mission is to bring people out that don't normally get out, said registered nurse Angela Denicola.
Named after his steadfast companion, Dude the dog, Richard Melching Sr. bought this property when he was going through his own struggles, haunted by the weight of his own Army service.
Relentless migraines became his burden in the depths of despair. He put a loaded gun in his mouth.
"The oil in the gun woke me up and I'm like, 'What am I doing? What am I doing?' And later that morning, I was introduced to the psych ward for the first time. I don't care if you served in wartime. I don't care if you served in peacetime. We all raise our right hand," said Melching Sr.
After getting treatment, Rich made it his mission to start a recreational retreat for disabled veterans.
"I shed a tear. I prayed to God and said, 'I want to share this,'" said Melching Sr.
Dude's Playground offers leisure activities, like fishing, but it's also a refuge for veterans to unload their burdens.
"I was scared, I was scared at the time I got in there and the time I got out," said Corp. Robert Wigan, U.S. Marine Corps veteran.
At the sanctuary, veterans embrace the camaraderie they had while serving.
"You become part of a brotherhood and this is a perfect place to come and be a part of that brotherhood," said Rusty Ezell, U.S. Army veteran, airborne engineer.
Retired Marine Corporal Robert Wigan served in the unforgiving terrain of Vietnam. He says Dude's Playground's services have benefited him.
"And I get nothing but peace, peace of mind, peace of self. It's the best therapy that I could even get, even if I was in a hospital," said Corp. Wigan.
In addition to the mental toll, he battles various physical issues due to exposure to the toxic herbicide agent orange. He says Rich gave him a priceless gift: hope.
"When he says he's your friend or brother, you are. As a matter of fact, all these people around here are his brothers," said Corp. Wigan.
Rich says many vets can find themselves confined to the four walls of their homes. He encourages their courage to pay him a visit.
"We had a veteran that only stopped in for 15 minutes today, but it got him out of the house. So he got out of the house and he came down and he said, 'I don't like to go anywhere else.' He [doesn't] go to the park. He [doesn't] want to do anything like this. He said this is the only place that he goes besides his own backyard." said Rich.
Anyone experiencing a mental health crisis can call the Suicide and Lifeline Crisis at 988.
