ALCOVA Morgtage to honor hometown hero in Buchanan on Fri.
ALCOVA Mortgage, LLC has announced its plans to honor Jason Hogancamp as a 2019 Hometown Hero for the month of January.
In 1989, Jason joined the US Army at the age of 19. He went to bootcamp at Fort Lenaword in Missouri and then on to a special training program at Fort Polk in Louisiana to learn to become a demolition specialist. Hogancamp served tours in Saudi Arabia, Panama, Honduras, Bosnia and Korea. He was later assigned to Fort Hood Second Armored Division at Fort Campbell in Kentucky. His honorable discharge came in 2000 where he took on a civilian job in construction.
When Jason came back from the military, he was diagnosed with PTSD in 2005 and could barely speak. “I had a problem with depression – big time. I just thought…that was the end,” Jason recalls. His PTSD rendered him 100% disabled, and he experienced the pain of the flash backs, night terrors hypervigilance, and survivor guilt, even attempting suicide on more than one occasion.
“In my mind, I couldn’t tell people that I was hurting without an outward reason for that hurt,” says Hogancamp. “I prayed so many nights for a diagnosis of a disease that people would understand.” After psychotherapy, anger management classes, and individual counseling, his path brought him to the front gate of New Freedom Farm, where veterans and first responders with PTSD and substance abuse find a way to heal.
“Like veterans that are coming back from deployment, they are just tore up. They’re over-reactive, they’re not understood by other people . . . much like a new mustang, they’re just very fragile at that point,” he added. It was the horses at New Freedom Farm that gave Jason a new purpose in addition to gaining companions who took him on a path towards healing.
Jason became particularly close to the mustangs at New Freedom Farm, and he quickly learned to open himself up to new ideas and new behaviors while leaving his anger and anxiety at the gate. He now applies these skills to his daily life. “I’m only now able to start being who I was supposed to be,” says Jason.
Jason’s journey of healing at New Freedom Farm has made him a valued member of the team. In fact, he is now a Co-Director with the federally registered 501c3 organization. Founder Lois Fritz says Jason Hogancamp has been an amazing addition to New Freedom Farm, and veterans dealing with issues from post-traumatic stress usually soften and open up to Jason.
In addition to being part of New Freedom Farm, Jason is also very active at his church Daleville Baptist Church, serving as the music leader.
Since 2014, ALCOVA Mortgage has recognized Veterans across their ten-state service area for their dedication to our country by honoring them with a plaque and a $500 check.
ALCOVA Mortgage is proud to honor Jason Hogancamp and his service to his country by naming him as their first Hometown Hero for 2019. Branch Partner Jamie Bailey along with New Freedom Farm are planning a surprise presentation scheduled for Friday, January 4th at the Botetourt Event Center (11864 Lee Highway Buchanan VA 24066). Guests are encouraged to arrive at 11:30am with lunch and the ceremony to begin at 12 noon.
Submitted by ALCOVA
