An Epic Journey of Hope and Brotherhood

Vietnam veteran Richard Pimentel lost most of his hearing and speech in an explosion in

Vietnam. Aside from hearing loss, like most Vietnam veterans, he suffers from PTSD. When he

returned from Vietnam, he applied for a Veterans Administration rehabilitation program and was

turned down. This was his first impetus to remake himself into a world-class speaker and

disability rights advocate. On July 19th, Milt Wright, Richard's long-time friend and business

partner, organized a celebration of Richard's remarkable life. Proof that there is HOPE in the

face of hopelessness.

Richard needed support for his issues.

Enter Ben Marich, a 100% disabled Marine Vietnam Combat veteran. Ben's disabilities include

PTSD as well as other issues. Ben and his wife, Sarah, founded a 501(c) (3) non-profit in 2025 to

find and train service dogs to give to disabled veterans through their program, Pups4Heroes.

Ben and Richard have been friends for over a decade. Both are battling to help others who have

PTSD and other disabilities. Ben and Sarah gave a goldendoodle, donated by Gary Blinkey of

GoldendoodlepuppiesSC, named Starkey, to Richard. Many veterans face daily challenges such

as anxiety, panic attacks, flashbacks, or mobility issues. A service dog can step in with timely,

trained responses—offering calming physical contact, creating helpful distractions, retrieving

medication or dropped items, opening doors, providing balance and stability, or even alerting

others in an emergency.

Ben and Richard are both afflicted with PTSD, a BROTHERHOOD that is not desirable yet

real.

That brotherhood and Pups4Heroes gave Richard his new "life companion" at his celebration.

Ben and his wife, Sarah, drove from Denver to Georgia to pick up the puppy and then returned to

Idaho to surprise Richard on July 19, 2025. A journey of 6,000 miles sponsored by The Starkey

Hearing Foundation. Like Richard, we change lives every day. Follow us at Pups4Heroes.com.