Over 1,000 discover “Beyond Band of Brothers Dishonest”

KOLD Investigates: Arizona veterans, families out thousands after tour company files for bankruptcy

KOLD 13 News
By Shaley Sanders
June 1, 2020

TUCSON, Ariz. (KOLD News 13) - It was supposed to be a bucket list adventure to celebrate our veterans until the trip of a lifetime turned into a trip to nowhere.

Now, hundreds of travelers are out thousands of dollars, and many may not even know.

“Part of the thing that stings the most is that these were trips that were tailored to veterans,” said Alana Stevens.

Stevens, who lives in Tucson, said she wanted to surprise her army veteran husband and WWII history buff with a big trip for his 50th birthday.

“He is a disabled vet. He was a paratrooper,”Steven said.

Stevens said she purchased a WWII tour through Germany through Beyond Band of Brothers Tours. She said she paid the company about $5,000.

With so much uncertainty surrounding COVID-19, Stevens said she tried to contact Beyond Band of Brothers Tours to make sure their September trip was still on schedule.

“I Googled Beyond Band of Brothers and the website was black,” Stevens said.

While searching for answers, Stevens said she stumbled upon a Facebook group called, “Beyond Band of Brothers Dishonest.”
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Salt Lake VA therapist got veteran to jump from perfectly good plane

VA therapist helps dying Veteran complete bucket list
VAntage Point US Department of Veterans Affairs
Jill Atwood
January 18, 2018

The sky is the limit

With help from VA Recreation Therapist Lili Sotolong, left, Veteran Kenneth Augustus was able to scratch skydiving from his bucket list.

Army Veteran Kenneth Augustus loved adventure. He loved to rock climb, and scuba dive, and always had a longing for falling hundreds of feet per second from an airplane.

VA Salt Lake City Recreation Therapist Lili Sotolong knew skydiving was a lofty goal considering his condition, but she was determined to make that dream come true.

“I got a call out of the blue to come work with this Veteran,” Lili said. “I was told he only had a few months to live but when I got there he was beyond positive, and so easy to work with. He had made peace with what was happening to him and was really preparing himself for the inevitable; he just had some things he wanted to experience first.”

Lili made several calls and finally arranged the jump through two very generous community partners: Skydive Utah and the Elks Lodge. It was go time!

“He got to jump with his brother and his son, and they wanted me to do it with them! We had a group hug and were all fist-pumping in the plane prior to the jump. It really was an extraordinary experience.”
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Vietnam Veteran Took Leap Out of Perfectly Good Plane

76-year-old Vietnam veteran starts his bucket list by skydiving
WDAY 6 News
By Bailey Vertin
Jul 10, 2017

DETROIT LAKES—One man is checking off things from his bucket list as he takes flight.

Edward Gehrke isn't a stranger to risks.

The 76-year-old Vietnam Veteran spent his life trying to experience as much as possible.

This past Sunday he took a new leap, right out a plane window.

While at the Detroit Lakes air show he saw others skydiving and decided to give it a try.
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