Our organization was originally incorporated in 1967 by World War II veterans of the Tenth Mountain Division, the ski troops. They had experimented all through the 50's with ways to continue skiing despite the loss of limbs. The name they gave the organization back then was "National Amputee Skiers Association". It was one of three amputee ski clubs in the country. The others being the "Flying Outriggers" of Oregon and the "Three Trackers of Ohio'. There are 100 chapters today.
As the Viet Nam war continued, a good number of VN vets were recruited out of the military hospitals on the west coast. We learned to ski at the Donner Summit. I united the three clubs and a few new adaptive ski programs into one organization in the early 70's and VN vets going home to other states helped form new chapters. So it was VN vets who carried the organization across the nation and later, the world. Kirk Bauer, our National CEO, came from our program here in the Sierra's. Kirk and I are the last of the VN vets still leading this organization and neither one of us would prefer to do anything else. It's our life's work.
For the last seven years Kirk and other representatives of DSUSA have walked the wards in military hospitals reaching out to Wounded Warriors disabled in Iraq and Afghanistan bringing full circle our sevice to those who served our nation. Many of DSUSA's chapters conduct sports camps for Wounded Warriors. They are our brothers and sisters.
Disabled Sports USA Far West is proud of our heritage and grateful to those who serve !!
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