LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Adam Bautz is a Marine Corps veteran who served our country for four years.
“I was like the third batch of Marines going into Iraq,” he told Channel 13.
While he got to come home, many of those he served alongside did not. That was 2008, in the middle of the recession.
WATCH | Veteran shares journey from Marine Corps to Las Vegas business owner
“I came home with wounds that you can’t see,” he said. “I think a lot of us veterans that have wounds that you can’t see, we hold them to ourselves and that’s what I was trying to do for a lot of time.”
Bautz described battling PTSD and feeling lonely, saying “I certainly went into a dark place.”
But he decided he couldn’t stay there.
A fellow veteran told Adam about nonprofit Semper Fi & America’s Fund in 2013.
It helps those who have served transition back to civilian life, with resources and outlets to heal. Bautz described the camaraderie he felt participating in different adventures and activities with the fund along with other veterans.
But the real turning point in his healing journey started when he joined the fund’s apprenticeship program. The result is his almost 10-year-old business called Outdoor Travel Tours where he’s the guide taking locals and tourists to explore the Valley of Fire State Park.
“I’ve turned my traumas into fuel to live a good life,” said Bautz. He added, “The Valley of Fire has become my place of refuge, it’s my therapy, and I get to share my therapy with people around the world, and I get to help people reconnect with nature.”
Though his trauma will always remain, his healing continues with each tour he leads.
His message to other veterans who are struggling and not sure what to do is simple: “Face your traumas, learn to accept them into your life. Learn how to live with them. So you can proceed to be a happy, healthy version of yourself.”
You can learn more about Adam’s company, Outdoor Travel Tours, here.
For more information on Semper Fi & America’s Fund, click here.
