Juan Ramirez

Juan Ramirez is a U.S. Marine Corps veteran who served in two tours of duty in Iraq. He is the first in his family to serve our country in the military. Juan was a quality assurance evaluator and chef, as well as a prison guard and provided security detail for convoys.

“My disabilities make it hard to get a job and stay in one,” said Ramirez.

When asked how he heard about WAVES and the impact our organization has had, Juan said, “I heard about WAVES from a friend who also went through the program. My experience (with WAVES) has been amazing, from staff to volunteers, they make you feel like family. A great group of people that go out of their way to make sure everyone is taken care of. The training is fun and they make it easy to learn. There are not enough words that I can say about how great the staff and volunteers have been.”

Ramirez also added how diving and being with other veterans helps with his rehabilitation. “Being able to dive with other veterans is amazing. Being around other people that understand you and what we have been through brings on a sense of calmness. Diving helps us relax and is a therapy by being weightless. Being calm, we forget about all of the bad and concentrate on breathing and relaxing.”

Juan has become a WAVES volunteer himself and wants to become a dive professional “I want to help other veterans just as WAVES has helped me and continue in the support of the veterans and the WAVES Project. We welcome Juan Ramirez into our WAVES Project family and look forward to having him assist us to “help a wounded warrior reach the water.