More than five years ago, Marine Master Gunnery Sgt. David R. Franco was hit by an improvised explosive device in Iraq that left him with brain, lower back and leg injuries. He hoped he had suffered enough for both him and his son, who was also serving in Iraq at the time, but he was wrong.

Three years later his son, Sgt. David W. Franco, suffered the same fate when he was hit by an IED and he suffered almost identical wounds.

“When I found out he got hit, my heart just dropped,” said Franco senior of his son. “As a father, you don’t want your kids to go through what you went through. I prepared him and said, you’re going to feel this and that and we took good care of him. He had the same doctors I had.”

The Franco family lives in California but was invited by a group that helps wounded soldiers enjoy a weekend of recreation on a lake in Southern Alabama.

“It’s unusual because you don’t see a lot of father/son service members serving in the same conflict, much less they both came home with identical injuries,” said Mandy Goff, coordinator of Operation Lima Foxtrot programs for injured military.

Operation Rise & Conquer Weekend is one of five camps for wounded soldiers in the Lakeshore Foundation’s Operation Lima Foxtrot Program. The father-son duo spent last weekend working together on challenging outdoor adventures, while meeting other servicemen and women who also served in Iraq, Afghanistan and military bases around the world.

The organizers of the Rise & Conquer Weekend give wounded warriors a chance to enjoy outdoor sports and recreation despite their injuries.  The long-term goal for the soldiers is to go back home and enjoy the same  activities with their families and friends.

“Even if they don’t have an adapted sports program, they can plug into their community bike club or a kayaking club,” Goff said. “The whole idea is to live active and healthy and do it with those in your daily life who mean the most to you!”

Goff said this is the first time the father and son were able to spend quality time together since returning home from the Middle East.

“When our injured military participants tour the facility, I hear over and over how they wish they had something like this close to home,” she said. “ We encourage them to live life independently and active.  We are able to give these injured men and women hope of all that they can do– regardless of whether they think they can do it or not.”