The Gift That Keeps Giving: Veteran’s legacy lives on through outdoor freedom
Retired Air Force Captain Roydan D. Bozeman III next to Veteran Juan Rosales with Rosales’ mother and father surrounding.
WTSO
Posted Thursday, February 26, 2026 3:08 pm
Lauren Junot | Wastewater Treatment Systems and Operations (WTSO)
LIVINGSTON PARISH — What began as a Christmas act of kindness nearly a decade ago has grown into a powerful legacy — one that continues to change lives for Louisiana veterans even after the passing of the man who first received the gift.
In December 2017, retired Air Force Captain Roydan D. Bozeman III, known to many as “Doug,” owner of Denham Springs-based Wastewater Treatment Systems and Operations (WTSO), partnered with Hero Hunts — a nonprofit dedicated to helping Louisiana veterans reconnect with the outdoors — to present Command Sgt. Maj. (Ret.) Christopher Kimble Primes with a fully loaded all-terrain track chair.
The specialized mobility chair allowed Primes, a decorated Army veteran who lost his leg during a firefight in Afghanistan in 2014, to return to hunting, fishing, and spending time outdoors with his family.
“I mean, I can’t describe it. It’s a blessing,” Primes said at the time. “This goes above and beyond anything anyone has given me before.”
Primes enlisted in the Army in 1984 and served around the world for three decades. Despite significant health challenges after his military service — including multiple surgeries and a cancer diagnosis — he remained determined to live life fully and stay connected to nature.
Community members remember him as resilient, positive, and deeply committed to his family and fellow veterans.
CSM (Ret.) Christopher Kimble Primes passed away peacefully on January 17, 2025, at his home in Hammond, Louisiana, surrounded by loved ones. Yet even after his passing, the impact of that 2017 Christmas gift did not end.
Following his death, WTSO reached out to Primes’ family with a simple goal: ensure that the chair — and the opportunity it represented — would continue helping another veteran reclaim life outdoors.
With the family’s blessing, the organization worked to identify another disabled veteran in Louisiana who could benefit from the life-changing equipment.
Juan Rosales, a veteran living with severe spinal cord injuries and limited mobility, said the opportunity represents more than just transportation — it means reconnecting with his family.
“I’m unable to walk more than a block due to back spinal cord damage,” Rosales shared. “My back is fused and I have an internal stimulator implanted. I’m mostly bedridden and unable to go outdoors with my daughter because of the uneven terrain. This chair would allow me to be outdoors with my family again. I would love to feel the sunshine.”
For Rosales, the chair offers a renewed sense of independence and a chance to create memories outside the walls of his home.
Community leaders say the story reflects the lasting power of generosity — how a single gift, given years ago during the holiday season, continues to ripple forward, helping veterans overcome barriers and rediscover the outdoors.
What started as a Christmas blessing from one veteran to another has now become a legacy of service — proving that sometimes the greatest gifts don’t end when the season does.
http://www.wbrz.com/videos/local-business-gives-back-to-army-veteran-this-christmas-season/
http://www.wafb.com/story/36256690/denham-springs-company-refueling-cajun-navy-boats-in-houston