CrossTimbers, Folds Of Honor Foundation Offer Getaway For Injured Soldiers

A first-of-its-kind lakeside getaway for service members is now complete.

The Honor at CrossTimbers Marina will soon be available for free to families of injured heroes served by the Folds of Honor Foundations. 

Tucked off the shoreline of Skiatook Lake stands the newest addition to CrossTimbers Marina.

It's 1,100-square feet of hard work, passion and patriotism dedicated to our military members and their families.

"We know the healing powers of water," Holli Woodward said.

The Honor Cottage offers all the amenities of home and allows veterans to leave behind the stress and worry that might come with it.

"We wanted them to be able to come out here and forget about the things that they've seen or endured," Woodward said.

"A lot of times, the families have the stress on them," Woodward said.

Robert Jackson lost both his legs while serving in Afghanistan in 2003.

"To have the time to spend time in a place as beautiful as this is so amazing," Jackson said.

The two-story cabin was built completely on donations from dozens of organizations.

"We wanted to make sure it was accessible for disabled veterans," architect Daryl Bray. "Oklahoma is very proud to have the first one, and I think this is going to serve as the prototype or the template for those that are going to be built around the country."

Folds of Honor will be in charge of selecting the military families who will begin using the cottage in July. Each one will spend two or three days here at a time at no cost to them.

"It can be very therapeutic, a little rest and relaxation, kinda get away from all the busy day-to-day living," U.S. Marine Sgt. Tim Cronin said.

There's still a little work left to be done on the interior, but the foundation is there, rooted deep in bedrock and the hard work of people who love their veterans.

"It's definitely something that's close to our hearts, and means so much to us," Jackson said.

The Folds of Honor Foundation hopes to put its next Honor Cottage up on Keystone Lake, but instead of being here on the shoreline, it will be slightly smaller and out on the water.