Dave Roever is the founder and president of three non-profit corporations. Of the three, Roever Foundation exists to create pathways for those who feel lost and hopeless to find their way home; to discover it is possible to live a fulfilling life, leaving the struggles of the past in the rear view mirror. Dave, and his late wife, Brenda co-founded Eagles Summit Ranch, with locations in Colorado and Texas.
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Dave Roever doesn’t have any fancy letters after his name or degrees on his wall. His counseling credentials are measured in blood, scar tissue and bone grafts.
He went to Vietnam in 1969 as part of a riverboat crew—lean, muscled and confident from Naval Special Warfare—as a recently married 21-year-old who yearned to be a minister. He came back after 14 months in military hospitals a one-eyed, hideously burned, insecure, self-conscious, post-suicidal—in his words—“beast.”
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Fortunately, Roever (pronounced REE’-ver) was grounded by his faith and his bride, Brenda, who encouraged him when he needed it; provided a self-pity antidote when he needed that, too; and loved him unconditionally throughout. During his recovery, he discovered that his ordeal served a higher purpose. His message was one of acceptance of their scars and lost limbs and psychological wounds, and a desire to move forward with their lives.
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The dirt road to Eagles Summit Ranch Colorado is largely unmarked. Travel about 15 miles southeast of Westcliffe, CO, take a right and follow the dirt road past the gnarled cedars, the deer blinds and the scrubby brush that marks the end of the Hill Country and the start of West Texas, and you’re there, at a large iron gate flanked by cast eagles. Beyond these gates, the Dave Roever Foundation uses a multifaceted approach based mostly on faith and public speaking to help wounded war veterans confront, accept and move past the physical and mental trauma they’ve suffered.
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For more information on Roever Foundation, visit their website at www.RoeverFoundation.org