Sean Dillard came home from the Army and hit a wall. He’s honest about that. Mental health struggles, loss of purpose, suicidal ideation, he’s been there. And he’ll tell you exactly what it felt like.
What he did with that experience is why he came on The Decision Hour.
The Number That Stopped Me
Sean shared a stat during our conversation that I haven’t stopped thinking about.
Between 2001 and 2021, more than 144,000 veterans died by suicide. In that same period, roughly 6,000 were lost in combat.
“The enemy is beating us on our own turf,” he said.
That’s not a talking point. That’s a man who almost became one of those numbers, telling you what’s actually happening to the people who served this country.
What He Built After
Sean founded the Southern Illinois Veteran Foundation because he knew firsthand what isolation does to a veteran. Connection is the medicine. Community is what keeps people alive. He’s not theorizing he lived it.
Out of that came the Orsome Odyssey. Originally, Sean was planning an unsupported row across the Pacific, 2,800 miles from California to Hawaii, set for 2028. Fellow ocean rower and Marine veteran Paul Laurie talked him into something different first. Something that would let him stop, meet people, and build the kind of connections the mission is actually about.
The Great Loop. 6,000 miles through America’s inland waterways, down the Mississippi, around Florida, up the eastern seaboard, through the Great Lakes, and back to Chicago. In an ocean rowboat. No escort vessel.
His Son Is Coming With Him
Aiden is 11. He’s already been awarded a Paul Harris Fellow from Rotary International, an honor that typically goes to adults for his role in this project.
He’s rowing with his dad.
Sean is clear about why. The classroom can’t teach what this will. The bonding, the challenge, the example it sets, that’s the whole point. This trip is a mission and a lesson and a legacy all at once.
How You Can Get Involved
You can sponsor a mile of the journey for $22 in honor of a veteran, a family member, or anyone you’ve lost. There’s also a virtual 5K and sponsorship opportunities for businesses that want to be part of something real as Sean and Aiden move through communities across the country.
Every dollar goes toward visibility and connection for veterans who need to know they’re not alone.
OrsomeOdyssey.org
Sean ended our conversation with something I want to leave you with.
“I’m at that point where I want to live. And I’m not going to let anybody or anything get in my way.”
That’s what this is about. Go support them.
Sean Dillard joined Adam Bird on The Decision Hour podcast. Heroes Media Group. Full episode at thedecisionhour.com
