Gone But Not Forgotten

Although the Deerfield Beach nonprofit is only two years old, area residents may already be familiar with the Naked Warrior Project (NWP), which has been making a name for itself with events like a recent offshore fishing tournament.

However, many may not know that the organization – which supports fallen and injured U.S. Navy SEALs and their families – was born from a well of despair. Retired Navy SEAL John Owens, 43, founded the project just months after his brother, Navy SEAL William “Ryan” Owens, 36, was killed in Yemen in 2017.

“This is something we wanted to do – to use the energy and grief we had to honor my brother,” says Owens of himself and his family.

They named the nonprofit after the Naked Warriors, the elite fighting force that was the precursor to the Navy SEALs.

Although fallen soldiers are honored nationally in many ways, Owens wanted them to be celebrated locally, too. To achieve that goal, NWP hosts several events year-round, including the Ryan Owens Memorial Run on Deerfield Beach and the Helping Heroes Heal Golf Tournament in Boca Raton. 

Owens, who lives in Deerfield Beach, modeled the Memorial Run after the Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL training that SEALs must pass to graduate. Proceeds from the run, the nonprofit’s most significant event, will help build a memorial for Ryan in Lauderdale-By-The-Sea, where his father lives.

The fishing tournament was inspired by the Owens brothers’ fondness for angling.

“The race and the tournament remind me of things Ryan and I did growing up. [NWP organizers] wanted to do events that were [reminiscent] of what we did,” Owens says. “We grew up running and fishing. The tournament came about organically, being here in South Florida.”

The events bring in plenty of participants: Last November’s race had about 600 runners. That kind of turnout reinforces Owens’ belief that Special Ops warriors are not forgotten.

“The Special Ops guys out there are doing everything, giving their lives and never knowing if they will meet the worst possible ending,” he says. “Although many people don’t understand, because our country is very removed from war, it’s amazing to see the number of people that do. This is just something special we want to do to give back.” O

For more information, call 949-244-4613 or visit nakedwarriorproject.org.