Aroostook County native looking to start Veteran’s Sanctuary in Linneus

LINNEUS, Maine (WAGM) - An Aroostook County native is looking to start a veteran’s sanctuary in Linneus. News Source 8′s Isaac Potter has the story.

Zach Inman is an Orient native that has spent the last 31 years of his life operating a construction business in Las Vegas. Inman is spending his summer back home in Aroostook County clearing his 128 acres of land in Linneus, as he is looking to build a veteran’s sanctuary. The idea of the sanctuary came about after Inman’s son, Jacob Inman a disabled veteran, asked his father to do something to help struggling veterans.

Zach Inman, President of the Veteran’s Sanctuary Foundation, says “He watched a lot of his friends go through divorce, drugs, homelessness, and suicide, and he’s like dad they are the forgetton ones, they don’t get help, we need to do something. I told him you find some land, I want at least 100 acres and I’ll build it.”

After looking around the United States, his son Jacob found a 128 acre land in Linneus that was fifteen minutes away from where his father grew up. Inman bought the land that is located between Mud Pond and Beaver Brook Pond for $68,500. He says he has a few visions of what he wants this sanctuary to be.

Zach Inman: “I want to build a shop class, state of the art technology, mechanics class, barn, greenhouse, and have it be a beautiful place where they can come stay room and board. So we have to have funding because a lot of them coming out, they don’t know what to do, where to go. They didn’t know where to go, that’s why they went in. We have to stop the homelessness, drugs, and suicide. The best way I can think of is giving them a purpose, and get them back in the work force.”

Inman says the importance of having the sanctuary in Aroostook County is having a quiet place for the veterans.

Zach Inman: “It’s remote, I wanted to be away from cities and all that other stuff. Because when you are out there and walking around in nature, it lets you calm down. You don’t have noise of traffic, and sirens, and all that other stuff. It’s a sanctuary and that’s what I wanted.”

Inman expects the project will take 4-5 years to complete and will be about two million dollars. He has put about $150,000 into the project, and recently raised $30,000 in Las Vegas. But Inman says this project will need help from everyone.

Zach Inman: “Most people have a relative that was military, and they saw what they went through. So they know what kind of challenges that they have, so let’s help. Let’s not help just here, let’s help everywhere, but we need to make this an example. That’s what we are doing, we are building an example. I am just doing, the good Lord put me on this path and I am staying on it.”

To learn more about the Veteran’s Sanctuary, or if you have any questions, you can visit their website at BugOutVSF.com or call 702-468-2704. Isaac Potter, News Source 8.

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