(NewsNation) — Marine Cpl. Anthony Villarreal was on his third deployment in Afghanistan when a roadside bomb blew up the truck he was driving. He was left with third-degree burns on over 70 percent of his body, broken bones, and many other injuries.

“I was really grateful to serve my country, especially after the events of 9/11; I just felt a big calling when everything was happening in New York. I just felt that our nation needed someone to protect them, and I was the person right for the job.,” Villarreal said.

During the two years he was in the hospital, he worried about how he would support his family, and that’s where the Wounded Warrior Project stepped in and helped.

Villarreal attended an event in Vail, Colorado with the organization that he said helped him “tremendously” to seek the additional support he needed.

“I was stuck inside my house at that time, just really depressed; didn’t want to leave and go anywhere. I decided to take a chance and go to this event and to be able to see other veterans with the same injuries that I had, doing all these things, like snowboarding, got me out of my shell and I was able to finally get out and stay positive and go through my therapy,” he explained.

Saturday marks Veterans Day, Wilton Williamson Jr., vice president of connection for the Wounded Warrior Project, said the project tries to support veterans by trying to meet them where they are and see what their needs are.

“You can also attend a Veterans Day parade, which was always amazing. Just really leaning into helping vets in any way,” Williamson said.

Williamson added that through the kindness and generosity of Americans, the organization can serve veterans.

“The American people always donating to our organization so that we can serve veterans to meet them where they are, and not just veterans but veterans, family support members, and also their caregivers as well,” he said.

The Wounded Warrior Project has served more than 200,000 veterans and their families since 2003.