SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – Semper Flies Foundation, a new veteran-owned and operated nonprofit, is aiming to provide support for veterans while shedding light on the effects of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), traumatic brain injury (TBI) and depression.
Jamie Guajardo is a combat veteran who fought in Iraq and served in the U.S. Marine Corps for 13 years. He was in the Marine Force Reconnaissance, where his platoon specialized in Close Quarters Battle (CQB).
Guajardo’s job was to stand next to explosives as they were detonating and redirect the concussion blasts away from those standing behind him. The repeated blast exposure would go on to wreak havoc on his brain.
“I’ve been battling PTSD and traumatic brain injury for over 20 years,” Guajardo said.
He shared his experiences of being a two-time suicide survivor, saying that after catastrophic attempts to take his life, he was shocked after he came to and found he was still alive.
After a severe mental episode in 2018, Guajardo was admitted into a PTSD hospital where he was taught how to tie fishing flies as a form of grounding, dexterity, and benefits to the brain.
“I fell in love with the process of making the flies,” Guajardo said. “I told all the veterans that were sitting there, I said ‘When I get out, I’m going to create something called Semper Flies,’ because Semper Fi is the Marine Corps motto.”
Guajardo decided to turn his pain and trauma into a means to drive change. He began by seeking help in understanding and treating his TBI. In the last two years, Guajardo has had five different brain procedures along with brain surgery.
He then created rules to live by, eventually turning them into bylaws for his foundation. Some of these bylaws include: “It’s okay that I am not okay”, “Get stronger”, “Healing”, “Choose your hard”, and more.
“About three quarters of the way through 2024, I thought ‘Man, this is working for me. I am actively saving my own life here,” he said. “In this country right now, 22 veterans take their lives every single day. Around 2025, I was like, ‘If I could share this with others, maybe I can make a dent in that 22.'”
First starting out as a Facebook page, the Semper Flies Foundation has evolved into a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with 100% of proceeds going into the foundation to grow the program and send veterans on fishing trips.
Guajardo’s mission is to not only lower the number of veterans who commit suicide every day, but to educate and support through seminars and outreach, encouraging veterans to seek treatment. You can find the Semper Flies booth at a number of events, including Live at Lakeview, Tahoe Games and the Fall Festival.
Recently, the foundation hosted its inaugural PTSD Awareness Day on June 27, where veterans shared their testimonials of choosing to save their lives after battling PTSD and TBI. The event, supported by local community members and businesses in South Lake Tahoe, was deemed a success as a few hundred people came throughout the day to attend.
“That’s where our bread and butter is. That’s what we’re really about – education and seminar.” Guajardo said. “I love using flyfishing as a platform to deliver this message. Veterans love flyfishing. It’s good for their brains, it’s good for their souls, and it’s good for their conditions.”
Guajardo has his sights set on expanding Semper Flies in the future. This year, the foundation will be launching free fly tying classes for veterans with plans already in place to take 12 veterans on a trip to fly fish locally.
His ultimate goal?—To purchase a hotel in town and turn it into a home base where veterans can spend two weeks fishing, acquiring PTSD education, and receiving much needed support.
“I want to convey to veterans that you can get stronger, you can learn to live with your conditions,” said Guajardo. “There is a life out there worth fighting for.”
To learn more about Semper Flies Foundation or to reach out, visit semperfliesfoundation.org.
