SAN ANTONIO - Trinity Oaks will present its most prestigious award, the Lt. Paul Silber Award, at the 9th Annual Gala Under the Stars on December 4, 2021, at La Villita Assembly Hall on San Antonio’s scenic River Walk. The Lt. Paul Silber Award is given to a combat veteran dedicated to both conservation and community volunteerism. Marine col. (ret.) Willy Buhl is this year’s award recipient.

Named after a dedicated solider who overcame the limitations resulting from combat wounds to lead a meaningful life after war, the award recognizes outstanding achievement in the areas of service to our country and philanthropy, recognizing a community member who leads by example to fulfill the mission of Trinity Oaks. The recipient must have served in a live combat zone to enable them to connect and understand the hardships and sacrifices other veterans experience during active duty deployment and coming home. Trinity Oaks wants to honor this process and give hope to all our returning veterans. In addition, candidates must also demonstrate consistent volunteerism and service within their own community.

Col. Buhl is such a man. “I knew from the time that I was about three years old that I wanted to be a Marine,” said Buhl, who joined the Marines as a reservist, graduating from basic training in May 1982. Upon graduation from the Basic Reconnaissance Course and completing follow-on training, Buhl went to his reserve unit, Detachment 4th Force Reconnaissance Company, in Reno, Nevada, in October 1982, where his lieutenant recommended him for Officer Candidate School. As an infantry officer, Buhl had 11 command positions, from platoon commander to regimental commander.

“As an officer, you never forget that first day that you report and stand in front of your platoon of Marines, knowing that you are responsible for properly leading and serving them,” said Buhl. “That feeling never changes, whether it’s 40 marines in your rifle platoon, or 5,000 in your infantry regiment. It’s an amazing feeling and there’s nothing else like it.”

Buhl went on a total of eight deployments, half of which were to combat zones, and said only one of those aided him in gaining a perspective of what defined him -- when he deployed with 3/1 in 2004 to Iraq. “We were attacked every single day while trying to pacify an area around Fallujah, and there were people murdered for assisting us,” Buhl said. “We had 33 men killed in action in our battalion, but there were over 250 combat awards for valor. That deployment defined everything that I stood for as a Marine.”

Later in his career, Buhl assumed his position as the director for Expeditionary Operations Training Group, I Marine Expeditionary Force, where his job was to oversee the provision of individual training in select special skills and evaluations of collective training across the range of military operations in order to prepare Marine Expeditionary Units and other designated forces to support the combatant commanders of I MEF. Buhl also served as commanding officer of the Wounded Warrior Regiment at Quantico from 2012-14. In all, Col. Buhl served 34 years.
 

The Under the Oaks Gala dinner and auction has grown into the premier fundraising event for Trinity Oaks, attracting more than 500 guests from across the country, often selling out months in advance. This year’s Gala will feature live music from Zach Nytomt; an open bar sponsored by Rahr & Sons Brewery, Miranda Lambert’s Red 55 Winery and Rebecca Creek Distillery; incredible food by Black Tie Catering; raffles; games; an extensive silent auction; and a world-class live auction that includes trips and hunts around the world. All proceeds from this event will bring vital funds and support to the Trinity Oaks programs and services it provides.

Please join Trinity Oaks as they honor Co. Buhl on the evening of December 4 at Trinity Oaks 9th Annual Gala Under the Stars. Tickets are still available. Individual tickets are $250 apiece, and tables run $2,500 to $10,000. To purchase tickets Click Here This is an evening you won’t want to miss.

About Trinity Oaks

In 2007, San Antonio native Tom Snyder founded Trinity Oaks, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded on the premise that active participation in the outdoors is a powerful, healing, and fundamentally life-changing experience. The organization’s mission is to use hunting, fishing and outdoor activities to make a meaningful difference in the lives of underprivileged kids, terminally ill children and a way to show to appreciation to combat veterans and first responders. Each year, Trinity Oaks offers at least 50 events at no expense to those who can benefit from once-in-a-lifetime hunting or fishing experiences. For more information on Trinity Oaks, visit www.trinityoaks.org, or call 210-447-0351. For more information on Thumbtack Ranch, visit https://trinityoaks.org/thumbtack/.