Jason Truitt of Bakersfield Calif. schemed and lied to earn a hunting trip to Colorado so he could be treated as a hero.

He received a rifle from the National Rifle Association, he accepted praise from men, women and veterans. He fooled countless people, taking advantage of their good intentions.

But none more than Bob and Terri Luna of Montezuma County.

In the days following his participation in the Hunt for Heroes, Truitt was exposed for impersonating a Navy SEAL, a prisoner of war and other outlandish claims of military valor, all to apparently get a free elk hunt and a hunting rifle.

Bob Luna said the Hunt for Heroes program will return next year for its sixth annual hunt.

For the past five years, the Lunas, along with Marc Steinke of the NRA, have put on the Mark Ecker II Memorial Hunt for Heroes from Colorado Hunting Expeditions, just outside Dolores.

The dark cloud of deception that looms over their efforts to help military veterans enjoy a hunting trip to the Colorado high country is difficult for them to accept.

“It’s the lowest thing imaginable that a person can do. The lowest of the low,” said Luna, via cell phone.

Luna and his wife Terri were out of town on business when they learned about Truitt’s false claims of being a hero.

“Someone would take advantage of this system? We’re losing sleep over this,” Luna said. “All of the tears that were shed for this guy. He even cried at the banquet when he was presented the rifle. All of this for a con artist.”

Vietnam veteran Gary Whitnack traveled from California to Colorado for the special opportunity to hunt elk. He was able to cover his travel expenses, unlike Truitt, who further took advantage of the Lunas’ generosity by accepting $800 for the trip, claiming he didn’t have the resources to get to Colorado.

Whitnack hopes the incident doesn’t taint the program’s reputation.

“I had a good time. This doesn’t cast a shadow over what these guys have. I think it’s important to support them,” Whitnack said.

Whitnack said that he believes the other vets would offer the same kind of support.

“I hope the vets come together and stand up for Bob and Terri,” he said.

Despite the Truitt incident, the Lunas’ efforts don’t go unappreciated.

Harold Morgan, a 79-year-old Korean War veteran and his son David, both of California, were also on this year’s hunt. They agreed that the Lunas are doing a good thing for veterans.

“They’ve been doing this for five years, and this is the first problem,” Harold Morgan said.

Luna said they hope to learn from the Truitt situation as they look ahead to the 2012 Hunt for Heroes.

Tim Kline, a retired law enforcement officer from Albuquerque, N.M., volunteers as a hunting guide with the annual veteran’s hunt. He says this won’t stop him from believing in the program.

“I’m embarrassed, but not too embarrassed to quit,” he said.

Steinke along with Luna cofounded the annual hunt. They remain dedicated to the hunting program and honoring deserving military veterans.

“We’ve learned a whole bunch from this and have some new ideas for the future,” Steinke said from his home in Alaska. “Some watchdog groups are going to help us and the hunts will go on,”

As for Bob Luna, he recognizes the need to confirm selected veterans and maintains that it will make the experience better.

“From here on out, these will be the best veterans’ hunts ever. We’re going to turn adversity to advantage,” he said. “We’re not going to let this distract from the veterans’ experience.”

Reach Brandon at brandonm@cortezjournal.com