When he relocated to San Antonio in 2015, retired Air Force Colonel JC Clapsaddle sought out local nonprofits, wanting to get to know the his new community and give back at the same time. He found the Rotary Club of San Antonio, where, in 2022, he was a part of a fundraising effort to provide relief for Ukrainian refugees in Poland.
Initially, the rotary raised a quarter of a million dollars in just a few weeks.
Over time, it was evident that relief efforts needed to move closer to the war front, where refugees were being immediately displaced.
“That changed the focus of the fundraising and the mission,” Clapsaddle told BigCitySmallTown podcast host Robert Rivard. “My wife and I decided that, instead of cutting a check and hoping it makes it to its location, let’s take that money and go into the war zone. Let’s check it out.”
This marked the first of four trips that Clapsaddle has undertaken to Ukraine to deliver humanitarian aid — vehicles, medical supplies and other materials — to people on the frontlines.
A self-described “convert to San Antonio,” Clapsaddle grew up and went to school in Iowa, where his unique surname brought on teasing and bullying as a child. He decided to join the military after receiving a masters degree, hoping to become a pilot. Low entrance exam scores and the political climate caused him to shift to health care administration, where he gathered knowledge and skills that would help him in his future humanitarian efforts.
He met his wife Andra while in the Air Force — on “December 17, 1990, 8 a.m.” during weapons training, Clapsaddle recalls with precision — and in 2015 they moved to San Antonio for her final military job.
While shopping at a local store, Clapsaddle recalls a woman noticing his name on his credit card saying “‘Clapsaddle. That’s a great name. Do you know what a great Texas name that is?’ And I looked at her and I realized I must be home.”
Although based in San Antonio, Clapsaddle’s humanitarian efforts are supported by local and international donors. The upcoming election has made some fundraising efforts tricky.
“I have donors that are waiting to see what happens. I have donors that will probably start to withdraw if its a Trump victory,” he says. “I’ve got some very generous donors, but I think that may dry up after the first week of November, depending on this election.”
Regardless, Clapsaddle is preparing for a fifth trip to Ukraine this November and already has a “convoy ready to roll.”
Listen to the Clapsaddle and Rivard full conversation on the latest episode of the BigCitySmallTown podcast.
