Where did you serve and what did you do?
Fire Control Tech onboard USS Coral Sea CVA 43 off North Vietnam, South Vietnam and Cambodia.
How are you #StillServing?
I met a buddy Ben Mallon, that has Hell or Highwater Outdoors, while duck hunting on Lake Sam Rayburn, and he introduced me to Terry Sympson who owns Outdoor Freedom Network on Lake Rayburn. With their support, I started Crappie Fishing For Veterans 5 years ago. We have veterans taken out from WWII that was there at Pearl Harbor and every engagement since. We even took out firefighters that were there at 9/11 when the towers came down.
One of the groups that came to us was with Gordon Melton with Hunting With Soldiers. I now have Quail Hunting for Veterans where Hunting With Soldiers sends quail hunters that are combat veterans with PTSD that they and the VA’s Recreational Therapy have vetted. Our hunts are done over my redpointing Dudley Labrador Retrievers. That hunt that very few get to do as I raise and train our dogs and birds for these hunts. Our guests stay at Jackson Hill Marina on Sam Rayburn and we were doing a day of fishing and a day of quail hunting until COVID-19 has us halt the fishing due to unable to social distance. Quail hunting requires social distancing. Recreational Therapy brings me people from nursing homes and hospice care to take on the lake and those are the most at risk for it.
Why do you do it?
I do it because it should be done.