We spent this weekend down in Port O’Connor fishing, playing at the beach, and relaxing. On Saturday we took part in the first annual Warriors Weekend. I can honestly say I don’t think I’ve ever been more truly honored to take part in something like this. There were about 75 or so wounded soldiers from the Iraq war and their family and caretakers (staff from Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio) who were bused down to the coast to go fishing. All the boats and their owners volunteered to take these guys out in the bay to go fishing. Casey was a deckhand for my dad and I was a deckhand for a friend of my dads. When their buses showed up with a police escort all the folks cheered and clapped and even a few misty-eyed folks. The pride was so evident there at the docks. I had never seen so many boats at Froggie’s before!
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Some of the guys had wounds that had healed, some had burns and scars from roadside bombs, or were missing legs or arms, one guys had been shot in the head and was paralyzed on the left side of his body. The staggering similarity besides their injuries, was they all seemed so young. Average age was mid-twenties to thirties. The stories they had to tell were mind-blowing, hoping and praying my sons would never have to see or experience such things. The other similarity was most of all the guys I talked to said they’d go back, they believed in what they were doing, but most importantly their buddies were still over there.
[inspic=704,,fullscreen]
All the guys seemed to have a great time fishing and afterwards at the community center was a bbq dinner and live music and tables to sit and visit, they gave awards for largest fish, smallest fish, and best fishing tales. It was truly an honor to be a part of this event and we are looking forward to taking part again! Even if you don’t agree with why we are at war, thank a vet, they stand out there and protect our freedom and they do it with pride and honor!
I’ve put a photo album up from the event.
We spent this weekend down in Port O’Connor fishing, playing at the beach, and relaxing. On Saturday we took part in the first annual Warriors Weekend. I can honestly say I don’t think I’ve ever been more truly honored to take part in something like this. There were about 75 or so wounded soldiers from the Iraq war and their family and caretakers (staff from Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio) who were bused down to the coast to go fishing. All the boats and their owners volunteered to take these guys out in the bay to go fishing. Casey was a deckhand for my dad and I was a deckhand for a friend of my dads. When their buses showed up with a police escort all the folks cheered and clapped and even a few misty-eyed folks. The pride was so evident there at the docks. I had never seen so many boats at Froggie’s before!
[inspic=709,,fullscreen]
Some of the guys had wounds that had healed, some had burns and scars from roadside bombs, or were missing legs or arms, one guys had been shot in the head and was paralyzed on the left side of his body. The staggering similarity besides their injuries, was they all seemed so young. Average age was mid-twenties to thirties. The stories they had to tell were mind-blowing, hoping and praying my sons would never have to see or experience such things. The other similarity was most of all the guys I talked to said they’d go back, they believed in what they were doing, but most importantly their buddies were still over there.
[inspic=704,,fullscreen]
All the guys seemed to have a great time fishing and afterwards at the community center was a bbq dinner and live music and tables to sit and visit, they gave awards for largest fish, smallest fish, and best fishing tales. It was truly an honor to be a part of this event and we are looking forward to taking part again! Even if you don’t agree with why we are at war, thank a vet, they stand out there and protect our freedom and they do it with pride and honor!
I’ve put a photo album up from the event.
