Daily, this family lives the Army's values of courage, selfless service and sacrifice. Sharon is a Wounded Warrior and she and her children are also a Gold Star Family, having lost their husband and father in service protecting our country's freedom.
One day in late October, Matt (Chief), a leader with the Ft. Bragg/Cape Fear Chapter of Heroes on the Water, took SSG Sharon and three of her children Kenneth-8 years old, Alexas-9 years old, and Matthew-10 years old kayak fishing at Smith Lake. Sharon had contacted Matt after seeing a poster he put up for the HOW program and they set up the outing.
Chief was very excited to take them out on the water; and since it was also Kenneth's 8th Birthday, it made it an even more special trip. Matt involved Sharon and the kids in setting up the kayaks and rods as they all had experience in tandem kayaks and fishing for Pan Fish and Cat Fish, but they had never fished from a kayak.
10 year old Matthew's goal for the day was to catch his first Bass while kayak fishing and Chief committed to helping make that happen and proceeded to show how to tie a Texas rig and explained some basics about Bass fishing. Guided by Chief's tips on casting and finessing the artificial worm, they all paddled out in search of the big catch.
First catch was a bass landed by Chief which created excitement and an opportunity to learn how to handle the fish and remove the hook. Next, Alexas hooked a bass that went under some rocks and got stuck. Chief tried to get it out, but the line broke. Surprisingly, the fish came up with the bobber and then swam off.
Then came the holler in excitement, "I've got one!" Chief raced over to help and found a nice sized Bass flopping around between Matthew's legs. Chief said with a grin, "This was Matthew's first bass. He was very proud and talked about the fight and how he got it in. It was a nice size too for Smith Lake."
This was the first outing with more to come kayak fishing with Heroes on the Water.
Sharon expressed her appreciation, "Thanks so much for taking your time to take us out there.
The kids (especially Matthew) really enjoyed it. Kenneth could not wait to go and tell everyone what he did "special" for his birthday. I cannot say thanks enough.
Heroes on the Water makes such outings possible at no cost to the Wounded Warriors and their families. We appreciate and express our thanks to the many people and sponsors who support Heroes on the Water and its mission with donations of money, equipment, food and beverages, lodging and volunteer time. This year, Heroes on the Water will provide 1,500 vet days on the water. Together we can make a bigger impact and provide 10,000 a year. We hope you will join with us in making that possible by making a donation now.
Thank you. You're Awesome! We appreciate your support.
