Combat Warriors Fishing Trip
I wanted to take a moment and reflect on the Memorial Day fishing trip your organization provided to me. First, I want to thank Combat Warriors Inc. for everything you are doing for our nation’s veterans, and I also want to thank you specifically for providing me with an opportunity to hang out with current friends and make new friends. I think it would be appropriate to dedicate a paragraph to three areas of the trip; the reception and lodging, the boat and crew, and the overall experience with the group.
The reception on Sunday and the lodging Sunday evening was pretty amazing. Upon being notified I was selected to go fishing, I began to do research, talk to all of the people I knew that were going, and talking about it non-stop. One of the main reasons for my excitement is because as an avid outdoorsman I know exactly what Hyde County and the OBX have to offer and it is truly a sportsman's paradise. From the time we showed up at Live Oak Lodge until the second we got in our vehicle to come back home I felt like I was around family. The food, the lodge, the people; everything felt so familiar even though I only knew a few people prior. This created a great atmosphere that cultivated friendly competition among boats. The lodging for the evening was also amazing. I have stayed in multiple places in Hyde County and I can say for a fact this is one of nicest places I have seen. It was extremely clean, well taken care of, and the owner even came over and introduced themselves. Overall, I don’t think you could ask for a better situation, we had time to chat and form relationships before getting a good nights sleep.
As with anything else, when you’re trying something new, you always approach it with caution. I am an avid fisherman and I have chartered many boats in my life but fishing out of Oregon Inlet was something on my bucket list. When we showed up in the morning the excitement only got more intense. When we loaded everything onto the boat and talked to the Captain and Mate it was apparent that they lived and breathed fishing. The boat was immaculate, one of the cleanest boats I have ever laid eyes on, and you can tell it's well kept. The Captain and Mate worked super hard to not only entertain 7,048 of my questions but also to put us on fish. To say the conditions were unfavorable would be an understatement. The seas were big, the fog was thick, and the weather did not want to cooperate but despite the conditions the Captain and Mate never even slowed down. It was very apparent they were putting everything on the line and it resulted in a few nice fish on a day that I was skeptical we would catch any fish. It was pretty amazing being able to share that experience with my fellow Combat Warriors. I think we have all been in “less than ideal” conditions and I believe thats what makes us closer. We understand each other’s hardships and to a degree its therapeutic to endure more, particularly when its something you love like fishing. If I could have written that chapter, we would have limited out on tuna but, I am very proud of what the crew was able to get considering the conditions and seeing the smiles on faces when guys caught their first ever tuna, or mahi made the trip not only unforgettable but priceless. If I could do it all over again, I wouldn’t change one thing about it.
Lastly, I would be remissed if I didn’t comment on the overall experience. I think the program you have going is a wonderful thing and Im sure you are aware Memorial day is a special time for veterans. For some it can be hard, and for others it's a celebration of life. While we all want to remember the fallen, I think many would agree that to honor the fallen we should celebrate the living, and I think your event promotes that very concept. Many stories were told on Sunday night, some of which may or may not have been entirely true, but nevertheless we paid tribute to those who couldn’t be there with us. So in closing I want to say that I am eternally grateful for the opportunity to participate in this event, and I appreciate what you are doing for all veterans. Hopefully, one day I too will be able to provide such an opportunity to a veteran and I can only hope they would feel the same as I do right now. Attached are just a few photos that will always be a part of me. Thank you.
Respectfully Submitted,
William Barber
