Photo By Sgt. Stephen Decatur | Spc. Ross Pelto, a Detroit, Mich. native and Paratrooper with 1st Battalion, 505th...... read more read more
PORT O'CONNOR, Texas — Because Soldiers spend most of their time with other Soldiers, their everyday lives seem completely normal to them. But every once in a while every Soldier runs into someone who tells him what he does is extraordinary.
Pvt. Michael Varner, a cannon crew member from Carson City, Nev., with 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment had such an experience during an event called Warrior's Weekend May 16 in Port O'Connor, Texas, where locals thanked Soldiers for their service and sacrifices with a day of free fishing.
"I'm used to interacting with my fellow Soldiers, I haven't had the chance to be around civilians too much," Varner said. "A lady walked up to me and shook my hand. I kind of had to get used it."
There were almost 200 wounded Soldiers from Fort Bragg, Fort Campbell, Fort Hood and Walter Reed Army Medical Center, and many non-wounded Soldiers as well, said Ron Kocian, a co-chairman for the event. A total of about 8,000 people came to the event to thank the troops, Kocian said.
So many boat owners volunteered to take the service members and their families that there was enough space for Vietnam veterans as well as Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom veterans.
"It's not just about the fishing," Kocian said. "It's about giving the public the opportunity to show that they love the troops."
Kocian served in the Army during the Vietnam War and remembered the way his fellow Soldiers were treated when they returned to the United States. So he got together with friends to help set up the Warrior's Weekend.
"It will remind [Soldiers] that they're loved, and that we're not forgetting them," Kocian said.
Aside from fishing, Soldiers also participated in activities like climbing and shooting bows and arrows at the Port O'Connor Community Center, and a dedication ceremony for a field of flags put up by a local church. The Faith Family Church put up hundreds of full-sized flags in a show of solidarity for service members. At the end of the day, a "dinner with the troops" was held at the community center to give civilians and troopers one more chance to connect.
Julian Perez heard about the event through a motorcycle group called the Patriot Guard Riders.
"It's for the troops. For everything they do for us, it's time we did something for them," he said.
Perez, who has several family members who have served in the armed forces, said that more people need to meet service members in person.
"They ought to be able to sit together with these veterans and realize what they're doing so we can enjoy our Saturday nights," Perez said.
Spc. Ross Pelto, a Detroit, Mich., native and Paratrooper with 1st Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, is a fishing enthusiast who was wounded during his last deployment to Iraq. He ended up getting the largest catch of his life at the event, a 37-inch Red Drum, or Texas Redfish as it's know locally.
"This is the first event I've ever been to like this," Pelto said. "I've never seen this kind of gratitude before; Texas really knows how to treat a veteran."
| Date Taken: | 05.21.2009 |
| Date Posted: | 05.21.2009 09:44 |
| Story ID: | 33897 |
| Location: | PORT O'CONNOR, US |
| Web Views: | 323 |
| Downloads: | 277 |
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