Camaraderie and the Veteran Catch of the Day

On March 4, 2025, veterans from all military branches of the armed forces enjoyed the camaraderie of other veterans at the 8th Annual “Take a Veteran Fishing Day.” The CVE fishing club and Ellesmere E residents hosted the annual event that helps veteran men and women take time to heal by teaching them fishing skills and introducing them to activities that can reduce PTSD symptoms. Over 30 veterans participated in celebrating at the event that honored our CVE veterans for their service. The Play HOOK-e from PTSD program promotes eco-therapy, lifetime leisure pursuits, and healthy outdoor activities for veterans that enjoy spending time outdoors. Members from the Vietnam Veterans of America and Chapter 12 South supported our warriors by offering informational resources to assist veterans in finding health advice at local veteran outreach centers.

The day was a tremendous success, most veterans fished and remained after the barbeque to socialize and swap military experiences. Several veterans expressed their gratitude for being honored and mentioned they would like to attend more programs for veterans within the CVE community.

Arlene Frankel, a volunteer from Honor Flight South Florida supplied our veterans with sign-up sheets for a future Honor Flight trip to Washington, DC. Arie Forgacs, US Armyand Tom LaBarbera, US Marine Corps were surprised to learn that they will be traveling together on April 5, 2025, to Washington, DC.

We’d like to thank our sponsor, the Ellesmere E Board and Ellesmere A residents for supporting our fishing program and our veterans along with Bill Montgomery, CVE fishing club president, who supplied the bait for the day.  We also extended a thank you to everyone that contributed goodies and especially Cathy K, AKA “BBQ Queen” for grilling and all the others who volunteered to make this event a success.