Project Healing Waters

fadeaway263

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Has PAFF sponsored such an outing for veterans in PA? If we do I'd like to volunteer. From what I saw of the abilities of those that attended Stocktoberfest I don't think my fishing skills are adequate to teach a vet but I am willing to donate some $$$ if such an initiative is sponsored by us.


"Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing Inc. is a nonprofit organization formed in 2005 with the help of Trout Unlimited and the Federation of Fly Fishers to provide past and present service personnel with recreational, physical and mental therapy by teaching them fly-fishing."
 
Fade,
We went through considerable effort (esp JayL) to organize such an event last year in conjunction with the spring Jam. We rec'd little cooperation from PHW and local VA hospitals. PHW and Walter Redd have been overwhelmed with volunteers - I tried to volunteer several years ago - and seem to discourage further efforts by well meaning folks like us. It's not impossible. My TU chapter did a PHW get together a few weeks ago.

Obviously, it's good to see so many folks wishing to assist wounded vets - sometimes I wish there was so much outpouring of good will 40 years ago when there were far more wounded vets. Recently, I conducted a tour of the Gettysburg battlefield for Walter Reed Wounded Warriors program.....There was one wounded vet on a coach bus and about 20 volunteers riding along to help him.

Edit: Correction. It was earlier this year in conjunction with this year's Jam (2010).
 
WOW! Fish with the following stats as of June of this year one would think there would have been more vets on that coach. Note the difference between whites v blacks numbers.

Wounded in Action

30,490 U.S. service members have been wounded due to combat actions in Iraq and 2,309 in Afghanistan (32,799 total). The Army experienced 22,948 (70.0%) of those casualties, the Marine Corps 8,721 (26.6%), the Navy 656 (2%), and the Air Force 474 (1.4%).

The Army had 1,515 officers and 19,664 enlisted Soldiers wounded in action. The Marine Corps had 420 officers and 8,178 enlisted Marines WIA. The Navy experienced 35 officers who were WIA, and 621 Sailors. The Air Force statistics include 44 officers WIA and 430 enlisted Airmen WIA.

Active duty personnel comprised 26,056 (79.4%) of the WIA, with 6,743 (20.5%) Guard/Reserve personnel WIA.

The Army had 533 female WIA, the Marine Corps had 41, the Navy had 5, and the Air Force had 27 females WIA in the two combat areas.

Whites made up 25,254 (77.0%) of the WIAs, blacks comprised 2,688 (8.0%), and hispanics made up 2,061 (6.3%) of those wounded in action.
 
Basically what FI said. There were difficulties in organizing a standalone event and incorporating PHW, vs organizing a dedicated PHW event. The remote location was also a difficulty. Over a period of a few months, I played lots of phone tag, and didn't have enough to go forward with it. They are understandably overwhelmed, and also understandably cautious when organizing events.

I'd like to try again in the future. It was certainly a discouraging experience.
 
One of the members of this forum (although I haven't seen him post in quite a while) was working on teaching disabled vets to tie flies. I think this is an untapped area that could be explored. We are getting into the winter where opportunities to fish are decreasing but fly tying can be done year round. Maybe there is something that could be done in this area?
 
Great idea Franklin. How could we promote it? I'll start thinkin' on it. Frederick is always good for ideas on stuff like this. PS I'm voting for Kitty.
 
I had contacted PHW in regards to several of us rod builders donating rods to a regional event. Several of us on the rodbuildingforum.com message forum have donated rods to various organizations in the past and we thought PHW would be great cause.

I received a very polite reply that we could send our "monetary" contributions to an address in New York City.

I guess that shows their priority. I might still have the email saved.

matt
 
fadeaway263 wrote:
Great idea Franklin. How could we promote it? I'll start thinkin' on it. Frederick is always good for ideas on stuff like this. PS I'm voting for Kitty.

I'll poke around and see what ever happened to that effort. Obviously we would have to have some simple flies that someone with disabilities could do. Might have to modify some techniques or even tools that most of us normally use.

BTW some place like the Little Lehigh might be better for stream access for persons with disabilities affecting their legs. There is a spot by the fly shop that can be used by wheelchairs.

Another thought is the fly tying symposium coming up. Maybe someone there has heard of efforts for disabled tiers.
 
Note the difference between whites v blacks numbers.

What in the hell is wrong with you? This is not OT.

There are a number of PA TU chapters that have coordinated with Project Healing Waters. It seems that Project Healing Waters is fond of putting their fishermen on private stocked waters. I guess the success rate is much higher.
 
J daddy you are right. I seen a couple of fly project healling waters shows. They are all almost on private waters. The last I recall was The flyrod Cronicles And it was shot at the Spring Ridge Club ob spruce creek.

And guys remeber any vet wether he or she be wounded, black, white, hispanic or even purple deserves at least a hand and a word of thanks from us all.
 
I had the same experience as Fishidiot , i wrote many letters , offering literally everything i own......................no reply.
 
I do not support any "private water" clubs and I disdain those that try to profit off our resources like the spring ridge club,

but, I can certainly understand why groups hoping to introduce new fly anglers to the sport would want to use such locations. Nothing will frustrate a new angler quicker than NOT catching fish. It's like trying to teach a young child to fish, you got about 30 minutes to put them on the bite before they want to return to the Xbox.

Those of us who love the sport for the right reasons can go out for an entire day and never even get a bite but have just as successful a day as if we caught 25. Those who are just starting need to catch fish or they will loose interest quick.

Private or stocked waters stack the odds in the newbies favor.

Like I said, I think PHW has become a little too commercial and may have loss some of the innocence from when they started out but I still support their cause and would love to help out if I ever had the chance,

Even it was held at the Spring Ridge Club.

(of course, I'd pee on their grass before I left)

matt
 
fadeaway263 wrote:
WOW! Fish with the following stats as of June of this year one would think there would have been more vets on that coach. Note the difference between whites v blacks numbers.

Wounded in Action

30,490 U.S. service members have been wounded due to combat actions in Iraq and 2,309 in Afghanistan (32,799 total). The Army experienced 22,948 (70.0%) of those casualties, the Marine Corps 8,721 (26.6%), the Navy 656 (2%), and the Air Force 474 (1.4%).

The Army had 1,515 officers and 19,664 enlisted Soldiers wounded in action. The Marine Corps had 420 officers and 8,178 enlisted Marines WIA. The Navy experienced 35 officers who were WIA, and 621 Sailors. The Air Force statistics include 44 officers WIA and 430 enlisted Airmen WIA.

Active duty personnel comprised 26,056 (79.4%) of the WIA, with 6,743 (20.5%) Guard/Reserve personnel WIA.

The Army had 533 female WIA, the Marine Corps had 41, the Navy had 5, and the Air Force had 27 females WIA in the two combat areas.

Whites made up 25,254 (77.0%) of the WIAs, blacks comprised 2,688 (8.0%), and hispanics made up 2,061 (6.3%) of those wounded in action.

That pretty much matches the demographic make up of the armed forces. So whats the point ?
 
Bruno wrote:
fadeaway263 wrote:
WOW! Fish with the following stats as of June of this year one would think there would have been more vets on that coach. Note the difference between whites v blacks numbers.

Wounded in Action

30,490 U.S. service members have been wounded due to combat actions in Iraq and 2,309 in Afghanistan (32,799 total). The Army experienced 22,948 (70.0%) of those casualties, the Marine Corps 8,721 (26.6%), the Navy 656 (2%), and the Air Force 474 (1.4%).

The Army had 1,515 officers and 19,664 enlisted Soldiers wounded in action. The Marine Corps had 420 officers and 8,178 enlisted Marines WIA. The Navy experienced 35 officers who were WIA, and 621 Sailors. The Air Force statistics include 44 officers WIA and 430 enlisted Airmen WIA.

Active duty personnel comprised 26,056 (79.4%) of the WIA, with 6,743 (20.5%) Guard/Reserve personnel WIA.

The Army had 533 female WIA, the Marine Corps had 41, the Navy had 5, and the Air Force had 27 females WIA in the two combat areas.

Whites made up 25,254 (77.0%) of the WIAs, blacks comprised 2,688 (8.0%), and hispanics made up 2,061 (6.3%) of those wounded in action.

That pretty much matches the demographic make up of the armed forces. So whats the point ?

My point is compare this to the stats from Vietnam and the obvious conclusion is this is what to expect when there is no draft. That was the point.
 
Fade,

I gotta tell ya... you are really entering LJ territory in this thread.
 
Ok - I still don't get it.

The stats are pretty much the same for Vietnam. I don't understand what race has to do with getting wounded. They are all Americans serving their country.
 
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