To Whom Do We Owe This Freedom We Enjoy?

Sometimes in life, things occur to me that strike me as genius, only to find out that I have discovered the most obvious things that all of my friends and family already knew. Often these revelations happen to be an idea that my young grandchildren (usually the ones under ten) knew all along. Either I am really slow, or they are just very wise. Perhaps it is a combination…I really don’t know.

One of these recent flashes of brilliance (or not!) came to me after a recent club meeting for Ozark Fly Fishers in St. Louis. They moved the meeting location and I got lost on the way there and almost bailed and went home. They were featuring a speaker from the Missouri Department of Conservation on the new fishing program for kids. I wanted to hear what she had to say so I was hell-bent on finding the meeting place. I got there, a little late, but made it. I always like to hear about things that get kids out fishing. I enjoyed her presentation but there was a special surprise at the meeting that I did not know about until I got there.

There was a young man by the name of Ken Morrow that gave a presentation on a program called Project Healing Waters. I had heard of this but I am ashamed to admit that I knew very little about it. Mr. Morrow gave a very good presentation and he showed a video that touched me very deeply. He is a disabled veteran himself having done several tours and is now retired from the military. He is participating in this program as a volunteer, serving as the Regional Coordinator for the Southern Region. Ken lives in Springfield, Missouri and I found him to be a very pleasant and enthusiastic fellow. In the video that Ken played for us hearing about a soldier that was brought back from the brink of darkness by fly fishing really hit me hard in the gut. It was a powerful message and I am really glad to know that Ozark Fly Fishers is going to get behind the program. If you go their web-site (http://www.projecthealingwaters.org/) you can find out more, view some video (they were even featured on ESPN!), and see their sponsors and some of their board members. FFF and Trout Unlimited have both made a commitment to them and you can even donate money from the site if you so choose.

Across the Atlantic Ocean, there is a little coastal village in France called Colleville-sur-Mer, next to an area in the Normandy region, which, once upon a time was referred to as Omaha Beach. In this village, there is an American cemetery that contains row upon row of identical white crosses and stars of David. They are immaculately kept and they commemorate the American soldiers that gave their lives in World War II. If you ever have a chance to visit this special place, you will never be the same.

What was my thought that should have been so obvious? It was this: The freedom that I enjoy has not been free. Blood has been shed across the globe for my family – me, my wife, my children, my grandchildren, and those not even born yet. We owe a great big thank you to those who have so faithfully served our great country and its citizens. When I sit by my fireplace on a cold winter evening sipping a glass of single malt scotch, dreaming of a good cigar, flipping through my favorite fishing book and petting my faithful bird dog, it is awfully easy to take all of that goodness for granted. I look forward to helping out with Ozark Fly Fishers and the Project Healing Waters. I want to support those that have had my back all these years. I hope you will consider it as well. It is the least we can do. You think about that…TL