Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - November/December 2020 - 40

Veterans on Pennsylvania's Water-
Appreciation for a Calming, Peaceful Experience

by Jerry Bush

photos by the author

In February 2019, after nearly 50-years of full-time
employment and simultaneous part-time employment,
I moved into the realm of "semi-retired," self-employed,
outdoor journalist. Retiring from my full-time manufacturing/
management position left me feeling blessed but with a
burning desire to "give something back" to society. Even so, I
struggled to figure out what I could do and for whom.
Trout season was a few months away, and one day, while
imitating a skilled fly tier, it occurred to me that a wounded
veteran may appreciate someone to befriend. A person who
would volunteer to help veterans enjoy fly fishing, especially if
physical ailments presented challenges.
One morning at church, I mentioned my thought to
another fly fishing enthusiast-my church's lead pastor. "We
have another fairly new member who attends a later service,
and the two of you need to meet," said Pastor Aaron. The
next morning, I received a text from Ron Koshar, who was
also recently retired. We agreed to meet for breakfast the
next day. Koshar is a volunteer with Project Healing Waters.
Project Healing Waters is an organization devoted to helping
wounded veterans experience the natural, soothing relaxation
generated by the experience of fly fishing. My new friend
invited me to attend a Project Healing Waters event held
at a mall in Pittsburgh. There, I could meet the southwest
Pennsylvania chapter leader and observe, as volunteers
and vets gathered to tie flies, build fly rods, and reach out
to veterans interested in these activities. After observing
the veterans and volunteers interact, I felt sure this was a
worthwhile service I could help provide.
Koshar's son lives in the Pittsburgh area, which provides
extra motivation for him to make the 90-minute drive from

40

our hometown. I opted to search for similar opportunities
a little closer to home, but my searches proved futile at first.
Eventually, I clicked on the website for the Neshannock
Chapter Trout Unlimited, which is headquartered a short
distance from my home.
The Neshannock Chapter Trout Unlimited was
organizing a group of volunteers to begin a program
dedicated to helping veterans and their families go fishing.
Just as with Project Healing Waters, learning the craft of
tying flies was among the activities to be offered. The goals
were to help American veterans and interested family
members experience the joys and relaxation offered by
this honorable pursuit, played out in some of nature's most
inspiring environments.
Our chapter leaders decided to go along with Trout
Unlimited's (TU's) recommendation that volunteers be
exposed to some online training, designed specifically to
help volunteers of any organization interact with military
veterans who may be dealing with issues we may not
otherwise understand. Our online training is provided by
PsychArmor , a service dedicated to helping interested
people develop a mindset to better serve physically wounded
veterans and veterans who are dealing with post traumatic
stress disorder (PTSD) or other issues. They offer 15- to
30-minute courses. The training is very diverse. There is
even a course to help volunteers understand how to interact
with service dogs and service dog owners. I learned there
were items I never considered, and the courses were thoughtprovoking and inspiring.
I realized I knew someone who served a few tours of
duty in Afghanistan and suffers moderate PTSD. Before
I participated in the online course devoted to PTSD, my
mind was foolishly focused on soldiers with visible wounds.
Often, it is the soldiers with hidden disorders who may

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Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - November/December 2020

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