Everyone in Port O’Connor will have a chance to greet and thank over 500 heroes plus family members from all over the United States on the 18th of May as they arrive at Froggie’s Bait Dock around 9:00 a.m. Puerto Rico will even be represented this year. Once again, our donors and volunteers have stepped up and have allowed us the honor and privilege of inviting so many heroes this year. Not only are we bringing new heroes to Port O’Connor this year, but so many previous attendees want to come back that we will have approximately 25 flights into Houston Bush Airport on the 16th and 17th of May. The balance of the heroes will arrive by charter bus from Ft. Hood and Brooke Army Medical Center (BAMC). Again, the goal of Warrior’s Weekend is to touch as many of these heroes’ lives as we can. We know that Warrior’s Weekend makes a difference.
Most of the heroes will arrive in POC on the evening of the 17th, get settled into lodging and then be taken to the POC Community Center for a great fish fry with entertainment. After that meal, they can stay for the entertainment or go night fishing at The Sanctuary, which has so graciously offered up their beautiful locale for this part of the weekend. After midnight, those fishing will return to their lodging and rest up for the big day on Saturday, the 18th. With this great number, making it the largest event of its kind anywhere in the world, comes new demands. We are in need of volunteers to take those heroes out on the morning of the 18th. If you can offer up your boat, fishing equipment, drinks (no alcohol) and, most of all, your time, we need you. Please contact Kelly Parks at kelly-parks@att.net (361-550-4296), Russell Hofer at crhfour@yahoo.com (361-920-3321) or myself, Ron Kocian, at ron_kocian@hotmail.com (361-550-0187) to register your boat for the day. If you have been with us before, you still need to register for this year, as we have to be certain we have the boats we need.
After fishing on Saturday, the 18th, all of their fish will be weighed and cleaned by our volunteers. The heroes will be honored at a barbecue/awards dinner back at the Community Center and then they can either go back to their lodgings or play Texas Hold’Em for prizes. On Sunday morning, those staying overnight with us will have breakfast with us and then return home.
On display again this year will be a sand sculpture to honor the heroes, which I understand will outdo last year’s. I can’t imagine how. Also, one flag will be placed in the ground to honor each life lost in the War on Terror in the Warrior’s Weekend Field of Tribute. I think that number is over 6,500, unfortunately.
We want to thank all the good folks of Calhoun County/Port O’Connor who have been great to us for now going on seven years. It is a great partnership and a tribute to you all. If more of you would like to become involved, and we certainly need more boats, please go to our website www.warriorsweekend.org and contact any one of us. See you in May. Come, love on a hero.
The flag flies at last year’s Warrior’s Weekend. -Photo by Donnie Martin
