With over 400 boats being volunteered, all the warriors and their families who wanted to go fishing were accommodated. Many experienced their first ever saltwater fishing trip. -Photo by Peggy Wilkinson

Things with Warrior’s Weekend are starting to get back to normal—which means getting ready for the next one—after bringing in 718 heroes plus several hundred family members. All in all, things went very well, a lot of fish were caught, cleaned by our volunteers and sent off to the heroes at their home bases.

Bringing in over 700 heroes does present some challenges but we’d like to say that, all in all, things went very well. There was one shark bite, some lost luggage (since found and returned) and some heat related issues but all were handled by our great volunteers, especially our medical team headed up by Dr. Dan Dugi of Cuero along with his 30 or so medical personnel. As usual, our guys at the docks handled loading and unloading heroes as best or better than can be expected and being able to launch about one half of our over 400 boats at The Sanctuary helped immensely. Caterpillar had the a/c humming in the big tent to the point that it helped the sale of our “hoodies” quite a bit until the tent starting filling up. Then, it was just right.

Each fish, no matter what species, was weighed and cleaned and sent to the heroes if they were from a base and sent home in either buses or personal vehicles if they drove in. We just received an email from a 20+ year veteran who was here after being wounded in Afghanistan, thanking us and telling us what coming to WW VII meant to him.

So, thanks again to all who volunteered their time, their homes, their lodges, their boats (whether you took out a hero or not—you were there for us and them), their handshakes and their hugs. Thanks again to the good folks of Calhoun County who make us welcome and do a great job of showing their patriotic spirit. All of you have ownership in Warrior’s Weekend and should be proud of your contributions to making a lifetime memory for our heroes.

As I mentioned earlier, back to normal means getting ready for next year. Warrior’s Weekend is having a 50’s dance featuring Johnny Dee’s Rocket 88s on Friday, the 28th, this month here in Victoria at the community center followed the next day by a BBQ cook-off and bike rally. Tickets for the dance are $15 pre-sale and $20 at the door. Sponsorship packages, which include a rib-eye steak dinner, free beer and wine as well as set-ups all night and other “goodies” for 10. Otherwise, it is BYOB and beer as well as wine will be sold. Please check our website www.warriorsweekend.org for more information.

Back to normal.

Ron Kocian, President
Warrior’s Weekend

Victor Birdseye (Birdy) with 39-pound Black Drum that won a first place in the Warrior’s Weekend fishing competition. Warrior Birdy enjoyed fishing with Jenny and Rick Nagelmueller and Casey Fischbeck.

Volunteers help Warriors’ children get ready for their fishing trip. -Photo by Bret Williams, Port O’Connor Visitors’ Center

Jeremy Deramus

This is Warrior, Jeremy Deramus, from Fort Worth, Texas.  He and his wife, Christina stayed at host family, Randy and Bonnie Fluitt’s home.  Mr. Tigrett asked the Fluitts,  as they were eating at Cathy’s on Wednesday night,  if they would take in some warriors as house guests, as he couldn’t find room for all of them!  Our family met unexpected guests, (the Deramus) and enjoyed meeting them and hearing their story!!!  Capt. Derek Roeben and Capt. Mark Behrens took them out fishing and they came back with an igloo full of beautiful red fish.  They loved their time in POC and want to move here, now!!!

-Peggy Wilkinson

Awards were given for the biggest fish caught during the day’s fishing trip. Victor Birdseye had the winning Black Drum (39 lbs.) and Jenna Hughes from Ft. Benning had the second place Shark (18.1 lbs.)

Field of Tribute - Photo by Lea Ann's Photography