Wounded Veterans Take Fishing Trip with Steven Palazzo
Friday was the perfect day to do something outside, like fishing.
Gene Dufrene, a biloxi native, was deployed to Iraq in 2005 as an Infantry Platoon Sergeant with the Mississippi National Guard. His unit was one of the first to turn over local control back to the Iraqis. Dufrene says, “There was a lot of good and there was a lot of bad, but that’s like with any job that you do, but overall, I’m proud to serve. I don’t regret anything that I’ve done in my military career. I think it’s one of the best decisions I’ve ever done in my life.”
Dufrene sustained back and shoulder injuries during his service and says it has been a long recovery. Friday, he was one of about 12 wounded veterans who came together for a fishing tournament hosted by Rivers of Recovery and Congressman Steven Palazzo. Dufrene also says, “Whenever you’re with other veterans right there, you feel more comfortable. Guys that suffer from things such as P.T.S.D., depression, anxiety, we tend to feel a little more comfortable whenever we’re around other soldiers or other veterans.”
Not only was this just a fun day out on the water, it was also therapeutic for these veterans as well. Dufrene says, “You don’t even have to catch fish, it’s just being out there in the act of doing it. It’s something great. I enjoy it, it helps me out. It’s kind of a getaway from reality in the sense of rigor and roll that takes place here. You get out on the water, you have your own thoughts, and you just get out there and you hunt the fish.”
The Coastal Conservation Association found the boat and charter captains who volunteered their time in order to take these veterans out on the water. Johnny Marquez, the Executive Director of the Coastal Conservation Association, says, “We think it’s a great way to give back to our veterans who have given so much to us, particularly for many who have been injured. It’s a unique type of therapy for them to be able to get out on the water and go fishing.”
For Dufrene, a day on the water with fellow veterans was a perfect way to spend a fall day.
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