Susan Schulz

Fishing for Warriors: Life-saving Change

BY SUSAN BROWNING SCHULZ

Andrew Inman, a veteran who served in the Marines and the Army, experienced a change in the trajectory of his life after an encounter with the men of Fishing for Warriors (FFW). The nonprofit’s leaders and volunteers connect veterans to one another through their love of fishing.

“I’ve been a fisherman all of my life. I grew up fishing on the banks of anywhere I could find. It is in my blood. It is my therapy, my livelihood,” Andrew said. “With the invisible injuries from combat, I lost sight of my passion after my deployment to Iraq. I found myself trapped indoors, avoiding the light of day, and shoving whatever numbing agent I could find into my system. Days turned into months, months into years, and next thing I knew, I was 305 pounds, addicted to opiates, and hating life. If my thoughts had assigned seats, fishing would have been in the nosebleeds. Life barely was being lived, breath after breath, thought after thought. Numb.”

Andrew completed many stages of therapy, prescribed and mandated by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, but something was missing still: fishing. Then, he discovered FFW. “I’ve had the pleasure of attending two events, the first as a veteran who needed help, and the second as a boat captain and volunteer,” Andrew said. “My first event included a fishing tournament. I was partnered with John John Lanier (vice president and outreach director of FFW). We ended up winning that tournament, an epic adventure. My first win as a fisherman! John John is one of the coolest and humblest men I’ve ever met.

“Let me explain to you why I want the men of FFW in my corner,” he said. “Recently, I fell off the wagon and hit rock bottom. I didn’t know who to turn to. I remembered John John said he would always be there, no matter what time of day or night. So, I reached out to John John and asked for that favor. At the lowest of lows, I texted him and asked for help. He called and asked what he could do. I asked him to come fishing with me.

“No big deal, right? Except, he lives in South Carolina, and I live in Central Florida. He asked me to wait a few minutes; he needed some time to make things happen. I thought he was not going to be able to pull this off. But, true to his word, he called back. He drove down that evening, and we fished. We laughed. We cried. He’s my brother for life, a stranger turned friend while fishing. I am forever grateful.”

Unfortunately, stories like Andrew’s are common for combat veterans. He is not alone in his post-war struggles. The veterans who fish with FFW have stories to share, so healing can begin.

FFW offers events all over the Southeast, including Allatoona Lake, Lake Lanier and Lake Harding. FFW President Justin Brooks, a Georgia Army National Guard veteran, launched the nonprofit after serving multiple tours in Afghanistan and Iraq. Justin attended an event with another nonprofit called Wake for Warriors, which has a similar vision, but a different focus: watersports.

Spending a weekend on the water inspired Justin to share his passion for fishing with other veterans. “After we finished wakeboarding, I picked up a pole to fish. A conversation was sparked with Dave Deep, the founder of Wake for Warriors, about my love of fishing. I shared with him that I grew up fishing

John John Lanier, left, with fellow veteran Cameron McBride on Allatoona Lake.

Marine and Army veteran Andrew Inman catches a bass.

many of North Georgia’s lakes and rivers with my great grandfather. One thing led to another, and with Dave’s help, FFW was born,” he said. “Life’s worth living, making it my sole purpose to get as many veterans as I can off the couch and onto the water.”

Veterans and civilians are encouraged to volunteer. Tax-deductible donations are needed for lodging, flights and food, to make these events possible. Visit fishingforwarriors.org, call Justin Brooks at 770-310-5293 or John John Lanier at 315-719-4123.

Susan Schulz is a Bible teacher and mentor who lives and plays on the Etowah River in Canton. Connect with her on social media or at susanbrowningschulz.com.

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Support for Veterans

in Cobb County

American Legion Post 304 in Acworth and Post 29

in Marietta are part of the largest veteran support group in the United States, with posts in 14,000 communities around the country and 2.4 million members. www.post304.org, www.post29marietta.org.

Disabled American Veterans Chapter 6 in Marietta

is a veterans advocacy and assistance group that was founded in 1953, to allow veterans to get together with other veterans and help one another with what they need. https://www. davchapter6.com.

Marine Corps League Detachment 647 of Marietta

is for veterans of the Marine Corps to meet, maintain camaraderie and perform community services. The Marietta chapter joins to serve Marines, their families and the children of the community by supporting Toys for Tots, United Military Care, the Cobb County Veterans Memorial Foundation, and wounded warriors through annual donations to the Semper Fi Fund and more. http://mcl647.org/index.html.

United Military Care in Marietta is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that serves veterans of all ages, branches and lifestyles, by connecting them when they need a helping hand. United Military Care provides the tools and resources to empower veterans to live a safe, healthy and productive life through one-on-one relationships. https://www. unitedmilitarycare.org.

Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 5408 in Acworth

is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping veterans, military, their families and the community. Members reside in Acworth, Kennesaw, Woodstock, Cartersville and surrounding communities; they partner with community leaders to advocate on behalf of veterans. https://vfw5408.org.

The Aviation History & Technology Center’s Veteran Appreciation Celebration unites the public with those who have served our nation, through a free event with food, conversation and a veteran-themed variety show, 4-7 p.m., in Marietta. https://ahtc360.org/events.

An event to honor women veterans, presented by Cobb County government, U.S. Veterans Affairs and Georgia Department of Veterans Services, is coming to Jim Miller Park Event Center in Marietta, 1-3 p.m. Female veterans who served in the armed forces during World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War and the most recent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan will share their experiences. Veteran services providers, a free COVID-19 vaccination clinic and the Cobb County Animal Services Pet Adoption Trailer (adoption fee waived for veterans) will be at the event. Doors open at noon. Register at https://bit. ly/3G8ZkBU. Call 770-528-3318 with questions.

Nov. 11

A Veterans Day Luncheon, presented by the Rotary Club of North Cobb, will be held noon-2 p.m. at Ben Robertson Community Center in Kennesaw. Additionally, curbside to-go meals will be available. Register online for a curbside meal at https://bit.ly/3nh4T8p.

VFW Post 5408 is celebrating our heroes with a homemade Veterans Day Spaghetti Dinner, noon-3 p.m. at 4764 Cobb Parkway NW, Acworth. Veterans eat free; plates are $6 for everyone else.

The city of Acworth is honoring veterans by hosting a Veterans Day Ceremony. Stop by the Veterans Memorial at Patriot’s Point at Cauble Park at 2 p.m. https://acworthtourism.org/events/veterans-ceremony.

Veterans Day Candlelight Ceremony honors veterans at The Park at City Center in downtown Woodstock at 7 p.m. www.woodstockparksandrec.com.

Nov. 13

The seventh annual Veterans Memorial 5K, presented by American Legion Post 29, is open to runners and walkers of all ages, and is wheelchair and stroller-accessible and petfriendly. The 5K begins at 7:30 a.m. in Marietta Square. Scan the QR code for registration and more information. A Military Appreciation Celebration, featuring the Georgia Symphony Orchestra Chorus and Brass Quintet, will begin at 9 a.m. in Glover Park at Marietta Square. This free morning performance supports the American Legion’s Veterans Memorial 5K. https://bit.ly/3kBy8mc. Cherokee Veterans Community ministry is hosting Veterans Day Appreciation Breakfast at First Baptist Church Woodstock. Registration is required for this free event, as seating is limited. Veterans can register by texting DD214 to 678-940-6469 or by calling David Snyder at 678-570-5828.