THEEDITOR’SNOTE
Randy Houston (with his beloved dog Pennie) can’t imagine his life without the work he’s done since starting his nonprofit organization, Purple Heart Anglers. “Do I want to do this until I can’t do this anymore? Yeah,” the soon-to-be 72-year-old said. (RANDY HOUSTON)
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henever I chat with Randy Houston, the Bay Area man who started nonprofit veterans outdoor organization Purple Heart Anglers, he gets emotional. Which in turn gets me emotional. Houston, who has been based near where I grew up just outside San Francisco, is one of the most inspirational philanthropists I’ve ever corresponded with during my stint editing this magazine. I caught up with him to chronicle his latest fishing trip to Ketchikan, Alaska – this was the organization’s eighth time there – with two handfuls of soldiers wounded in combat during our country’s various wars. It’s just the latest of the efforts Houston and his fellow volunteers at PHA have made for years to offer these disabled veterans a thank you for their sacrifices. I’ve interviewed and written about Houston multiple times, and when I asked him to share some of his most recent interactions with those he gets out to fish and hunt with, he only agreed to get specific if our conversation was off the record. And then I knew why. The stories of PTSD effects can be too horrifying to print. But that’s part of what inspires Houston, who turns 72 this month, to keep this journey going to honor his late brother Jerry, a decorated Vietnam War veteran who passed away in 2011. Purple Heart Anglers was born when Jerry died. Houston had no military connection himself except for his big brother, and almost a decade later he can’t see himself not continuing the commitment he made to doing what he can for these American heroes. “Do I want to do this until I can’t do this anymore? Yeah. My goal, I guess if you want to call it a goal, is to have this live on past me. I just want it to keep going,” he told me. “It’s not about me, but it’s about the ability to get a disabled veteran out fishing for a day. That’s something I want to continue.” And we should all be thankful for him and so many others to make these trips possible. As we prepare for Veterans Day on the 11th of this month, please consider a donation to Purple Heart Anglers or a comparable nonprofit. It’s the least we can do. -Chris Cocoles calsportsmanmag.com | NOVEMBER 2021 California Sportsman
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