Fort Drum soldiers try their hands at fishing
Dozens of Fort Drum soldiers opted for a change in pace Saturday, spending the day with professional fishermen out on the tranquil waters of Oneida Shores. Our Karen Lee caught up with the troops as they made the most of "Take a Vet Fishing Day."
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BREWERTON, N.Y. -- It's far away from the war zones of Iraq and Afghanistan.
"Don't have to worry about the missions overseas, don't have to worry about someone shooting at you, bombs going off, IED's exploding around you. It's get out here, have a great time, relax, let your hair down a little bit," said Burnie Haney, the public relations director of the New York B.A.S.S Chapter Federation.
Nearly 80 Fort Drum soldiers were invited by the New York Bass Chapter Federation for a fishing excursion on Oneida Shores.
"It's nice when they come home that they can be welcomed home and shown a good time and this is our way of saying thanks to them," said Haney.
Some soldiers preferred the philosophical benefits of fishing.
"For me it's patience, just having patience. I didn't have patience when I was younger. As I get a little older, this helps," said Allen Janssen, a Fort Drum Sergeant Major.
Since they weren't in uniform, others liked the temporary egalitarianism.
"Rank is not a big issue out here. We're just all enjoying each other's company and having a good time I guess," said Aaron Jennings, a Fort Drum soldier.
Of course with the Sergeant Major right behind him, he did backtrack a bit.
"To a certain extent you know," said Jennings.
Chad Adair and his team seemed to be doing the best. The trio caught a dozen bass in the first few hours. Since it's not yet bass season, they had to let them all go, but you couldn't find too much disappointment here.
"I just like sitting out here and catching fish," said Adair.
Shortly after our interview, did they catch one? It was a carp weighing in at 31.07 pounds and took 20 minutes to reel in. It was a worthy end to a good day for these soldiers and even the fish, as the carp was also released.