DECATUR, Ill. (AP) - Nicholas Harding and Daniel Kennedy are veteran anglers who have become fishers of men.
The Decatur friends paddle kayaks to seek everything from crappie to hefty catfish and love the peace and tranquility of bobbing around in the great outdoors.
The Army veterans say fishing is popular with ex-soldiers, just like it’s popular with everybody else, and opens a channel for engaging fellow vets and maybe striking up conversations.
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And in that way, perhaps, they can catch some fellow old soldier in time and dissuade him from killing himself.
Harding, 31, and Kennedy, 30, belong to an organization with the jolting title “#22KILL.” It takes its name from a Veterans Administration report from 2012 that came up with the grim statistic that, from sea to shining sea, an average of 22 depressed and desperate veterans were killing themselves every day in this nation.
#22KILL draws attention to that and some of the underlying miseries that drive the veteran suicides such as post-traumatic stress disorder, the malady as old as war itself that targets soldiers whose eyes have seen too much.
Harding and Kennedy are part of a nationwide network of #22KILL members who serve as “veteran advocates” or “Battle Buddies.” They can be reached by touching an interactive map on the www.22KILL.com website, and any veteran or active duty soldier in despair, in trouble, can see the phone number of someone nearby who understands and cares.
Problems get talked out veteran to veteran, so there is no gulf in understanding where the person in need is coming from. Battle Buddies can suggest follow-up lines of help, from professional intervention to whatever appears to be needed. The online location of Battle Buddies is marked by black ring symbols which mirror the actual rings Battle Buddies wear on their index or trigger fingers.
Wearing a ring on that finger stands out when they meet strangers and shake hands, which is the point. A conversation about the ring leads to an explanation of #22KILL and of the symbolism of the ring itself which is designed to highlight the trigger finger.
“In the U.S., gunshots are the most common method of suicide,” the #22KILL web site says. “#22KILL wants to ’black out’ the trigger finger as a reminder and a way of saying this needs to stop.”
Kennedy says the first line of attack in helping someone is always talking: “If you are having trouble, it’s just comforting to talk to somebody who is a veteran,” he said, as his fishing buddy and fellow veteran nods his agreement.
“Every time I’ve gotten off the phone with someone knowing that, when I got on the phone, they were in despair, maybe thinking about taking their own life, and now they are not at that point any more after we talk, I’m good for the whole year after that,” says Harding, describing the upbeat feeling he’s left with.
The Decatur veterans are talking through all this while prepping their kayaks on a recent sunny afternoon for a bout of catfish hunting as hefty waves march across Lake Decatur.
The conversation ranges over several organizations that are using fishing to bring some cheer to veterans’ lives, and both men are full of praise for “Heroes on the Water.” This group introduces veterans to kayak fishing as a way to unwind, shed stress and relax with friends.
Harding and Kennedy, who were both injured in accidents while in the Army and both went through unpleasant experiences with despondency, say being immersed in the joys of fishing meant a lot.
“It saved our lives,” Harding said.
Which is why they are keen to reel other veterans into the sport while also casting a deeper line to reach troubled comrades. After getting some sponsorship from GJ Builders Hardware, Paco’s Sol Bistro and Goodfellas tobacco store in Decatur, Harding and Kennedy have had stylish and colorful shirts made they wear in fishing competitions to draw attention to themselves.
The shirts are emblazoned with the #22KILL and Heroes on the Water logos, and also sport the name of another veterans-related fishing event they will both be attending: the “Fishing for Freedom” tournament in Quincy coming up Friday through Sunday, June 3 to 5.
“Volunteer boaters are paired with a veteran, and they take them out to fish for either catfish, bass or crappie,” Harding says. “It’s an entire weekend, and the organizers raise all kinds of money to pay for it, and we don’t pay a dime for room, board, food or nothing. They really take care of us vets.”
It’s estimated some 175 fellow veterans will be there, and the two Decatur guys with their bright shirts and black rings will stand out and be noticed.
“You just never know who might be walking by and catch our eye,” Harding says. “Maybe they’ve never heard of #22KILL, and maybe they need some help; we’re always ready to talk.”
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Source: (Decatur) Herald & Review, https://bit.ly/1ROTJhQ
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Information from: Herald & Review, https://www.herald-review.com
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