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Photographed by Stephanie Kuykendal
Two years ago, the founder of Project Healing Waters, Ed Nicholson, inquired through a mutual friend if the farm's owner, Douglas M. Dear, would give a discount to wounded veterans.
"Discount? No!" replied Dear. "They can come for free anytime they want." A few weeks later, Nicholson called Dear: "I want you to be chairman of the board."
Dear accepted the offer and immersed himself in the program and its people. Dear explains, "the experience of fly-fishing is such a good feeling that while these veterans are fishing, they are living in the moment. It is a relief from the pain of their injuries, of the routine of their lives at Walter Reed, of the very disappointments of life itself -- just as it is for all fly-fisherman. They are living in the moment, living their lives. That part of it alone makes Project Healing Waters worthwhile."
"Discount? No!" replied Dear. "They can come for free anytime they want." A few weeks later, Nicholson called Dear: "I want you to be chairman of the board."
Dear accepted the offer and immersed himself in the program and its people. Dear explains, "the experience of fly-fishing is such a good feeling that while these veterans are fishing, they are living in the moment. It is a relief from the pain of their injuries, of the routine of their lives at Walter Reed, of the very disappointments of life itself -- just as it is for all fly-fisherman. They are living in the moment, living their lives. That part of it alone makes Project Healing Waters worthwhile."
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Photographed by Stephanie Kuykendal
Retired Army staff sergeant Donald Stewart, 54, who was injured in a serious traffic accident. In September 2007, while at the Richmond, VA, he heard about Project Healing Waters, and signed up immediately for the fly-tying classes suggested by the occupational therapists. "The first trout I ever caught? That was at the 2-Fly on the Rose River," he says. "I was in my manual wheelchair. It took four guys to carry me over those rocks and find a place beside the stream there. But when I did, wow! My first cast -- wham! -- he hit it. My first cast was my first trout. It was an unbelievable feeling."
Here he fishes with help of guides Phil Johnson and Gary Burwell.
Here he fishes with help of guides Phil Johnson and Gary Burwell.
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Photographed by Stephanie Kuykendal
Robert Burke, 26, a platoon leader with the Army's storied 10th Mountain Division, was leading a patrol in Kirkuk Province in February of this year when he was hit by five rounds from an AK-47 in the left leg, left shoulder, left torso, while two bullets grazed his face and left arm. In his delirium and bravado, he told his men, "They didn't get my throwing arm." They got enough of him, however, that Burke's war was over. His next posting was Walter Reed. Determination aside, his days as a first-class amateur baseball player were also behind him. But it was on an outing from Walter Reed to watch a baseball game that a friend, an Army sergeant from Arizona who was also wounded in Iraq and who was involved in Project Healing Waters, asked him a simple question: "Would you like to learn to fly fish?" Here, he takes instruction from a guide.
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Photographed by Stephanie Kuykendal
Joe Devan, 19, an Army Private First Class in the 101st Airborne who lost a leg in Iraq, carries his fishing rod and walks to the practice pond to start fishing as his wife Stephanie Devan, 19, pushes his wheelchair behind him.
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Photographed by Stephanie Kuykendal
Bill Johnston, a Vietnam veteran who lost both legs in the war, ties a fly onto the fishing line for Ashley Mancini, 23, at the practice pond near the Rose River in Syria, Va. Johnston, who grew up in Aliquippa, Pa., enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps on January 20, 1969. He lost both his legs in August 1970 when he tripped a bobby trap while on patrol. Johnston subsequently went to college and graduate school earning degrees in rehabilitative counseling. Fly fishing has been instrumental in his own restoration. "It's different from anything I do," he says. "It puts you back in touch with nature. It's natural healing, almost."
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Photographed by Stephanie Kuykendal
Professional Guide Kiki Galvin, assists Airman 1st Class Diane Lopes, a former Tampa policewoman who was seriously injured by a mortar round in northern Iraq. Amen to that, says Galvin, who volunteered this day, and who guides professionally under the name "Ms. Guided. She also has volunteered for a group called Casting for Recovery, which organizes three-day trips for women recovering from breast cancer. "It was just as natural for me to be involved in Project Healing Waters," Galvin said. "These veterans protect our freedom, and do so by putting themselves and their bodies on the line. We have so much to be thankful to them for. It's an honor and a privilege to be able to do this."
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Photographed by Stephanie Kuykendal
Eivind Forseth, 34, grew up fly fishing the big waters in central Montana before enlisting in the U.S. Army. He lost much of the use of an arm when he was injured in Mosul, Iraq and retired as a captain on March 27 -- but not before becoming instrumental in getting Project Healing Waters established. "I was in desperate need of a mission," he says. "This gave it to me." Here he jokes with professional fly fishing guides that volunteered their time to guide and teach veterans to fish.
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Photographed by Stephanie Kuykendal
Brian Mancinci, 29, tells PHW founder Ed Nicholson that his day at Rose River was his best since the day he got married. "It's what I needed," says Mancini who was born and raised in Phoenix, Ariz. "Nature does its own healing on your heart, and on your mind. The doctors can prescribe all their prescription drugs and physical therapy and all the rest, but to get out in the country, on the river, that's better than any medication." Brian was wounded on July 23, 2007 when his Humvee was hit by a roadside bomb called an EFP (an Explosively Formed Penetrator). Brian and his wife Ashley, who accompanied him on the fishing trip, later learned that she was pregnant this day on the river. "We're going to have our first baby…" he said.
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Photographed by Stephanie Kuykendal
Joshua D. Williams of Franklin County, Virginia joined the Army in 2002, and spent a year in Iraq from 2004 to 2005 before rotating back stateside. He was heading to work on his motorcycle when another driver ran a stop sign and nearly killed him. Josh survived, but days later he ended up at Walter Reed Army Medical Center contemplating life without his right arm at age 22.
Growing up in mountainous southwestern Virginia, Williams hunted and fished with abandon. "I grew up fishing for trout in the streams around my house, the Roanoke River, Tinker Creed … but not fly-fishing. I never even held a fly rod in my hand. I thought it was too hard. It's weird: I didn't do it until I lost an arm."
Josh took to the new sport, stripping line out with his teeth, casting beautifully, and landing his first trout. "When I was in that bed at Walter Reed, and I wondered if I'd fish again. The answer turned out to be: Hell yeah! I can fly fish!"
Growing up in mountainous southwestern Virginia, Williams hunted and fished with abandon. "I grew up fishing for trout in the streams around my house, the Roanoke River, Tinker Creed … but not fly-fishing. I never even held a fly rod in my hand. I thought it was too hard. It's weird: I didn't do it until I lost an arm."
Josh took to the new sport, stripping line out with his teeth, casting beautifully, and landing his first trout. "When I was in that bed at Walter Reed, and I wondered if I'd fish again. The answer turned out to be: Hell yeah! I can fly fish!"
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Photographed by Stephanie Kuykendal
"My father was very sure about certain matters pertaining to the universe. To him, all good things -- trout as well as eternal salvation -- come by grace and grace comes by art and art does not come easy." -- Norman Maclean, A River Runs Through It
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Photographed by Stephanie Kuykendal
Brian Mancinci gets in some extra casting practice at the end of the day with help from Chris Rowland, a volunteer flying fishing guide who is helping start a chapter of Project Healing Waters in Roanoke, Va.
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Photographed by Stephanie Kuykendal
Josh Williams, with his fiancée Lisa Whitehead, 23. "When I get stressed, Lisa will say, 'Why don't you go fishing?' It helps me. It's mentally calming…it's therapeutic because, well, first of all, it's just a very soothing activity. But it also is good to be reminded that even with one arm I can do something that's hard for people with two arms."
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Photographed by Stephanie Kuykendal
Rusty Emmerton, 52, who lives in Maine, poses with his patriotically themed prosthetic arm. Rusty lost his right arm with serving in the Navy. Earlier, he was a sergeant in the Army.
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Photographed by Stephanie Kuykendal
Ferris Butler, 29, an Army Captain whose legs were shredded when his unarmored Humvee hit a roadside bomb in Iraq, and after more than 50 surgeries one leg was amputated below the knee and he lost half of his other foot, adjusts his prosthetic leg at the end of the day fishing. Butler is also Ed Nicholson's neighbor.
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Photographed by Stephanie Kuykendal
Stephanie Davison, 35, left, who worked for the Red Cross in Kuwait and works for Trout Unlimited now and attended the tournament as a volunteer, shows off the fish she caught at the end of the day after the tournament ended. Eivind Forseth, right, holds the net for her Diane Lopes. Davison said she couldn't wait to show her father this photo of her fish because they're always competing over who can catch the biggest fish. The three are close friends and Stephanie waiting until the end of the day to do a little fishing herself since she attended the tournament as a volunteer.
Respond with your own comments here. Would like to donate Bird feathers for fly tying to this great Idea,please send mailing address. Don Kline --Diggerdon@epix.net
I am in the Air Force and stationed in Alaska, I was wondering if there was anything I could do to help out with this noble cause. if there is any way i can help out in Alaska, I would be happy to.
I'd like to see a list of chapter locations. I am a fly fishing guide and instructor....have too much equipment. What a project!!!!!! Don Ecckenrode, Minnetonka, MN
How do I contact the Healing Waters organization? I may be able to donate supplies and equipment they can use for fly tying and fishing.
Mr. Nicholson-- My husband fly fished as am amputee. If you would e-mail me, I would tell you his story to relate to the servicemen. It can be done. He is deceased now but would love to help others thru his story.