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Local veterans form bonds at weekly fishing get-together | Around Town


Casting their lines into the water off the back deck of the Indianola Marina, veterans young and old gather every Monday morning to fish -– but according to Military Veteran Peer Network (MVPN) Service Coordinator Oscar Pulido, the experience is much more valuable than just a day out on the water.

Organized by Pulido and volunteer Joe Barrera, the weekly meetings serve to build connections and fellowship among veterans post-war. As veterans themselves, both Pulido and Barrera elaborated on the special bond held between soldiers and the difficulty of post-service relationships.

“When you’re talking to another veteran, you can talk about what it was like; you can say ‘I was floating behind an amtrak with my hello dolly on’; and they understand that,” Barrera said.

As a coordinator of the Texas Veterans Commission certified MVPN, Pulido serves as one of many specialists in Texas who work to create a statewide peer-to-peer network. The end goal, Pulido said, is to create a network of peers that veterans can rely on during difficult moments in their lives.

“We’re a statewide network that covers all 253 counties. There’s 37 local mental health authorities, and mine is actually the Gulf Bend Center,” Pulido said. “What we do is try to promote awareness for suicide prevention and build connectivity between veterans.”

Starting around 8 a.m. and going on to about 2 or 3 p.m. every Monday at the Indianola Marina, with lunch and bait provided, the fishing serves as a way to build friendships among veterans. According to Pulido, these bonds can help open veterans up to outside intervention while also providing companionship.

“We had a guy come out the other day, and before he left, we asked him how he was; but everyone is always going to say they’re good. So we have to ask them if they’ve thought about suicide. They’ve got to be comfortable with the question, which is why we host this,” Pulido.

That companionship is key, Pulido and Barrera said, to help combat the rise of suicide among veterans. According to data provided by the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, approximately 6392 veterans committed suicide in 2021, or approximately 17 per day.

“I think the isolation from COVID-19 really isolated some veterans and increased those numbers,” Pulido said. “We try and do as much as we can for mental health.”

In addition to the weekly meet-up, Pulido also assists veterans in several other ways, such as helping with providing access to shelter, food and work.

“We provide resources for any veteran services and their family; anything that they need. Anytime a veteran comes into our office looking for something, we’ll either have it or we’ll find the resources for it,” Pulido said. “One veteran came in asking for a lawn mower, as he was using that as a supplemental income. He was living in a hotel; so we got him his lawn mower, but we also looked at the root cause. By the time we were done, he had an apartment and a job alongside his lawn mower.”

Pulido said that the marina was the ideal spot for the weekly get-together. In addition to having shade and bait, the area is easily accessible and offers food, drinks and a restroom – which is important for those veterans with mobility issues.

“In order to do events like this out here, it’s usually funded by local organizations and hospices and different companies. Without those funds, we wouldn’t be able to do this. The Indianola Marina has also been great and very kind to us,” Pulido said. “We’ve even got one guy who brings his daughter out; she’s autistic and in a wheelchair. But she hangs out with us and is a part of the team while her dad is enjoying the day with us.”  

Currently, Pulido and the veterans compete each Monday for an Indianola Marina coffee mug; he says that it was a way to make the day a little more exciting, and make each catch more thrilling.

“Right now, we also have this little tournament going on each day for who can catch the most fish. Now we’re actually excited when we catch a hardhead, and it makes it a little more competitive and fun.”

Since starting four years ago, Pulido has seen the growth of the group as well as the friendship between the veterans who have attended.

“Slowly but surely, we’ve seen more and more veterans come out,” Berrera said.

“Coming out to the pier versus coming into the office is different. Coming into the office, I’ll ask you how you’re doing. You come out to the pier all day, and the conversation is different. It turns into something more casual, and you learn about their families and their day. You find…



Read More: Local veterans form bonds at weekly fishing get-together | Around Town

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