Chad Gorman of GDS (top, left) casts his line under the watchful eye of Team Cabot fishing guide Chad Johnson of Williams during the recent Fish For the Fallen tournament held at Patriots Cove in Noxen Township. Photographs of the seven men and women honored at this year’s Fish For the Fallen tournament (above) were prominently displayed, and bios were distributed to team members who read about their honoree as they fish.
Story and Photos by Rick Hiduk
For a fourth year, Patriots Cove near Noxen hosted Fish For the Fallen, a friendly competition among military veterans, first responders and corporate sponsors that raises funds for ongoing programs and site enhancements. This year, Team Cabot finished in first place, followed by Team Earth Armor and Team Amp Global.
Seven groups of two anglers each and an experienced fly-fishing guide worked up and down Beaver Run to try their luck at numerous stations, each one accessible via wide pathways and docks that can accommodate wheelchairs equipped with all-terrain trackers. Some of the participants have physical disabilities, while others are working through post-traumatic stress disorders.
“I had a lot of adjustment issues, and this is the first place that I felt at home,” said Keith Lutz of Mifflinville. “We don’t want to burden people with our issues or unload on them, so we keep to ourselves. We look for a sanctuary where we feel safe talking about things, and that’s what this is.” It was the second year as a mentor for the Marine Corps veteran, but Lutz brings 30 years of fly fishing experience to Patriots Cove.
“It’s a relaxing environment and it provides us with the camaraderie that we had in the military,” Khristie Claire (above, right) of Harvey’s Lake remarked. She and her husband, Joshuwa (below), fished as Team Meshoppen Stone under the guidance of John Pittenger of Williams Companies, another long-time sponsor of the event.
Fishing guide Chad Johnson of Williams has also been volunteering at Patriots Cove since it opened in 2018. While he is neither a veteran nor first responder, Johnson has taken a sincere interest in the programming offered at Patriots Cove and has seen first-hand the joy these activities bring to program participants.
He credits founders Jeff and Melissa Swire with bringing about a better understanding of the sacrifices made by these patriots as they continue to expand their outreach and offerings.
“What Jeff and Melissa are doing here – giving back to the veterans – is everything,” Johnson stated, while keeping an eye on his two team members. “They are so energetic about everything that they do, you can’t help but be inspired by it all.”
In addition to Johnson, Team Cabot was comprised of Chad Gorman of GasSearch Drilling Services (GDS) and Ed Kozlowski of Kozlowski Oilfield Support. Both were relatively new to the program and were humbled and motivated by the experience.
Gorman, who’d taken a plunge earlier in the day landing a 21-inch tiger trout, credited Cabot Oil & Gas external affairs manager Bill desRosier for encouraging his involvement. Gorman saw the tournament as a great way to learn about the program, get to know some of the men and women, and tell them about GDS.
“We have job openings all the time,” he noted. “If there’s any way I can help these guys out, I will.”
Kozlowski was caught up in the serenity of Patriots Cove and the idea of fishing on behalf of a veteran or first responder, stating, “I’m glad to see some such good things are happening here.”
Ken Bach (below, center) of Auburn Center was working with fishermen Dale Gow (left) of Nicholson and Ben Ryon of Factoryville as Team Earth Armor. Ken is a Vietnam veteran who assists with the fishing derby each year, as well as with veterans in the Hunts For Healing program.
Ryon was competing for a second year in a row and likes to help spread the word about Patriots Cove. “They do great things for the veteran community, and they provide us access to this site and get us outdoors,” he remarked.
Rain that fell later in the day couldn’t dampen the spirits of participants or that of the elected officials and members of local veterans organizations who gathered for a ceremony at the end of the event.
Afterwards, desRosiers of Cabot stated, “While we were thrilled to learn that Team Cabot won this year’s Fish For the Fallen tournament, we were genuinely honored just to be a part of such a special event again this year. This fishing camp and retreat has become one of our favorite places to visit, as well as support.”
To learn more about Patriots Cove, interested readers can log on to www.patriotscove.org or keep up with events there on Facebook.
Clark VanOrden of Luzerne (foreground) and Troy Murphy of Wapwallopen (back, left) were getting encouragement from Team Amp Global fishing guide Keith Lutz of Mifflinville.
Ben Ryon (foreground) and Dale Gow fished for Team Earth Armor.
Fishing guide Chad Johnson of Williams gives some tips to Ed Kozlowski, who was fishing for Team Cabot.
