The Great Gun Moriches Anglers held the fourth iteration of its Take a Vet Fishing event on Saturday, July 27, at the Union Avenue Dock in Center Moriches.
Participants in the event boarded boats and fished with Great Gun Moriches Anglers members until 3 p.m., when they were called back to the Union Avenue dock for a barbecue. The fishing trip’s purpose is to allow military veterans to socialize with the local community and to honor their service to the country.
“While everyone typically catches fish, [it’s] getting to know our veterans, listening to their stories, which is always the highlight of the day,” Great Gun Moriches Anglers director of communications Tim Markart said.
The Take a Vet Fishing event was inspired by a similar event Great Gun Moriches Anglers president Evan Goldstein saw in Florida.
On the morning of the event, the club operated a tent, where veterans were assigned to ships and bait was distributed for those who needed it. Some Great Gun Moriches Anglers members captained ships that took the veterans out into nearby waters. Other members helped cook and serve food, such as hot dogs and burgers, for the barbecue that concluded the event.
“Last year, I was fortunate to have my father, retired Vietnam veteran and [twice] Bronze Star [and twice] Purple Heart recipient, Sgt. Arthur L. Markart, come up from [North Carolina] to join me on my boat,” Markart said. “This year, I’ll have my best friend’s wife, Gulf War medic and veteran Maj. Rachael Milton Larson, joining me.”
“I served in Iraq in 2005 as a medic,” Larson said. “[During this year’s event, the boat I was on] caught five fish—fluke and sea robins.”
Center Moriches Chamber of Commerce director Miriam Gillies attended the barbecue at the end of the event to present the club with a check from the chamber.
“[The check was given to the Great Gun Moriches Anglers] for supporting our veterans,” Gillies said. “Everything we do, [the chamber] helps us out with,” Goldstein said.
The Great Gun Moriches Anglers currently plans to host the Take a Vet Fishing event again next year. The club is currently planning a way for interested participants to register for the event online through the club’s Facebook page.
“[I want to make it] bigger and better,” Goldstein added. “[Get] more vets involved.”
The Great Gun Moriches Anglers will also be hosting a fluke tournament on Sept. 14 with a 6 a.m. start time.
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