Smith: Wisconsin Hero Outdoors extends a hand to vets, first responders and their families

The sun rose Monday behind a mountain of steam that covered the open water of Lake Michigan east of Milwaukee.

Every so often the gray mass would lift, revealing a treacherous jumble of waves and icebergs.

In this condition, the lake is unfit for humans.

But just 100 yards to the west, inside the breakwall, solid ice packed McKinley Marina. A dozen domed fishing shelters dotted the white landscape. A group of experienced ice anglers, part of an outing of Wisconsin Hero Outdoors, assembled before dawn, tested the hard water and drilled the first holes of the day.

The margin between danger and safety, sickness and health, isolation and a sense of community, can be narrow and fleeting.

Eric Falkner, 37, of Pewaukee is particularly aware of the difference.

In 2016, the former Marine and firefighter was at a depressed low. He was battling alcoholism and contemplating the end of life. He entered a substance abuse program at Clement J. Zablocki VA Medical Center in Milwaukee.

Following the suggestion of a VA staff member, Falkner called a fellow veteran who had also been in treatment at the facility. That phone call – to U.S. Air Force vet Jason Bartol, 43, of Wind Lake – led to a weekend fishing outing and friendships. It helped end Falkner's isolation and turned him toward healing.

"Jason saved my life," Falkner said. "Now I'm hoping we can do the same for others."

At 6:30 a.m. Monday, Falkner and Bartol were among a welcoming party at McKinley Marina as a bus rolled in from the VA. Military veterans in various programs at Zablocki walked off the bus and into a day of ice fishing and brotherhood.

Donuts and hot coffee were offered. Handwarmers and shiner minnows were available, too.

Charity, a 2-year-old golden retriever comfort dog who serves as part of Lutheran Church Charities, wagged a "good morning" to all.

A dozen fishing guides, organized by Doug Ruplinger of Milwaukee, a former Marine who serves as an event coordinator for Wisconsin Hero Outdoors, led the vets onto the ice and into heated shanties.

The opportunity to be treated to a guided outing on the world-class brown trout waters of Milwaukee was one thing, and a significant one at that. But the chance to connect with people who understand where you've been and the challenges you're facing is bigger than any fish.

That principle was a guiding light behind the founding of Wisconsin Hero Outdoors.

Falkner, Bartol and Rob Johnson, 43, a former U.S. Army Ranger and federal air marshal who lives in Barrington, Illinois, formed Wisconsin Hero Outdoors in 2018.

After Falkner met Bartol at the 2016 fishing weekend in Crivitz he was energized to help provide similar experiences for others.

"The programs at the VA are great," said Falkner, whose father worked at the facility for more than 30 years as a physical therapist. "But there can be gaps vets fall into during or after. We wanted to try to fill those."

The men expanded the scope of the organization to cover military veterans, first responders and their families.

Falkner worked as a firefighter in southeastern Wisconsin until an accumulation of injuries forced him to retire in 2015. 

In less than a year, the founders of WHO have established an impressive support network.

They linked with the Waukesha County Community Foundation to gain 501c(3) nonprofit status. They also were accepted as partners with the UW-Madison Law and Entrepreneur Clinic.

They also established an endowment to help fund its operations.

With administrative support from the Waukesha foundation and legal affairs handled pro bono by the UW-Madison clinic, all funds raised go to run the programs to benefit vets, first-responders and their families, Falkner said.

All WHO board members, officers and event coordinators are volunteers.

There's a saying, "sometimes it takes a vet to heal a vet."

Falkner said when he met Bartol, he immediately felt accepted for who he was and felt comfortable talking, or not, about what he was going through.

Military veterans experience mental health disorders, substance use disorders, post-traumatic stress and traumatic brain injury at disproportionate rates compared to their civilian counterparts, according to the U.S. Department of Veteran's Affairs.

Vets have unique health care needs, including psychological issues and psychosocial issues concerning work and family, said Stephen Hunt, national director of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Post Deployment Integrative Care Initiative, in a 2010 article in LiveScience.

"It's something that really needs to be done by a team," Hunt said. "We can't do it without the collaboration of other providers, and the knowledge and presence of the community."

Wisconsin Hero Outdoors hopes to be part of the community.

Bartol said outings such as Monday's allow vets to have time and space to just "be."

"When you get out of the service, you can lose a sense of being on a team," Bartol said. "Getting together, even for a day, can help restore that."

And it presents the opportunity to form a personal connection that, as it was for Falkner, could be life-saving.

By mid-morning, 32 vets had ventured onto the ice at Monday's event. Most had come from the VA, chaperoned by recreational therapist Courtney Zeller. But several had come independently.

The sun climbed above the steam and streamed bright light onto the snow-covered marina.

In a blue shelter a few hundred yards east of the boat ramp, Thomas Old Coyote, a 58-year-old Army vet, was reunited with his friend, Navy vet Bernard Bellanger, 69. 

Old Coyote, in treatment at the VA, said he has been sober for seven months.

The men chatted and dialed up "I'm The One" by DJ Khaled and Justin Bieber on Bellanger's smartphone.

"It's good to see Bernard, he's a good example of how it's supposed to be," Old Coyote said.

Bellanger, who lives independently downtown, came to enjoy the day with old friends and fellow vets.

"It's about the camaraderie for me," Bellanger said. "It's good to share some stories and have a new experience."

About 9:45, a shiner fished beneath an Automatic Fisherman got bit. Old Coyote and guide Andy Zollars of Milwaukee jogged over to the rig. Old Coyote lifted up on the rod and a strong force pulled back from beneath the ice.

After 5 minutes of to-and-fro, Old Coyote worked the fish to the hole and Zollars scooped it out.

It was a 32-inch northern pike, thick across the back and handsomely marked. The men posed for a few photos and slid the fish back down the hole.

"I think my song ("I'm The One") helped," Old Coyote said, smiling in the bright sunshine.

During Monday's outing the WHO group had at least 20 bites and landed eight fish, including brown trout, steelhead and northern pike.

One brown trout was a fish of a lifetime that stretched the tape more than 32 inches. Like all the other fish, it, was released.

A little before noon, the vets and guides assembled at the boat ramp to eat lunch and share stories.

The WHO leaders are planning events for the rest of the year. They are also continuing their outreach and networking.

A recent connection resulted in a $4,000 grant to WHO from Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company. Ho Chunk Nation has also donated to the group. The list of supporters is growing steadily.

"Since I met Jason in 2016, not a day has gone by that I have not thought about how to share this with others," Falkner said. 

The organization does not require membership. Vets, first responders or their families can get involved by visiting the WHO Facebook page or wiherofund.org, or by emailing Falkner at eric@wiherofund.org.

The Marines sometimes use the Latin phrase "Etiam in Pugna," which means "still in the fight." 

Even when our vets and first responders are no longer in uniform, the battles continue. It's uplifting to see groups such as WHO strengthen the support network in our community.