PORT ARANSAS, Texas — Amid political tension between Canada and the United States, veterans from both countries have found common ground along the windswept shore of Port Aransas: camaraderie, healing, and the quiet rhythm of a fishing line cast into the surf.
They came for a weekend retreat hosted by 10 Klicks Outdoors, a nonprofit that connects veterans to nature as a path to recovery. The event, fittingly called “Fought Together, Fish Together” brought American and Canadian service members together for more than just fishing.
“I can sit here and actually enjoy the beach again,” said Chris Reader, a Canadian veteran who served a decade with the Royal Canadian Dragoons, an armored reconnaissance regiment. “Some things happened overseas and sand just wasn’t comfortable for me. But doing stuff like this, it’s just okay. You’re still safe, you’re around like-minded individuals. It’s just amazing.”
Building Bridges Without Borders
The retreat was the brainchild of 10 Klicks Outdoors, founded by a team of passionate advocates including Will Dykstra and U.S. Army veteran Justin Patterson, who were at the event. Dykstra, who serves as the organization’s executive director, isn’t a veteran himself—but that hasn’t stopped him from building a mission rooted in respect and service.
“I get some cocked heads sometimes—‘you’re not a veteran and you’re running a veteran nonprofit?’” Dykstra said. “And it frustrates me. Why not us? We’re the ones who benefited from their sacrifices. It should be on us, as a society, to give back.”
Co-founder Justin Patterson echoed that sentiment. “We believe there are no borders between veterans,” he said. “And with everything going on right now between the U.S. and Canada, we thought, why not just bridge the gap?”
More Than Just Fishing
Though the weekend was framed around fishing, participants quickly found the real connection came in the stories swapped on the island. Many hadn’t met before but found a surprising sense of familiarity and family.
“It doesn’t matter what you wore on your arm,” Reader said. “You served your country? Sweet. You’re part of the family. End of story.”
Despite serving under different flags, many veterans like Reader say the experience and its aftermath is strikingly similar.
“Even though there’s a border in between us, we were still in a lot of the same fights,” Reader said. “It’s one of those things where, like, I’ve never met you before in my life, but it’s really cool to have this one thing that ties everyone together across decades.”
Nature’s Medicine
The team behind 10 Klicks believes nature can be one of the most effective, yet underused tools in veteran recover
“Nature has some awesome healing aspects,” Dykstra said. “Giving these guys the opportunity to try something new but also teaching them how to do it on their own—is powerful. I once had a really hard-core Marine Corps veteran tell me, ‘The military’s really good at making soldiers, making Marines. They’re not good at making civilians.’ So it’s on us to do stuff like this, to help them reintegrate into what their lives are supposed to be like.”
Looking Ahead
As for what’s next, 10 Klicks Outdoors has more retreats on the horizon and a growing community of veterans ready to reconnect, both with each other and with the world around them. To learn more about the organization or to get involved click here.
More Veterans In Focus stories are available here, along with resources for local veterans.
Contact Veterans In Focus reporter Michelle Hofmann at michelle.lorenzo@kristv.com
