The sun was shining, the salmon were biting and there were smiles aplenty as a special group of fishermen made their way back to the dock at Madelyn Marina in Sturgeon Bay Monday.
The anglers were veterans taking part in a Wounded Heroes event organized by Paul Meleen, owner of the Lodge at Leathem Smith.
Meleen says it's something he started when he lived in Minnesota and is excited to get it going in Door County.
Green Bay's Mark Meunier, an Army and Marine Corps veteran wounded several times during tours in Iraq and Somalia, says he can't say enough about the event.
Meleen tells DoorCountyDailyNews.com it means a lot to him to know it means a lot to the veterans.
We caught up with the group after a round of salmon fishing, but they'll also have the chance to try their hand at catching both walleye and smallmouth bass and play a round of golf at Horseshoe Bay Golf Club.
Meleen says a lot of people and businesses are donating time and resources to make the outing possible but that's not where the focus should lie.
"It's not about the charter captains, it's not about Paul and Holly Meleen, it's not about the Lodge at Leathem Smith, it's not about Madelyn Marina," says Meleen. "It's about the people that have served our country. Freedom isn't free and it's about giving them an outing of showing appreciation."
