Veterans find camaraderie while fishing on Glendo

TORRINGTON — Four years ago, Matt Berry had a simple idea: get veterans together for a day of fishing.

Starting with just three veterans and one boat, the Take a Vet Fishing program has expanded into a two-day event serving 36 participants from Goshen, Platte and Niobrara counties. The free program brings military veterans of all service branches together each June for guided walleye fishing trips on Glendo Reservoir.

Berry served 21 years in the Wyoming Army National Guard with two deployments. In 2022, as a member of Torrington VFW Post 2918, he recognized few veteran-focused activities existed in the area and decided to create one.

His grandfather provided the inspiration. Ken Peterson served in the U.S. Army in the mid-1950s conducting land surveys in Southeast Asia before the Vietnam War escalated.

“He and my grandmother had a farm southwest of Lingle when I was a child, and he would take myself and the cousins fishing at Grayrocks and along the North Platte River,” Berry said. “He loved to fish and I know if he were still here today, he would love the idea to take veterans fishing.”

Berry explained how military service changes people in lasting ways.

“Every veteran collects their own memories and experiences while serving in the military,” Berry said. “All these things shape a veteran’s feelings and outlook on life after they leave the service — changed and sometimes not whole, like the way they were before they served.”

Many veterans seek tranquility after years of military demands. Others struggle with distance from the close friendships formed during service when everyone scatters across the country.

“The Take a Vet Fishing event allows veterans from all six branches to come together for one day a year to share stories, camaraderie and be with others like them who had similar experiences and better understanding of what they all had to endure,” Berry said.

A volunteer’s commitment

Fishing guide Bruce Nepper became Berry’s first volunteer four years ago after seeing a Facebook post asking for anyone willing to take veterans fishing. 

“He just reached out on Facebook and asked anybody to take a vet fishing,” Nepper said. “So I contacted him and it just kind of grew from there.”

Nepper runs Marbleye Guide and has been guiding on Glendo for about five years. He tried joining the Army decades ago but was disqualified due to bad feet and bad hearing.

With family members who served — including a cousin in the Navy who recently died, an uncle in the Army and a relative in Philadelphia — Nepper saw volunteering as his contribution.

“It’s just something I wanted to do for them,” he said. “It’s a small token for me for what they do for us.”

Glendo offers ideal conditions for the program. Walleyes draw anglers to the reservoir.

“They’re probably the best fresh eating fish there is to eat,” Nepper said.

A day on the water

Each event day starts with veterans gathering at the marina boat ramp. After a brief meeting, volunteers divide participants into groups of three per boat.

“Then we just take them out and get the rods out for them and rig them up and throw them in the water and say, here, catch fish,” Nepper said.

Volunteers clean and fillet the catch so veterans can take fish home. Berry said the program has netted more than 250 walleyes over four years.

Nepper said watching veterans’ reactions makes the work worthwhile.

“So many of them were all so excited,” Nepper said. “It’s fun to watch. It really was. It was very heartwarming. It makes me feel good when they feel good.”

Veterans don’t always discuss their military experiences on the water, Nepper observed. Many prefer casual conversation about everyday topics.

“Some of them don’t really want to talk about what was going on in the service,” Nepper said. “They just talk about daily stuff and catching fish. Normal, everyday people out there fishing.”

But when veterans from different branches and eras come together, connections form naturally.

“They all visit,” he said. “Some of them don’t know each other. And so they visit. And some of them do talk a little bit about what they’ve done.”

Brotherhood renewed

Berry described the atmosphere as resembling a reunion.

“It’s like a giant reunion,” Berry said. “They might not know each other, but because they all served, they ‘know’ each other and small talk accelerates into conversations resembling those you might have with your best friend.”

The mood shifts when Berry brings out the American flag for the group photo.

“Every one of those veterans understands the meaning of the U.S. flag and what she stands for, what they fought for, what they bled for, what they lost and what they won,” Berry said.

Veterans facing serious health issues have participated in the program. 

Berry recalled one veteran with stage 4 cancer who fished for potentially the last time. Others joined while mourning lost spouses or recovering from major health problems.

“Just being able to participate under their own power has given them a sense of accomplishment and desire to keep moving forward,” Berry said.

Accessibility first

Making the program accessible drives Berry’s planning. He created a questionnaire identifying each veteran’s needs, covering mobility limitations, oxygen requirements, heat sensitivity and caregiver assistance.

Bellwood Boats in Glendo donates a brand-new pontoon boat each year for veterans requiring extra accommodations.

“They want the best for our veterans, and they show it with the quality of boats and service they provide us with,” Berry said.

This year brought a milestone. 

Of 54 veterans who entered the lottery, Berry contacted every single one. Though 18 couldn’t attend due to work schedules or medical appointments, everyone who wanted to participate and could make it went fishing.

“We accomplished our mission with that,” Berry said. “No one got left behind, so to speak.”

Community support

Community sponsorships from businesses in all three counties fund the program. Donations cover fishing licenses, park permits, lunches provided by VFW Auxiliary Post 3558 in Wheatland and a barbecue at B&A Marina. Berry pays his own travel expenses and takes nothing from sponsorship funds.

“I don’t do this event to benefit myself,” Berry said. “I do it because our veterans deserve the best of what our communities can give them.”

This year’s volunteer boat captains included Nepper, Frosty Williams, Brian Walker, Ron Pollard, Ron Lowry and Lynn Stewart. Several captains are veterans themselves, Nepper noted.

The program now extends to Operation Remount participants. 

Veterans graduating from the therapeutic horsemanship program receive fishing trips as part of their experience.

“We’ve been doing that for about three years,” Nepper said.

Looking ahead

Looking forward, Nepper prefers maintaining rather than expanding the program.

“I would like to see it keep going,” he said. “I don’t know if I want it to grow anymore because it’s getting hard and difficult to get boats involved. But I would love to just keep it going every year for as long as we can.”

Taking veterans fishing carries deep personal meaning for Nepper.

“Like I said, it’s a small price for me to pay for what they have done for us in this country,” he said.

For Berry, the program fills dual purposes.

“I miss the camaraderie with the soldiers I served with,” Berry said. “This is an opportunity for me to personally give back to the service members in our communities and provide them with an opportunity to do something they enjoy doing with other veterans.

Doing this provides myself with a sense of purpose after my own retirement from the military.”

Berry hopes each fishing day offers veterans relief from daily pressures.

“I hope veterans feel a sense of peace, happiness and accomplishment,” he said. “I hope one day of fishing replaces a day or two of life worries, to remember life is good and to keep pounding.”

Veterans from Goshen, Platte or Niobrara counties interested in participating can watch for information about next year’s event through local business- es and Facebook community pages.

This story was published on Nov. 7, 2025.