Joseph Lomalie served in both Iraq and Afghanistan during his five years in the U.S. Army.
The 34-year-old Oak Lawn man was injured in 2008 in Bagram, Afghanistan and said he suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and anxiety.
About two years ago, Lomalie realized fishing helped him deal with the trauma, he said. In an attempt to help other veterans, Lomalie founded Helping Veterans Go Fishing.
On Sunday, more than two dozen veterans attended the second annual event, which puts donated fishing gear into the hands of veterans suffering from mental and physical trauma.
“I realized when I was fishing, it helped me keep my mind off my pain — and brought peace to it — and got me motivated to get out of my house and be active,” Lomalie said.
In 2014, investigations brought to light dozens of deaths of veterans waiting for treatment at Veterans Health Administration hospitals, leading to the resignation of then Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki. An internal VA audit in June 2014 found more than 120,000 veterans were left waiting or never received care.
For Lomalie, helping veterans by giving away fishing gear is a way to draw attention to their struggles and provide tools for what he calls “fishing therapy.”
The event, held at VFW Post 5220 in Oak Lawn, featured donations from local fishermen and fishing companies. Raffle tickets were sold for a chance to win additional fishing equipment, a $1,500 boat and a guided tour from Army Major and professional bass fisherman Mike Rasco. Proceeds from the event will go to providing a free fishing outing and barbecue in September for veterans and their guests.
Ed Sturtevant, a 48-year-old veteran from Wauconda and long-time fisherman, said he served 17 years in the Army before he was discharged in May 2001. Sturtevant said he suffers from depression and fishing helps him take his mind off health issues.
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“We go out fishing to relax, because when we’re out fishing, we’re not thinking about anything except for the fish,” Sturtevant said.
Nick Swedberg is a freelancer for the Daily Southtown