The third annual War Heroes on Water tournament kicked off in Newport Beach on Oct. 1 with its first boat parade, followed by a two-day fishing tournament for participating veterans.
Launching from American Legion Newport Harbor Post 291‘s dock, the event ended with closing ceremonies, a military flyover, and awards at Catalina Island. Over 35 boats and 30 combat-wounded veterans participated in the parade and tournament, according to organizers.
Event organizers said this year’s tournament was especially important because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Many veterans are coping with feelings of isolation, loss and loneliness. Our veterans need our support during these challenging times more than ever before. WHOW shows our veterans the love, support and respect our community feels for them.”
Initially, the tournament was to be held in August, but the pandemic forced organizers to postpone the event. Despite the ongoing public health crisis, organizers noted that interest among past participants in returning to the event was high and the event suffered no further setbacks once it began.
Organizers note that this year’s tournament employed proper social distancing practices and all participants were tested for the virus twice.
War Heroes on Water
War Heroes on Water was founded in 2018 by loanDepot CEO Anthony Hsieh and is intended to honor both active duty servicemembers and veterans by raising awareness for the challenges they must overcome post service. The organization also helps raise funds for organizations that help combat-wounded veterans, like Freedom Alliance.
Since the organization’s founding, over 80 combat-wounded veterans have participated in events and nearly $1 million has been raised to offer therapeutic services for veterans.
Plans are already underway for next year’s tournament, which is set for August and is to be held off the coast of Catalina Island. Event organizers said they aspire for the tournament to become the nation’s largest on-water therapeutic event in the country.
Author: Christian Southards
Coming from a family with a proud military background and wanting to contribute his writing skills to a worthy cause, Christian began writing for the California American Legion in August of 2020. His father is a 25-year Army Veteran and his grandfather served in the Navy during Vietnam.
