Event: Operation Noble Ringneck 9-11-2014

Jason Stee, who is part of Freedom Hunters, a nonprofit organization based out of Colorado, organized Operation Noble Ringneck. The operation honored 12 of our combat wounded vets. Freedom Hunter's goal is to provide military veterans hunting and fishing trips for moral and gratitude.

Jason picked up the military vets at the Watertown airport on Wednesday evening September 9th, 2014 and were provided lodging at Buffalo Ridge Resort. Bright and early, the next morning, Stee Electric provided a breakfast for the vets before heading off for the event of the day.

A day to remember for the 12 military vets as they gathered at Dakota Ridge Pheasant Preserve along with some guides and their dogs from Clear Lake Pheasants Forever Chapter for the hunting. They walked around nine miles and gathered around 122 pheasants and 6 partridges.

I came late for pictures, yet I got the feeling that these veterans really enjoyed themselves. They were in their element, and they shared an experience together. They didn't mind that a woman was standing around taking some pictures. They did the guy type of joking around.

I learned that 8 of the military vets were from Texas, 1 was from Kansas, 1 was from North Dakota, and 2 were from South Dakota. One military vet didn't even mind that I took a picture of his leg/foot. When you see things like that a sense of reality set in what these military vets go through. So it is great that these types of events happen for them.

Operation Noble Ringneck has credit going to Jason Stee, coordinator, and part of Freedom Hunters, Stee Electric for breakfast, Buffalo Ridge Resort for providing 2 nights stay, Dakota Ridge Pheasant Preserve for the hunting grounds, Clear Lake Pheasants Forever for being guides and providing the preserve license, Legion Post 109 for monetary donation, Texas Jacobson Aviation, Hevi-Shot for providing shells, Watertown Holiday Inn Express for a night stay.