When Randy Houston saw his brother off to Vietnam, he was
just 7 years old. The brother that came back was not who Randy remembered. “He
was combat wounded twice and was missing body parts due to a grenade.” But there
was more than physical parts of his brother missing. Years passed before the two
rekindled a relationship and by then Randy watched in pained silence as his
brother’s life was slowly slipping away from the ravages of Agent Orange
cancers and diabetes.
In 2009 Randy’s brother, Sgt Jerry E. Houston was inducted
into the Arizona Veteran Hall of Fame. Randy and his wife waited eagerly in the
audience for his brother’s name to be called. When Sgt Jerry E. Houston’s name
was called and he walked into the room he was “a little taller, a little
stronger, a little more of everything. I knew then I wanted to do something for
veterans. Something to make them feel that proud, that strong and that
honored.”
Randy racked his brain and pitched the idea to his brother
of taking him and some of his other Purple Heart friends hunting. His brother
explained that they were getting up in years and with the heat and all they
would much prefer a nice fishing trip.
Within a few days Randy had a boat all stocked and ready to go
to take his brother and his friends out fishing. “There were at least 10 of
them. I knew what I was doing was right.” On that day the Purple Heart Anglers
was born.
In 2010 Randy, trying to raise funds for more fishing trips
for disabled vets, had a table set up in front of Bass Pro Shop in Manteca.
Doug McArthur, a fishing aficionado and licensed guide, stopped by the table to
find out what Randy was all about. “Just as he and I began talking” said Randy
“a veteran approached me and wanted to learn more. I told him we take disabled
veterans fishing. He asked where he could sign up. Doug piped in and said ‘I
have a fishing boat, I’ll take you this weekend.’ After that trip Doug was
bitten by the Purple Heart Anglers bug and couldn’t wait to take more vets out
fishing.”
Chris Masselas and Doug McArthur
