Tuna, Sailfish, Crocodiles, and Brotherhood

For the final Offshore Experience of the season (which will resume in December), Freedom Alliance invited a group of four combat veterans to travel to Costa Rica. 

In the group were two Marines, Dustin and Bill.  Dustin served 15 years in the Marine Corps as a Communications Chief and deployed twice to Iraq and once to Afghanistan.  Bill served one enlistment with 1^st Battalion, 5^th Marines as a Machine Gunner, deploying to Iraq in 2004-05 and again in 2007 when he extended his enlistment for another 6 months to finish the deployment with his unit.

The other two in the group served in the Army.  Jeff served 37 years in the Army, Army Reserves, and California National Guard as an Infantry Officer.  He spent a deployment in 2005 in Bagdad, Iraq, and deployed to Afghanistan in 2018.  Tim served 10 years in the Army as a Medic with 7^th Special Forces group.  He deployed twice to Afghanistan. 

The men stayed in condos donated by Gerald & Virginia Lindholm and George Apsley.  The Lindholms donated a condo in the Veranda Community of Los Sueños, which overlooks the golf course and residents’ pool.  George’s condo is in the Montebello community which has a beautiful view of the mountains and Herradura Bay.  Top notch lodging for the week!

On their first full day in Costa Rica, we started the day by traveling a little over an hour from the resort to Rainmaker Conservation Park.  Owned by Mick Gutierrez, the park has a self-guided hike through the lush rainforest with suspension bridges, waterfalls, and swimming holes.  Mick has told Freedom Alliance to bring the veterans whenever we want and he’ll donate their entrance fees.

Upon returning to the resort that afternoon, we began the first of five group sessions that talk about warriorhood and carrying the burdens of war.  Developed with the help of Dr. Edward Tick, the curriculum explores how other cultures throughout history engaged their warriors after war, offering a new way to think about living with that trauma. 

The next day, we checked-in at the Maverick Sportfishing Center to check-in for our day of offshore fishing.  Meeting us at the store, new owner Justin DeBoom gifted each person in our group their choice of shirt – which included brandnames like AFTCO and Anetik. 

Meeting us his boat, Trophy Fly, was Robert Richardson.  One of Robert’s friend introduced him to Freedom Alliance during the Los Sueños Triple Crown tournament, and immediately Robert expressed interest in donating his 45’ Maverick Trophy Fly. 

As the troops approached the boat, Robert gave everyone “Trophy Fly” hats and wished them well.  In return, Bill gifted Robert with a custom “Offshore Experience” charcuterie board he made for those like Robert who support this special program. 

The weather was uncooperative, but the boat sliced through the waves as we searched for tuna.  About mid-morning, the captain’s shotgun rod clicked off, signaling a bite.  Tim stepped up to grab the rod and noticed the line was almost spooled out…this was going to be a nice tuna!  After a long fight and gaining most of the line back, Tim passed off the rod to Dustin to finish it off.  Tim and one of the deckhands grabbed gaff sticks and pulled the tuna into the boat amidst the cheers of the team.  It was about an 75-lb yellowfin tuna and thoughts immediately turned to dinner. 

But the day wasn’t over in the afternoon, after trolling the waters for a few hours, we got a sailfish bite.  It was raining , but Jeff was up and pulled in the dancing sailfish, happy to release his first billfish.  The weather took a turn for the worse and we headed back in.  The crew gave us the fileted tuna in 5 bags, and we took one to the restaurants at Los Sueños for a fresh “catch of the day” prepared three ways – sashimi, blackened, and seared.

The next morning, we decided to bless an impoverished family nearby with the remaining bags of tuna.  Marielos, a community matriarch from Nicaragua, was all smiles receiving the food donation from the men.

Then we were on to another adventure.  The Tarcoles River is home to many flat-bottomed boat tours, but Jose’s Crocodile River Boat Tour is the best.  We boarded the boat and the tour started with viewing several birds that frequent the area.  Jose’s guide, Jesus, gave facts and figures of the local wildlife and foilage, inserting puns and clever jokes throughout – keeping us learning while we laughed.  But soon enough, the main attraction was spotted: an American Crocodile.  The troops were awed as the boat driver got out of the boat onto the shoreline to feed raw chicken to the crocodiles we encountered – females about 10 feet long and several males between 14-17 feet long!  At the conclusion of the trip, Jesus showed us a Pigmy Owl resting on a branch along the trail back to our transportation.  It was a memorable day! 

Most of our meals were held at several of the restaurants in the resort – Dolce Vita, Al Fresco’s, and the Hook Up.  Los Sueños Resort has supported our programming since day one in 2013, and continue to do so with deep discounts so we are able to enjoy their world-class cuisine with a deep discount to stretch out donors’ dollars.  The staff has become accustomed to our groups and reserve seating and treat each participant with respect, kindness, and friendship. 

And how do we get from the condos to the restaurants?  Our friends at Montecristo Golf Cart Services and Rentals answers our request for support month after month.  They have donated golf carts for us for each event, going back to our very first event in 2013.  We send a special thank you to the Durman family and their staff for their commitment to support our warfighters.

On their final day, we headed to Jaguariders in Quebrada Amarillo for a 4-hour tour of the countryside.  The excitement begins with a road heading back into the mountains and then turns into trails and dirt roads.  We cross streams and view tiny villages during the 80-kilometer route and end up on a private farm that has a beautiful cascading waterfall.  Another amazing waypoint is lunch at El Tigre which sits along a ridgeline with a view of the valley below.  Not only is the food great (local fare), but the vista is picturesque. 

Throughout the week, the men get to make valuable positive memories and discuss the ugly aspects of war in a private setting designed to allow for intimate sharing.  The final sessions zeroes in on several practical ways to help each veteran carry their war trauma better. 

On Saturday, they departed for their homes, with a gallery of great memories and new friends. 

Bill wrote: “The Offshore Experience in Costa Rica is truly life-changing. As a veteran, it can be difficult to step away from the challenges and stresses of everyday life and find time for genuine mental healing. The peaceful atmosphere and natural beauty of Costa Rica provide the perfect environment to do just that. Sharing stories and experiences with fellow veterans helps me realize that I am not alone in the struggles I have faced. Connecting with others who understand these experiences creates a strong sense of camaraderie and support. The friendships built during this journey remind us that recovery and healing do not have to happen alone.”