Want to help veterans recover from war? This former marine has a boat for that.
Virginian-PilotFeb 08, 2018
They were having fun and catching a few fish, but Hailey thought their situation was stagnant.
"She turned to me and said, 'Why don't you build a boat to take people like that fishing?' It was all her idea,"
The Moores and a group of friends immediately jumped on the task of designing, raising funds and building what amounts to a small landing craft. Like some larger
The two started the nonprofit Veterans Fishing Adventures before construction was finished. He plans to work with several wounded veteran organizations to set up trips and plans to go out as often as weather permits. With just one boat, most of his operations will be centered around
Finally complete, their first boat will be on display Friday through Sunday in the lobby of the
"It's really not our boat," said
The vessel was built by Battle Boats of
The 29-footer is powered by a 500 horsepower Corvette engine block attached to a
Moore said he invested approximately
"There's no telling what this thing is worth," Moore said. "It doesn't matter. We're hoping to eventually put about 20 of these up and down the
Moore is one of those guys. He served in the
But his dedication to the military and its people has never waned.
"What he's doing is a great thing," said Battle Boats owner
"He's got one heck of a network that supports what he's doing. I'm honored to be a part of it. "
Grubb said the project came with several challenges he hasn't dealt with during his six years in business.
"This boat is kind of like a Transformer," Grubb said, referencing the movie series about giant robots. "Every part can be changed based on the day and who he has on board."
Moore has already had close to 100 veterans on his boat, either fishing or just for a ride.
"The look on their faces to get out on the water and away from all of their challenges," Moore said. "We had a World War II vet who stormed Normandy on the boat and it meant the world to him to get out on the water.
"Am I excited? No. Ecstatic? No. I don't even know what you'd call how I feel about where we're headed."
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