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LAKE COUNTY – Sergeant First Class Chuck Cossette knew he had a little R&R time coming for his mid-deployment leave and he was looking forward to visiting family in Lake County. He was contacting home, giving the information as allowed without compromising security. His family and friends only knew he was likely to be arriving sometime during the first week of August.
One day, while he was still in Iraq and talking with his mom Suzie Defrancisci via Skype, she contacted me by telephone so I could join the conversation. I have known SFC Cossette from some time and the local troop support effort Operation Tango Mike has sent him care packages during multiple tours of duty. I asked Chuck if he would like to go boating with friends when he got to Lake County. He said that would be good, but he would really love to go fishing!
After concluding my portion of the call, which I was honored to share, I began thinking about getting this soldier out for some fishing on Clearlake. I sent an e-mail to Judy and Bob Thein, whom I had met at a Stars of Lake County gala event. Bob is a local fishing guide and I hoped he might provide a low cost trip for our returning soldier. He did much more than that!
An immediate response was that Bob would not only take our soldier fishing, but that there would be no charge. Little did anyone know, Bob Thein had done this before, discreetly and without hesitation. It has been his way of giving back to our troops.
On a chillier than usual August morning, SFC Chuck Cossette and fishing guide Bob Thein became acquainted at a local boat ramp. They agreed to let me snap a few photos before their fishing adventure began, and assured me they would take pictures of their catch.
I watched them leave the dock and the boat skimmed along the silvery shimmer of Clearlake as the sunrise peaked through clouds. For a soldier returning from 125 degree temperatures in Iraq, the cool early morning air breezing past him on the lake likely brought quite a chill.
I received a late morning phone call from Bob Thein, telling me the guys had made some good catches and were heading in to enjoy breakfast together.
Chuck later shared his story about the temperature difference and how it didn’t matter to him that he was cold. What mattered was that he was home, he was fishing and he was being treated to a great day by a kind and generous man.
Although Bob Thein asked for nothing in return, he gave a soldier a special day. I suspect Bob felt something special in knowing he did that.
