North Dakota nonprofit takes veterans outdoors and records their stories

Fargo-based American Heroes Outdoors and Jamestown-area On the Water, Inc. are among North Dakota nonprofits pairing hunters and anglers with veterans while preserving their service stories for broadcast and archives. American Heroes Outdoors, led by CEO and host David Morse, produces a TV effort that Morse estimates has served "some 7,000 to 8,000 veterans and first responders - and maybe more - over the years." On the Water, Inc. began in 2012 and now says it serves "more than 100 combat veterans each year" through four one-day summer veterans fishing programs and a seasonal OTW Veterans Cabin, all provided to veterans at zero cost.

On the Water, Inc. traces its growth to a single-person start in 2012: "what was started in 2012 by one person, honoring one veteran for one day, is now On the Water, Inc., a 501 (c) 3 North Dakota nonprofit organization with dozens of volunteers and more than 50 local sponsoring partners." OTW's materials name "POWERING On the Water, Inc." and the motto "TOGETHER, SUPPORTING VETERANS," and emphasize that use of the OTW Veterans Cabin and event participation remain free to veterans.

American Heroes Outdoors expanded into its present form in 2014 after operating under the Wounded Warriors Guide Service name, and its outreach includes year-round hunting, fishing and outdoor programs. Morse assembled a team described as a board of directors, an administrator, an ambassador and a crew "some 25 strong," and he credits partners and sponsors for funding year-round events. Morse also has worked with Devils Lake outdoorsman Jason Mitchell to develop programming for television and outreach.

Morse frames the mission in personal terms. Recounting a meeting with a Vietnam-era former Marine Recon participant who survived a helicopter shootdown and bore burns over 90 percent of his body, Morse said he found himself "choking on words" and added he "can't count the number of veteran stories he's heard over the years; some real tear-jerkers, all of them touching." He said the emotional weight of such encounters motivates him: "It's stories like that that make me strive to be a better person and continue our mission," and he summarized the operation with "It truly takes a village."

State and national directories provide context for North Dakota veterans outdoor work. The National Veterans Outdoors Resource HUB, operated by US Vet Connect Inc., lists North Dakota programs such as Hometown Hero Outdoors in Minot, Project Healing Waters in Bismarck and The Outdoor Adventure Foundation in Fargo; US Vet Connect is a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) with federal tax ID #85-0815848. North Dakota Game and Fish listings also name organizations including the Injured Military Wildlife Project of North Dakota, Sporting Chance and Twist of Fate among local groups that host hunting, fishing and outdoor events for veterans and people with disabilities.

Practical contact information for American Heroes Outdoors appears on its organizational materials as PO Box 375, Fargo, ND 58107 and info@americanheroesoutdoors.com. On the Water, Inc. materials specify program scale, volunteer counts and partner numbers but do not list a street address in supplied materials. The program figures above are organizational self-reports and estimates; organizers and directories say outreach, volunteer recruitment and sponsorship remain active as spring program calendars are set.