CORPUS CHRISTI, TEXAS — A local veteran has made it his mission to fuse his passion for fishing to feed the hungry.
Will Henderson literally broke his back for his country, as he was injured when tank he was in flipped over. 20 years after he last wore his uniform, he's still serving, though not without some challenges.
It’s easy to find Henderson most evenings; all you have to do is check the Causeway Fishing Pier.
“I can’t sleep at night, so I come out here every other night, sometimes every night, and fish,” said Henderson.
Henderson enlisted in the U.S. Army at age 16. He served six years on active duty and another six in the reserves in a couple of stints between 1983 and 2000. He was even part of Operation Desert Storm.
Earlier this month, Henderson had an idea.
“I figured if I could just find families that are hungry and give (fish) to them, I know in my heart I’ve fed some people and they’ve got some food to last them a night or a couple nights,” said Henderson.
He even bought a new fishing rod for the occasion, but soon after, a random act nearly ended his mission just as it started.
“I stopped to wash my truck and somebody stole my fishing rod,” said Henderson. “It was maybe like a week old.”
As things were looking darkest, this vet who still serves was served by his community. Members of the Facebook group “Corpus Christi Fishing” stepped up and donated new gear, including rods, reels, and nets.
“Within three or four days God gave me another reel, the exact same reel,” said Henderson.
Since then, Henderson has been back at it, casting his line to help feed the hungry, and other have taken notice.
“When I’m fishing I say "God, let me feed one more family," and by the time I catch one, someone put two or three more fish in my net,” said Henderson.
His month-long mission may nearly be over, but Henderson says he’s found a calling, and has no plans to stop any time soon.
“I’m going to keep doing it year-round,” he said.
Hednerson says he's overwhelmed by the generosity others have shown him since his gear was stolen.
December 24 is Henderson’s 55th birthday, and so far this month, he says he's fed 55 families.
