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The
NEPVA Tournament Trail: |
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On The Wings of an
Eagle |
Veterans Column
On the Wings of an Eagle
By Billy “Hawkeye” Decoteau
“It was December 1977 when I decided
to join the United States Navy,”
recalls Phil Paquette, now a
forty-eight year old Life Member of
the New England Paralyzed Veterans
of America, and one of the Top-10
Bass Anglers on the New England PVA
Bass Trail. “Man, what a mistake I
made joining in December! Winter on
the Great Lakes in Illinois can
really be harsh on a recruit’s
enthusiasm, especially when in booth
camp!” (www.nepva.org)
Obviously, the cold winter storms
and ice laden waters didn’t hamper
Paquette’s desire to follow his
heart’s compassion in pursue of his
life long dream and determination of
a Naval career. Nor were his
accolades during booth camp
overlooked! “Upon completing my
basic training I returned to the
Great Lakes Region, where I
underwent a three month extensive
program in becoming an engineer.”
Lead by his inner spirit, Phil
Paquette found solitude linked with
peace of mind as he mastered his
Navy Engineering education. “I was
extremely focused and it paid off
when I graduated,” smiled Paquette.
Paquette’s high class ranking
allowed him to search his soul
aiding Phil in making a life
changing decision. “When I was
offered my choice of duty stations,
there was no hesitation in my
request. I was anxious to get on a
ship, so I requested a Frigate,
whose home port was in Charleston,
South Carolina.” Adding with a
chuckle, “I also had the inside
scoop that the Frigate was preparing
for deployment to South America!
This, of course meant I would be
traveling on the high seas.”
Elated to no end, Phil Paquette was
living his dream serving his
country. “During my sixteen year
career I was blessed with many
achievements as I traveled the world
serving on a variety of naval
vessels.” Attaining the rank of
First Class Chief Petty Officer in
the United States Navy, Paquette’s
love of the high seas allowed Phil
to be assigned on Navy Frigates,
Aircraft Carriers, concluding with
an assignment on a Navy Light
Cruiser during the Persian Gulf War.
“I suppose you could say my career
in the United States Navy ended in
the Persian Gulf,” pausing for a
moment. “I was on the 3rd level when
our ship was rocked by an Iraq
missile.” Causing Paquette to fall
twenty-five feet, Phil ricocheted
off every pipe, valve and metal
frame work until he lay motionless
on the metal floor.
Silence, numbness and tingling
filled the air; Chief Petty Officer
Phil Paquette had suffered acute
spinal cord injuries. Over one year
of rehab, multiple operations, and
extensive physical therapy, Paquette
was classified as paraplegic level
T-12, service connected spinal cord
injury. In May of 1991 Chief Petty
Officer Phil Paquette was officially
discharged from the United States
Navy. “I was told that I would never
sail again! The thoughts of never
being on the water again over
shadowed my personal injuries.”
Webster describes depression as; a
condition of general emotional
dejection and withdrawal sadness
greater and more prolonged than that
warranted by any objective reason.
Webster’s definition would indeed
portray the daily activities
modeling the years to follow in the
life of Chief Petty Officer Phil
Paquette!
While Phil Paquette began a new life
of parity in his wheelchair through
physical therapy with the Boston
Medical Center, a small B.A.S.S.
bass club, American Eagle Bass
Anglers, in Woburn, Massachusetts
faced a life changing decision of
their own. The clubs good friend
United States Army Veteran Al Cail
was losing his battle to disabling
injuries he had suffered serving his
country in Vietnam. “Nothing was
more rewarding for Al than to spend
the day fishing in a bass boat. He
always told us bass fishing had a
therapeutic remedy for his injuries.
Just before Al passed on in 1998,
our twelve member bass club made a
promise to Al that we would keep his
‘American Eagle Dream’ alive by
encouraging other disabled veterans
so they too could discover the
medicinal healing power of bass
fishing,” reflects Tiny LaFontaine,
tournament director for the New
England PVA Bass Trail, founded in
June of 1999.
Encouraged by his fellow NEPVA
members who participated in the
NEPVA Bass Trail, Paquette
registered for the Congamond Lake
Tournament in May 2005. “I had never
freshwater fished before in my life,
and I really didn’t know what to
expect,” says Paquette. The luck of
the draw paired Paquette with Marine
USA, Inc. Top Pro Staffer Chris
Blais. (www.marineuseinc.com) “I was
really impressed with Phil’s ability
to maneuver, his willingness to ask
questions and try a variety of bass
techniques,” remembers the Nitro Pro
Angler.
Al Cail’s American Eagle Dream took
flight within Chief Petty Officer
Paquette’s inner spirit
strengthening his appetite for being
on the water, nurturing his
competitive enthusiasm; Paquette
purchased the same quality bass
equipment recommended by his first
Bass Mentor Chris Blais, as Paquette
registered for every NEPVA Bass
Tournament.
As Paquette’s bass angling accolades
grew so did those of his fellow
NEPVA anglers and the New England
PVA Bass Trail, setting a model
example for all PVA Chapters by
expanding to the only six-tournament
Regional PVA Bass Trail in America.
“It only seemed natural FLW
Outdoors, the strongest and most
supportive bass fishing organization
to our Military Forces team together
with the New England Paralyzed
Veterans Bass Anglers for a
commemorative one day All American
BFL/NEPVA Team Tournament,” recalls
LaFontaine. “Especially since the
2006 event was being held on the
Connecticut River during the week of
July Fourth!”
Ten FLW/BFL All American Contenders
were paired with ten New England
Paralyzed Veteran Bass Anglers for a
four hour Team Tournament the final
day of the BFL All American
Championship. Personally escorted in
their wheelchairs up the FLW
weigh-in stage by members of the Nam
Knights (www.namknights.com), NEPVA
Anglers and their BFL partners
weighed-in their bass, while Fox
Sports Network cameras captured the
excitement for national television.
(www.flwoutdoors.com)
Phil Paquette was one of the Top-Ten
Qualifying NEPVA Anglers, “The level
of excitement was like nothing I
have ever experienced in my life, to
actually be on Professional Bass
Fishing’s FLW stage weighing my bass
felt like I was re-born into a long
lost dream!” Indeed each member of
Team NEPVA shared a similar lifetime
experience.
However, little did NEPVA Angler
Phil Paquette realize, his life
style change motivated by Vietnam
Army Veteran Al Cail’s American
Eagle Dream in 1999 had mounted him
on the wings of a soaring eagle
carrying the key to his very own
Marine USA Tracker Bass Boat!
On June 9th, 2007 Phil Paquette and
his Boat Captain Mark Nugent placed
2nd at the Charles River NEPVA Bass
Tournament. Besides collecting
prizes and trophies, Paquette
received a Marine USA, Inc. gift
certificate valued up to $1,500.00
on the purchase of a new
Tracker/Nitro Marine USA, Inc Bass
Boat. (www.TrackerMarine.com)“I new
in my heart that this was the key
that would once again let me Captain
my very own boat.”
Obviously Phil required some
additional special needs to properly
rig his Tracker Pro175 Bass Boat and
Marine USA, Inc made sure everyone
of Phil’s needs were met! “The first
thing we did was have Phil come into
the showroom, where he then
physically got into the boat by
himself, he then crawled around on
the back deck adjusting the seat and
arranging his tackle for ease and
comfort,” says Marine USA Bass Boat
specialist Johnny Nee.
“I thought I was going to be fishing
from the back of my boat like other
paraplegic boat owners, but Marine
USA, Inc owner Marc Tsourides
refused to let that happen,” smiled
Paquette. With the front deck seat
on the floor, Paquette made his way
to the trolling motor and under the
instructions of Nee he was tested on
his ability in lowering and raising
the trolling motor. “Once we
witnessed Phil’s strength and
agility we then rigged his Tracker
Pro 175 with a Minn Kota combination
remote and foot control trolling
motor, before taking Phil out on the
water.
“I can’t say enough about Marine
USA, Inc’s compassion to be sure I
could safely and totally operate my
new bass boat from both the driver
seat and the front deck! I know that
I will always have an able-body
partner with me when I’m on the
water, however I also know that I am
able to get in and out of my boat,
drive my boat and compete from the
front of my boat while operating my
trolling motor all by myself.” With
a tear in his eye and a chuckle in
his voice Chief Petty Officer Phil
Paquette added, “Whoever said I
would never sail again, didn’t know
about the anglers competing on the
NEPVA Bass Trail!”
“He gives strength to the weary and
to him that lacks might he gives
power.....Through patience you will
gain a new strength: You will mount
up with wings and you shall soar
like eagles”………..Isaiah 40.
God Bless and Best Bass’n
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