Sammie Jo Denyes, a professional bass angler residing in Baker, Florida has been a woman on a mission, a military mission so to speak; a mission that involves her love for the United States of America and her pride in being the daughter of Samuel Whitstine, a disabled Vietnam Veteran.

 
(L to R) Carla Whitstine, Samuel Whitstine, Sammie Jo Denyes
 

Her mission started as she was growing up in Colfax, Louisiana. She remembers the anger she felt after the Vietnam War when she would watch TV and see how Americans who didn’t agree with the war mistreated the soldiers who returned home from Vietnam. Her family was raised as proud Americans and were taught that freedom isn’t free. Her Dad was shot through the ankle while serving in Vietnam. Samuel Whitstine has nevcr complained about the injury that left him with a limp and much pain. He also lost many close friends fighting the war. Sammie Jo once heard her father say; “I made it home and many didn’t and there are some who did that are in worse shape than myself”.

At the age of 18, Sammie Jo wrote and published a book of poetry. She wanted to honor our American heroes and show her support to the American troops serving overseas in Operation Desert Storm. She became a military wife and for 13 years she lived in fear that she would lose family members for the cause of freedom. Her sister Carla Whitstine was also in the service and was stationed in Saudi Arabia at the same time Sammie Jo’s husband was there. Several of her uncles were in the military. Sammie Jo states that “red, white and blue” runs through her family’s veins. For years, she has had a dream to bring awareness to the veterans and active duty military that fight for our freedoms. She dreamed of finding a military foundation to help support and a way to raise funds for that foundation.

Boat wraps have become a very popular means of advertising and a way of expressing an angler’s personality. When Sammie Jo joined the Women’s Bassmaster Tour this year, she saw her chance to turn her dream into reality. She knew exactly what she wanted on her boat wrap. Finding the means financially to put that vision into motion was her biggest obstacle. She emailed 5 wrap companies and all responded quickly with interest in her project, but Tim Comprise of Liquid Wraps and All About Signs in Phoenix, Arizona was the one who offered to donate a $5000 boat wrap to help Sammie Jo with her mission. He called her to find out when she could get her boat to Phoenix so they could get started. Sammie Jo was touched that someone who didn’t even know her, was willing to help make her dream come true.

Her next obstacle was to figure out a way to pay for a 3600 mile round trip to Phoenix. She emailed some of her sponsors, telling them of her plans. ARCOUTDOORS (Arcticshield & Xsystem) committed to pay for her trip and lodging to Arizona and back. They also directed her to someone in charge of Veteran’s Affairs who recommended the Armed Forces Veterans Home Foundation as a project. In 2007, she will be making special appearances and hosting several tournaments to raise donations for the foundation. Other sponsors who stepped forward to help with her mission were Mustang Survival, Eagle Claw, RockPile Lures and BIA(Building Industry Association).

Sammie Jo and her husband Jerry, also a veteran, took time off from work and headed to Arizona on September 29^th. Their trip was not without problems. About 100 miles into Alabama, a horse trailer beside them had a blowout, ripping its fender off and throwing it under her boat trailer. Sparks were flying everywhere. In Louisiana, she ended up in the emergency room with Tachycardia, a chronic condition that she suffers from on occasion. Between San Antonio and El Paso, they had a blowout on their boat trailer. They finally arrived in Phoenix Sunday evening. They had to meet Tim at Liquid Wraps Monday a.m.

Preparations for the wrap design had already been put into motion by Jennifer, the Liquid Wraps designer, before Sammie Jo arrived in Phoenix. It was her job to do the photography work necessary to transfer Sammie Jo’s vision onto the boat wrap. Her dream wrap was to incorporate the American Flag throughout the boat. On the backside of the boat was the American Eagle with a tear, overlooking the POW/MIA logo. In the middle of the boat she wanted a photo made in Vietnam in 1969 of her dad with three other servicemen. One of the three, a guy named Roberts saved her dad’s life in Vietnam, One named Melvin Miller was killed in action and the third, David Hanson,  managed to return to the states and now lives in Iowa. While researching the photo for the wrap, Sammie Jo was able to locate Melvin Miller’s mother and David Hansen. She is still trying to locate the man named Roberts who saved her Dad’s life. She is planning to re-unite the group.

On the front of the boat is a print of Lee Teeter’s world famous painting called “Reflections”.  It shows a veteran leaning with his head down against the Vietnam Memorial Wall with his hand reaching out. Through the reflection, soldiers are reaching back out to him. Across the length of the boat it states “All gave some…some gave all”.

 Tim and his crew had two days to wrap the boat. Sammie Jo and Jerry went back to the hotel but checked periodically throughout the day Monday on their progress. They awoke early Tuesday morning anxious to pick up her boat and head back to Florida. While she was on the phone, her husband had gone to their truck to prepare to leave the motel. He returned a few minutes later and was irate. He said that their truck had been broken into and that everything was gone. Sammie Jo was trying to grasp what he had just said. She hung up the phone and ran out to the truck. Glass was everywhere and all their stuff was gone. They had stolen her husband’s wallet with all his identity and money, his work phone, a digital camera with all the pictures of the boat wrap process, a radar detector, a DVD player, CDs, and many more items.                                                         

The motel had video surveillance of the parking lot but would not let Sammie Jo and her husband look at the tape. The local police would not come out and do an investigation, but they did take a report over the phone. There was nothing Sammie Jo and Jerry could do but go pick up the boat and head home.

When Sammie Jo saw the completed boat wrap, she broke down and cried. Her dream was now sitting right in front of her eyes. It was breathtaking! They said their goodbyes to Tim and the Liquid Wraps crew and were back on the road, anxious to get home. Bad luck was again awaiting Sammie Jo. Being without a radar detector, she got a speeding ticket in Junction, Texas.

Pulling the boat with the unique new wrap created lots of attention on the trip home. People waved and honked their horns in approval. One man in a military uniform pulled up beside them smiling and gave them a thumbs up.

Needless to say, Sammie Jo will have the “proudest” rig running on the WBT tour in 2007. She could not have done this without the help of Liquid Wraps, ARCoutdoor and all her sponsors. A special thank you goes to her husband Jerry for sharing the adventure that helped make her dream come true.

Would this American Girl do it all over again? You bet she would!                                      

Trip to Arizona, $1750….. broken truck window, $465….. speeding ticket, $145….. the opportunity to fulfill your dream…..PRICELESS!!!!!
 

Vietnam 1969: (L to R) David Hanson, Roberts (full name unknown, he
saved Samuel Whitstine's life), Melvin Miller (killed in action), and
Samuel Whitstine

Samuel Whitstine watches from dock at morning launch.

"and the Eagle cries"

For more information about the Armed Forces Veterans Home Foundation go to www.vethomesfoundation.org