Distinctly Montana Magazine

a platoon of volunteers, planned by a landscape architect, planted by a local nursery and pledged for maintenance and park improvements by the State’s Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks and the American Legion. The new park was soon given a name, the “Veterans Fish- ing Park;” plans were made for improvement of the FWP’s new access, with a disabled-user-friendly ramp and a facility for special equipment and gear. A parking area would be DISTINCTLY MONTANA | DIGITAL Catch more fishing photos with our honored vets Go to www.distinctlymontana.com/fishingvets112 added, as well as a family-and-friends area for picnicking and socializing. Things were taking shape nicely, and the volunteer army had executed according to the battle plan. There was a shared sense of mission and accomplishment. As Crawford wryly opined, “it seemed like a better idea than a house in Cancun.” Lilly, meanwhile, solicited donations from businesses big and small, fly-fishing shops and suppli- ers with the help of this magazine; also the American Legion Post of Belgrade agreed to coordinate the assistance of the neighbor- ing Legion posts of Manhattan, Three Forks, and Bozeman in an ongoing effort. Merv Gunderson, past commander of ontanacla Bud Lilly says “COME HUNGRY, LEAVE HAPPY.” EXIT 283 LOGAN, MONTANA 284-3794 CALL FOR RESERVATIONS THIS BUSINESS IS A VETERANS FISHING PARK DONOR 76 DISTINCTLY MONTANA • SPRING 2011 the Belgrade post, is still working to coordinate the resources of all 800 mem- bers of the four posts to create a support structure and an endowment, which will insure that the park continues to be well-main- tained and self-sustaining. “Our goal,” said Merv, “is to make the park a permanent source of recreation and enjoyment for our disabled vets. We want it to always serve the purpose Bud had in mind.” With the park dedica- tion scheduled for May 16th of 2011, another round of access-improving, habitat-forming, erosion-controlling, watershed-protecting work is planned. New walkways and ramps will be dressed with native trees, fruit-bearing shrubs, flowers and nutritional grasses. Disabled vets, their families, and other handicapped fly-fishers will enjoy an enhanced fishing environment, spilling over with rain- bows and browns while white-tail deer and mountain sheep cavort in the bluffs on the opposite bank. Bud Lilly knows a good fishing spot when he sees it, or maybe it’s just when he feels it. “The veterans park,’ Lilly says, “is not just a tribute to these special men and women, it’s a legacy for fly-fishing and everything that goes with it—the quality of the water speaks to the quality of life. We need to preserve Montana’s waterways by honoring them just like we honor our vets. It can’t be any other way.” am ssic

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