Oregon Public Broadcasting

This week a small group of men and women started a hundred-mile boat trip. They’re headed for the mouth of the Columbia River. And they are paddling the entire way.

Six of the men served overseas with the U.S. military. The people who organized the trip say that for some veterans, getting in a boat helps them move beyond the trauma of combat. Amelia Templeton reports.

Russell Smith flew Chinook helicopters for the Oregon National Guard. Before the war in Afghanistan started he flew missions out of Pendleton to help to fight wildfires and rip up fields of illegal drugs.

In 2005, the Dust Devils were called up to serve in Afghanistan.

Russell Smith: "Yeah, I did a lot of flying while I was over there. I did over 500 combat hours. So yeah, a lot of long days."

Smith is getting ready for another long day in a craft that’s nothing like a Chinook. It’s a boat you might recognize from your childhood.

Sam Drevo: “The Tripper canoe. The Tripper Old Town. It’s going for a little trip. I love it.”

That’s river guide Sam Drevo, inspecting Smith’s canoe. Drevo has invited Smith and a half dozen other veterans to participate in what he calls the Century Paddle.

It’s 110 miles. Oregon City to Astoria.

The trip is sponsored by several veterans groups, including Team River Runner. It’s a non-profit that uses paddle sports as a form of therapy for veterans. 

Getting everybody in the boats is the first big hurdle. Smith has been practicing on the dock. 

Russell Smith: “Here’s my plan.  Yeah, what’s the plan? We’ll set the boat down, and get a couple helpers. We’ll stabilize the boat. I’ll get in. Then you guys can help him get in. Dog goes last.”

Smith has been canoeing since he was 11, long before he started flying helicopters.

But the Day Tripper is carrying another vet. His name is Chris Grey. And Grey has never been in any kind of paddle boat before.

He manages to get into the canoe without any trouble. Getting his dog into the boat is a lot harder.

Russell Smith“ Thomas, come on buddy. We’re loading up.  “

Thomas is a 95-pound black lab. He’s a service dog. What makes the scene remarkable is that Gray has a disability that makes it hard for him to keep his balance. Speech is also difficult.

Chris Grey: “I don’t let my disability get the best of me. Because I’m active.”

Grey didn’t serve in Afghanistan or Iraq. But he says he supported special forces operations in the Gaza Strip and in Tunisia. He suffered two concussions. And his doctors think he has a Traumatic Brain Injury.

But when the boats get in the water, Smith and Grey aren’t trading combat stories.  Grey remembers skinny dipping at Yellowstone National Park and running into a bear.

The group is relaxed and chatty. And as a result, they paddle pretty slowly.  It’s dark by the time they arrive at their campsite at Cathedral Park, under the St. John’s Bridge in North Portland.  

Sitting by the campfire a veteran named Brian Overfield says he likes the slow pace of flat water kayaking. He flew here from Florida to be part of the expedition.

Overfield says being on the river helps him let go of the trauma he experienced in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Brian Overfield: “Reconnecting with your environment one, and in a different way than you’ve connected to it before. And here you chose to be. You’re taking life at a walking pace so to speak."

Overfield medically retired from the Marines after a year at a treatment facility in Maryland. He doesn’t want to talk about why he was there.

Once a week, volunteers from Team River Runner would teach Vets how to paddle and roll a kayak in a swimming pool. Overfield decided to give it a try.

Brian Overfield: “I was stubborn as usual and got my roll.  And I just knew it was something I was going to continue doing for the rest of my life.”

Overfield says many of the vets at the medical center in Maryland were depressed and shut themselves in.

Brian Overfield: “Often times the guys would stay drunk and in their rooms and get in fights with police officers and get themselves in a lot of trouble.”

Overfield says he helped more than a dozen other veterans give kayaking a try. He says is a very adaptable sport.

Team River runner has taken about 2000 veterans on paddling trips  in the past six years. The organization prides itself on working with amputees and helping them stay active.

Russell Smith: “It doesn’t matter if it’s kayaking or fly-fishing.”

That’s Rus Smith, who was paddling the canoe this morning.  He says getting vets out of their rooms is the key.

Smith isn’t a helicopter pilot anymore. All those combat hours left him with post-traumatic stress disorder. He’s been volunteering with Team River Runner in Oregon, and likes being able to make a contribution.

Russell Smith: “To be able to do something I used to do before I became a pilot. And then to go back to it and to be able to share it with other vets. It’s been very rewarding. “

Smith and Grey decide to trade their day-tripper canoe for a double kayak, which will make the miles go by faster.

Overfield says he can’t wait for the stretches of the Columbia River that are truly wild. It’s a far cry from Afghanistan.

Brian Overfield: “You know, even on the days where you don’t quite feel human, there are ways to get back there.”

The veterans will end their journey in Astoria Saturday.