Most of 18-mile stretch suitable for surfing, giving rise to local post tradition.
“The truth is we have world-class waves in New Hampshire,” says Ralph Fatello, past commander of American Legion Post 35 in Hampton, N.H. “But our conditions can be brutal. Especially during the winter months.”
It takes some zooming in on a map of the United States for it to become clear, but the state does have nearly 20 miles of shore on the Atlantic Ocean. And where there is surf there is surfing, with shops and hundreds of enthusiasts, according to Fatello. In 2008, in the midst of his 13-year stint as commander, he brought to the post membership an idea to help veterans wounded in Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan by taking them surfing – close to home. “It's important to point out that we did this long before California, Hawaii and any other warm-water beaches took wounded vets surfing,” Fatello states. “We were the first.”
The members were “a little skeptical at first,” but the post was already holding skiing and whitewater rafting activities for wounded veterans. He talked them into giving it a chance. On Aug. 29, the 17th annual Hit the Beach event, still sponsored by Post 35, was held at Hampton Beach. The Manchester (N.H.) VA Medical Center, the Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) and New England Disabled Sports (NEDS) sent participants, who were met by post members and other volunteers who helped them don wetsuits, navigate boards and head out into the water.
Fatello has surfed since 1964. He served in the Marine Corps from 1969 to 1971 and says the sport “saved my life when I returned from Vietnam in 1970. If it wasn't for surfing, I more than likely would not be here. PTS was taking a toll on my life. I've used surfing as a way to heal the body and the mind.” He had been introduced to it by his father, Gus, a bodysurfer from Massachusetts who worked the large waves on its North Shore – and the waves in the South Pacific during World War II while a Navy Seabee. “He turned me on to surfing by calling me into the house the summer of 1963 when he saw it on our small black-and-white TV,” he continues. “The rest, as they say, is history.” Over the years, he has also used his hobby for disease awareness and fundraising.
“Today all the members of Post 35 are 100% into this special day,” Fatello says. “Hit the Beach has become an end-of-summer event the whole seacoast community comes out for …. I mean the whole community. The Hampton police and fire departments. Then, of course, the WWP and the Manchester VA and NEDS. And we have hundreds of volunteers. They are the heart and soul of Hit the Beach.”
Read more about this year’s event in an article for the New Hampshire Union Leader written by Lara Bricker. Galleries of past Hit the Beach and other events can be found on Post 35’s website. After the wetsuits come off, the post starts getting ready for its other signature annual event: a 9/11 memorial service at its GWOT Monument, which has the names of 82 servicemembers from New Hampshire who have lost their lives since the attacks. It is the first monument of its kind in the state and among the first in the nation.
- Troops