Nearly 150 disabled veterans climbed aboard boats at the Quincy Yacht Club this July for a day of fishing, camaraderie and appreciation that has been a South Shore tradition for nearly 70 years. The annual Vets Day outing, which takes place every July on Quincy Bay, brought together volunteer boat captains, local police departments and veterans from different military branches and generations for an event organized by Harvey's Saltwater Fishing Club.
According to WCVB Boston, veterans traveled by bus from VA hospitals and clinics across Massachusetts to take part, with many using the day to reconnect with fellow veterans and share stories about their military service. WCVB reporter Kathleen Kiely noted the event offers particular recognition for many Vietnam veterans. The tradition dates back to 1958, when Harvey's Saltwater Fishing Club member Helge “Harry” Johnson first arranged for 14 disabled veterans from the Chelsea Veterans Hospital to fish off Harvey's Wharf in Quincy's Houghs Neck neighborhood, according to Harvey's Saltwater Fishing Club.
From a Wharf to a Yacht Club
Harvey's Saltwater Fishing Club itself was founded even earlier, in 1954, when Frank Locke and 11 local anglers organized to build a South Shore marine community and host fishing derbies out of Harvey's Wharf. The club has weathered its share of setbacks over the decades, including losing its original charter during the Blizzard of 1978 and losing historical records in a 1994 restaurant fire, per the club's own account. The Blizzard of 1978 also destroyed Harvey's Wharf itself, forcing the veterans' outing to relocate before it settled permanently at the Quincy Yacht Club in 1981.
The Quincy Yacht Club, founded in 1874 by summer residents of Houghs Neck, is the oldest sporting organization in Quincy and counts former U.S. Navy Secretary Charles Francis Adams III among its historic members, according to the club. The yacht club has hosted the veterans' fishing trip continuously for over 40 years.
Volunteers, Boats and Breakfast
This year's 68th annual event relied on a fleet of more than 20 volunteer fishing and lobster vessels to carry the veterans out onto Quincy Bay, supported by more than 100 local volunteers, according to the United Federation of Police Officers. Volunteer crews set up a large outdoor tent on the yacht club grounds afterward to serve a catered luncheon reception. The Quincy Fire Department also volunteered its time, and volunteers overall donated boats, fuel and hours to make the day possible, per WCVB's report. Fasanos and Dunkin' donated breakfast and lunch for the veterans and volunteers.
Quincy police and neighboring police departments volunteered their time as well, and the Quincy Police Department Marine Unit provided marine security during the trip alongside local first responders. The U.S. Coast Guard Navigation Center issued an official Local Notice to Mariners in July designating safety protocols for a 17-boat fleet transporting more than 150 disabled veterans between the Quincy Yacht Club and outer Boston Harbor islands, including Long Island and Peddocks Island.
A Local Jaws Remake Helps Foot the Bill
Part of the funding for the all-volunteer outing comes from an unusual source: a 100-minute fan remake of Jaws filmed locally in Quincy. Titled Quincy Jaws and directed by Robert LaMonica, the project recreates the 1975 film scene by scene using local Quincy locations and volunteer actors, according to the film's official website. All proceeds from merchandise sales, movie screenings and donations go directly to Harvey's Saltwater Fishing Club to help fund the veterans' outing, and the film is available to stream on YouTube.
Part of a Broader Support Network
The Chelsea Veterans Hospital, which supplied the event's original 14 participants back in 1958, has since grown into the Massachusetts Veterans Home at Chelsea, founded in 1882 for Civil War veterans. The facility recently opened a modern $199 million, 154-bed Community Living Center that replaced old hospital wards with single-occupancy residential units, according to state officials at Mass.gov.
Massachusetts elevated its veterans services department into a cabinet-level agency, the Executive Office of Veterans Services, in March 2023, and appointed Navy veteran Dr. Eric Goralnick as Secretary in January. The agency manages the state's veterans' homes and distributes financial benefits, and this August it announced $58.4 million in state benefits, providing a $2,500 tax-free annual payment to more than 23,000 disabled veterans, Gold Star families and surviving spouses across the Commonwealth. That state annuity complements federal disability compensation, which reaches roughly 5.8 million veterans nationwide who receive VA disability payments for service-connected conditions, according to Military.com. Community-led outdoor outings like the one on Quincy Bay serve as important social and mental health touchpoints for disabled veterans within that larger system of support. Harvey's Saltwater Fishing Club posts information about future Vets Day participation on Facebook for veterans and volunteers interested in joining the tradition.
