HOUSTON \u2013 Just before sunrise on a beautiful morning in Galveston Bay, a small group headed out on a fishing boat to find their morning catch. Today\u2019s VIP: Marine Veteran Dicker Ray Chavis. <\/p>\n
For Mr. Chavis, fishing isn\u2019t just a hobby, it\u2019s a connection to his childhood. <\/p>\n
\u201cI was born in Opelousas, Louisiana,\u201d said Chavis, who is now 68 years old. <\/p>\n
\u201cI grew up fishing, but it\u2019s been years and years since I\u2019ve been able to fish like this,\u201d he added, explaining that he had never actually been fishing from a boat.<\/p>\n
At 19 years old, Chavis enlisted in the marines, serving six years during the Iran hostage crisis. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt was when they first bombed the United States embassy in Iran, and all of a sudden we got deployed,\u201d said Chavis, who admitted he was a bit nervous. <\/p>\n
\u201cI was just a boy from Louisiana. All I could do was say a prayer and hope for the best,\u201d he added. <\/p>\n
Mr. Chavis says his time in the Marines shaped the rest of his life. <\/p>\n
Now, decades later, one simple wish brought him back to something he loves: fishing. It all happened through the Houston chapter of Twilight Wish<\/a>, a national non-profit that honors seniors 65 and older who have dedicated their lives to serving others. <\/p>\n Sometimes the wishes are for an experience like attending a sporting event or meeting a celebrity. Other times, it\u2019s for basic needs. <\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve had requests for wishes for hearing aids, for something as simple as sneakers,\u201d said Jena Buchanan, Wish Coordinator for the Twilight Wish Houston Chapter<\/a>. <\/p>\n \u201cWe want to be able to give these experiences and these things to seniors that wouldn\u2019t otherwise be able to provide that for themselves,\u201d she added. <\/p>\n For Mr. Chavis, his wish mean climbing aboard a boat at Eagle Point Fishing Camp<\/a> in San Leon, with volunteers determined to make sure he caught dinner. <\/p>\n It didn\u2019t take long before the fish started biting.<\/p>\n For Eagle Point Fishing Camp<\/a>\u2019s owner, Eric Valentino, offering his boat and his expertise was an easy decision. <\/p>\n \u201cWe have the resources and if he wants to go out fishing and that\u2019s a wish he had, then I wanted to make it happen,\u201d said Valentino.<\/p>\n Initially Mr. Chavis was hoping he would catch at least one fish so he could cook it for dinner. So naturally, after catching fish after fish after fish, his smiles and laughter continued to build. <\/p>\n \u201cThis is the most I\u2019ve heard him laugh, smile, and have such a great time in a long time,\u201d said Stephanie Brooks, who coordinates activities for Veterans through U.S. Vets<\/a>.<\/p>\n Tonight, there\u2019s no doubt about what will be on Mr. Chavis\u2019 dinner plate. <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m having a ball,\u201d exclaimed Mr. Chavis. <\/p>\n \u201cMy wish have come true,\u201d he added. <\/p>\n