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93-year-old veteran fulfills final wish with one last fishing trip

HAVERHILL, Mass. — A 93-year-old veteran had one last dream come true as complete strangers came together to set up a fishing trip.

Alison Colby-Campbell organized the trip for her dad, who was ill and in hospice care.

Colby-Campbell writes for The Heartbeat of Haverhill, and reached out on social media to make the day possible.

"It was one final wish," Colby-Campbell said. "This is a day that he would always remember."

What might have been a simple day on the water for someone else turned into much more for the 93-year-old named Walter Colby.

Colby-Campbell was writing a story of the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife stocking Plug Pond in Haverhill, and the community put together a perfect day for her father.

"[They] were bringing the nets over so my father could see the different kinds of trout," Colby-Campbell said. "They were letting them out of the basket so he could say he caught them all."

But her father, a former avid fisherman who had given all his gear away a year ago, wanted to catch some fish one last time.

Right before the duo left, Colby-Campbell posted on Facebook asking for help.

"I threw it on there as a total Hail Mary pass, and said, 'My dad’s a World War II vet, he's 93, he's in hospice. Can somebody please make this happen for me?' And the response was astounding," Colby-Campbell said.

A dozen complete strangers brought gear, including 17-year-old Josh Penney.

"Hopped on my bike, one rod, a bunch of tackle, backpack, just came down here as quick as possible," Penney said.

Penney cast the rod and Walter Colby reeled until finally latching on to a fish. Penney reeled it in and placed it in the veteran's hands.

"The happiness on his face was just palpable," Colby-Campbell said. "My father was having such a good time, and he said, 'You know Al, it's been such a good day. I feel very lucky.'"

Four weeks after the trip, on Memorial Day, he peacefully passed away.

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"He had the last great adventure that you could ever want," Colby-Campbell said.

The veteran felt so lucky after leaving that the family bought a lottery ticket, promising to give his winnings to provide more fish to stock.

He didn't win, but his family asked in his obituary that, in lieu of flowers, people donate to the Mass. Wildlands Fund.