Tulsa Man Finds Personal Way To Give Back To Service Members

With Oklahoma troops still fighting for our freedom, a Tulsa man found a very personal way to repay them.

His favorite hobby is fishing. So to say thanks, he's given away hundreds of custom fishing rods to troops and their kids -- for free. 

With his red shirt and silver hair, it's easy to imagine Charlie Davenport as a Secret Santa.

"Yes, and I kind of like that. It's not the fame or anything like that. I don't need that," Davenport said.

All he needs is a fishing rod and a few spools of thread.

"I go to garage sales and I will find a decent rod. Or people have dropped them off to me," he said.

Davenport spends about a month weaving together the red, white and blue threads into a custom rod for a service member, a widow, or their child. He's even made rods that are modified for troops who lost an arm.

"Sometimes I just leave the rod on the porch. I know what their address is and I don't tell them where it came from," Davenport said. "I leave a note for them but I don't sign it."

There's no catch. That's it. He doesn't want praise; he doesn't need a thank you.

"I think that it gives them a sense that they're not forgotten, and that bothers me, being a veteran. That some are forgotten, especially the wounded ones," he said.

When he's on the water, reeling in "the big one" gives him goose bumps, but even that doesn't compare to giving away his labor of love.

"In fact, I've gotten wobbly-kneed trying to get back to the car before they open the door," he said.

And that's a feeling too big to reel in.

Charlie Davenport's only regret is he can't make as many rods as he likes. But he knows by sharing his story, he might get lots of requests from veterans and their families.

You can get in touch with him by email: davenportcs.tulsa@live.com.