God Was at His Side: This Warrior Uses Fishing to Help Cure His Wounds

By Jake Bussolini

For three years, I have kindled a relationship with Tomasz Joswik, 45 who lives near Lake Wyle NC. When I first met him at the Operation North State fishing outing, he came across as a quiet wounded warrior who spoke very broken English. What grabbed my attention about Tomasz was his desire to learn how to become a better angler and I have taken up that cause to assist him with his goal.

Tomasz is not your normal American soldier. He was born in Legnica Poland in 1974. As a youngster he loved to be around the water. He fished in Poland whenever he had an opportunity and as a teen, he spent three summers working as a lifeguard. At the age of nineteen he wasn’t satisfied with the future that Poland offered him and he came to the United States. He had no job, no family and spoke no English, but he was driven to succeed here. He spent his first year here in Brooklyn New York, alone with no friends, but he says, “God was on my side and the people that surrounded me here helped me when I needed that help. These acts of friendship showed me the kindness that was in the hearts of the American people.”

He moved to Charlotte one year later armed with the desire to help others as they had helped him adjust to this new country. He joined the Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office. Driven to improve himself, he attended Pfeiffer University and graduated with a BS degree in Criminal Justice, all while teaching himself this new language. He also joined the Navy Reserve and in 2005 he was called up to service. After a short training period at Fort Bliss Texas, he was shipped to Iraq where he participated in the training of local Curds.

During one of the training missions, his vehicle hit an IED. In the words of Tomasz, “for the second time, God was at my side, because I came out seriously wounded but better off than many of my fallen brothers.” Tomasz felt that his wounds would end his dream to succeed in the Military and in Law Enforcement. When he returned to the United States, he was stationed at Norfolk Va. for two years receiving treatment for his wounds. He was now motivated more than ever to pursue a career that would assist in protecting his newly adopted country. He enrolled in the American Military University where he received his Masters degree in Homeland Security.
His treatments are directed at his fractured back, PTSD and sleep disorders. Tomasz feels that being on the water helps keep him calm and focused and fishing as often as possible provides him that pleasure.

Tomasz caught a full string of five bass at this years Operation North State outing and also took first place with his 13 inch crappie.

Tomasz has a unique approach to the “catch and release” concept. Driven by his memories when food was often in short supply, he eats whatever he catches believing that a full freezer is much better than an empty stomach.

As a veteran myself, I am one of the lucky ones who served during times of peace.  I feel unusually thankful to veterans like Tomasz who took up the cause of freedom for a country that owed him nothing. He continues to give back wherever he can. He recently joined the Catawba Riverkeeper organization as a volunteer patrolling an assigned area of Lake Wylie to assist in clean-up or any on-water problems that occur. We thank Tomasz and the other veterans like him for their service and personal sacrifice.