LAKE PEND OREILLE — In between fish bites, Ryan Rogers reflected how therapeutic it is was to be on a relatively calm and scenic Lake Pend Oreille on Friday morning.

"It's nice to get out when it's peaceful and tranquil and to forget about things that vets deal with on a daily basis," the Hayden man said.

Rogers, who served in Iraq with the Idaho Army National Guard, was among the local veterans and their families who were treated to a free fishing outing this past week on the lake, courtesy of Boats for Heroes.

"Any day on a lake is great — you don't have to catch fish," Rogers said.

On this outing, Rogers was joined by Jason Rzepa (pronounced Zeppa) of Coeur d’Alene, whom Rogers assisted in Iraq on July 7, 2011. Rzepa was severely injured by an improvised explosive device (IED) that resulted in both legs being amputated below the knees and killed fellow soldiers Nick Newby and Nathan Beyers.

Keith Mathews, who served with the Navy in the Vietnam War and founded the Boats for Heroes nonprofit with his wife, Catherine, said he’ll make an annual trip to this region to take veterans and their families out in the 31-foot "Lady Catherine."

Since the nonprofit was founded three years ago, Mathews has taken out about 700 vets and their family members, including 28 local residents this past week.

"I lost a lot of guys in Vietnam," Mathews said softly while steering the boat. "I wonder why God spared me. This is the reason."

Mathews lives in Enumclaw, Wash., near Seattle and met Justin Coons of Hayden, who served with the Guard in Iraq in 2004 and 2005, last year during a Salmon for Soldiers fishing trip on the Puget Sound.

With salmon season shortened on the coast this year and Coons having many veteran contacts locally, Mathews decided to bring his boat here to help vets unwind. Coons and his wife, Debi, organized local vets for the outings and assisted Mathews on the boat.

"This is a good place to get away to," Coons said.

Mathews won't accept monetary donations — he and Catherine fund the nonprofit themselves. Businesses have donated fishing equipment after they learn about the nonprofit. If people want to support Boats for Heroes monetarily, Mathews refers them to his Veterans of Foreign Wars post in Enumclaw.

Mathews said treating fellow vets on the water has been an "amazing journey."

"Some of these guys haven't seen each other in awhile, so it's nice to see the camaraderie return," he said with a smile, adding the trips can also be a chance to make new acquaintances.

"We've gone out with four guys who don't know each other, but by the time we head in, they can't shut up."

Rzepa's fishing partner on Friday was his 5-year-old son Collin. The two tag-teamed reeling in kokanee salmon. Whenever Collin's eyes lit up, so did his dad's.

The retreat experience was a far cry from serving in the war zone of Iraq. Rzepa said his condition restricts him from some other outdoor activities, so he appreciated the offer to be on the water.

"This was a great opportunity to get out," he said.