Last week, Staff Sergeant Francisco Guerra and his El Paso, Texas, family of six enjoyed a taste of paradise while vacationing on the Beach, thanks to Operation Open Arms. St. James City fishing captain John “GiddyUp” Bunch founded Operation Open Arms in 2005. The Lee County program aims to provide memorable vacations to U.S. service men and women on temporary leave from foreign duty by offering free amenities. More than 140 local sponsors are members of the program, providing hotel stays, golfing excursions, fishing trips, fine dining and more. “The underlying mission is that our sponsors perform tangible acts of kindness for U.S. troops on combat leave,” said Bunch. The program serves solely Lee County military men and women and their families. But, after receiving a letter from Francisco’s wife, Beatriz, last October, the founder broke the rules and invited Texan Guerra and his family to enjoy beautiful southwest Florida. Through her letter, Beatriz inquired if an Operation Open Arms existed in Texas. She wrote of her husband, who would complete his second 15-month deployment to Iraq in December, and of her wish for the family to have “a magical and memorable” family reunion that would alleviate some of the stress the young family experienced with a dad overseas, working seven days straight in “extremely hot weather.” She signed the letter “Beatriz Guerra, proud Army wife.” After reading the letter, Bunch desired to give Francisco a memorable temporary leave unlike the sergeant’s last leave, which peaked with a family trip to a local park and McDonald’s. “Her letter sunk deep down into my heart,” he said. Capt. GiddyUp approached his local civic group, the Matlacha Mariners, who decided to fund the family’s airfare to Florida. Over the past week, the Guerras took advantage of all the Beach had to offer through Operation Open Arms. Before returning home, the Guerras enjoyed a sailing trip, provided by Capt. Tom Cameron of Curlew Street. On Monday, Cameron awaited the family’s arrival to his backyard dock. Under a grapefruit tree beside the water, he spoke of his Operation Open Arms membership. “I read about Operation Open Arms and what it was doing in the paper,” he said. “Donating services to any returning military from Iraq and Afghanistan is right up my alley. So, I immediately got in touch with Capt. John Bunch.” As a 1957-58 Army tanker stationed in Fort Knox and Fort Dixon, Cameron feels a heartful kinship with today’s U.S. military men and women. “I’m a veteran, a former Army man and I’d do anything – just to see them have fun and relax,” he said. Previously, Cameron has hosted four soldiers and their spouses aboard his 30-foot catamaran. The captain encourages his guests to grab a cushion and a soda and get comfy while sailing past Bird Island, Big Carlos Pass, Fort Myers Beach or Lovers Key. “My mast is 48 feet high, so if we go south through Big Carlos Pass, we have to have the bridge open, which is always something for them to take pictures of. After the bridge, we go out whichever way the wind is going,” he said. “An real added treat is the dolphins. If they’re back there behind the bridge, what I do is bang the side of the boat, and they’re very nosey. They come over and swim alongside the boat.” With high tide nearing, Francisco, Beatriz and their four children, Lorena (7), Lucero (5), Francisco, Jr. (3) and Larisa (1), arrived at Cameron’s bayside home. As the kids frolicked with the captain’s dogs and picked up shells lining the pool, Francisco, wearing an olive Army cap, and his wife spoke of their stay on Fort Myers Beach. “It’s been awesome,” said Francisco. “We’ve never been to Florida and it was a great experience. It’s wonderful,” said Beatriz. Over the past week, Operation Open Arms Beach sponsors donated their services to the Guerra family. Andrea and Tom of the Silver Sands Hotel hosted the family. “We’ve been swimming at the Beach and at the hotel pool,” said Beatriz, smiling. Key West Express provided the Guerras with a Sunday venture to the Keys, and Paul Russell of the Fort Myers Beach U.S. Coast Guard station invited the family on a dolphin-watching trip. “Our children love animals. We saw a couple of dolphins, and our children got to drive the boat,” said Beatriz. The staff of Parrot Key treated the family to a dinner of crabs, steak, shrimp and hotdogs. “Parrot Key is a wonderful place. We loved it and they had awesome food,” said Beatriz. Five-year-old Lorena picked a hibiscus and placed the flower behind her mother’s ear while Beatriz shared her happiness about shedding sweaters and long sleeves for sundresses and shorts. “Up in Texas, it’s cold now,” said Beatriz. “The palms, trees, everything here is so different. The climate is awesome.” Beatriz gave a wistful smile, surveying the bay behind Cameron’s home. “We didn’t expect all of this,” she said. “We’ve enjoyed everything. The people have been great to us. We hate to leave.” After Francisco’s temporary leave, the sergeant will be stationed at Fort Bliss in El Paso. “He went to Iraq and now he’s back for good,” said Beatriz. “He and most of his soldiers are back. We’re glad to have him back and safe.”
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