ABOUT CAMP GOLD STAR
In February of 2024, Captain Morgan (maritime Captain) and his wife Melinda (20-year ARMY veteran) purchased a 10-acre waterfront parcel to build Camp Gold Star (CGS) which is dedicated to honoring our nation's bravest heroes.
Captain Morgan has been navigating the Delta waterways since he was 15-years old and worked as a waterski instructor for Living Water Ministries, a Christian water camp operating out of the Meadows in Walnut Grove, CA.
After making annual Houseboat trips back to the Delta over the years, Captain Morgan found himself retired, living in Discovery Bay CA, and running a cruise business with Melinda, called Captain Morgans Delta Adventures.
It was on some of the 185-cruises per year which Captain Morgan and Melinda hosted, the Captain realized cruises with Gold Star families onboard were the most heartfelt and rewarding.
After selling the cruise business in 2019, the Captain spent many hours on the couch in front of the TV wondering if this is what the rest of his life would amount to.
Then just like a divine message, the spark that ignited the idea and ambition to buy waterfront property and build Camp Gold Star, came from a TV commercial.
Captain Morgan had never heard about the Tunnel to Towers Foundation before, but watching Frank Siller make a pitch for viewers to donate just $11.00 per month to help families of first responders and veterans who lost their hero and left behind a spouse and young children to pick up the pieces, was tugging at the Captain's heart.
Mr. Siller told the story of how his own brother, Steven Siller (New York firefighter) died trying to help others evacuate one of the Twin Towers in New York on September 11th, 2001. Mr. Siller ended the commercial with the words, "While we still have time, let's do good together".
The Captain knew he was talking directly to him but not knowing how he could help honor such heroes, he went to his office and started searching the internet for waterfront property on the Delta. Literally, within 60-days, Melinda and the Captain had closed the deal on the Camp Gold Star waterfront property.
The property is a 10-acre parcel of which 3.2 acres are suitable for land development, the remaining 6.8 acres are either wetlands or completely underwater. A 650' x 120' L-shaped boat dock will be located within the water on the property.
The boat dock will include power hook-ups and pump-out capabilities, a floating kayak & paddle board rental shed, and will accommodate water taxi and emergency response docking.
The terrestrial 3.2 acres will be developed with 25-prefabricated rental cabins known as Hero Lodges. Each of the 25-Hero Lodges will be named in honor of a fallen hero and decorated inside by the Gold Star family (GSF) to honor their fallen hero. Decorations will include family pictures, hero awards, plaques, family welcome DVD, and other hero memorabilia.
The CGS site will also include amenities for the exclusive use of reservation guests staying in either Hero Lodges, or on their own boat at the dock.
Those amenities include a swimming pool with hot tub, club house with kitchen facilities, bocce ball courts, pickle ball court, volley ball and cornhole area, picnic table area, fire pits, BBQ's, convenience store, laundry room, showers, nature lookout towers, freedom walk, shade trees, dog run, access to the natural beach along the river, and lots of open grass space.
CGS will host outdoor and indoor entertainment events such as dances, small concerts, movies, group meals, corporate events, excursions, and other recreational activities.
CGS will also provide a FREE water taxi service to transport guests and employees from King Island Marina to Camp Gold Star. Guests who are severely disabled and cannot utilize the free shuttle boat service, will be escorted down the 4.5-mile dirt levee road to park next to their ADA compliant hero lodge.
In closing,
As a Gold Star Father told the Captain once… "A fallen hero dies twice, first when they are killed in the line of duty, and second, when their name is spoken for the last time!"
Having each of the 25-hero lodges named in honor of a fallen hero, will ensure that when guests make hero lodge reservations, those hero names will not be spoken for the last time!