Thieves Spoil Soldier's Homecoming

By Darren Brown, News9.com INsite Team

SPRINGER, Okla. -- After a year of duty in Iraq, Jason Metzger couldn't wait to get his new boat out on the water, but it looks like he'll be waiting a little while longer. 

U.S. Army Spc. Metzger loves to fish, it's something that he and his father and brother have done together for years.

"That's one thing me and my boys, we do together, that's fish--that's been our thing since they was knee high to a grasshopper," said Tim Metzger, Jason's father.  "Whether we catch anything or not--we just enjoy being together."

So when Jason found a fishing boat for sale online, and it happened to be just a few miles away from his dad's house, he knew he had to act fast. 

Tim Metzger said it wasn't a normal phone call that he got that day.

"Instead of saying, 'Hi Dad, I miss ya,' he goes, 'Hey Dad, I found me a boat.'  I said 'What? A boat?---I love you too.'"

Tim brought the boat home, made some minor repairs, and even tested it out on nearby Lake Jean Neustadt.

The elder Metzger was waiting patiently for Christmas, when his son would be home on leave.

"We were going fishing on Lake Texoma--I don't care if it was snowing or zero degrees--we were going fishing," he laughed.

But apparently some thieves had other plans for Jason's boat.  It was stolen sometime during the night on November 7.

"What's so heartbreaking, is it was under my watch--y'know here I am a retired veteran, it's right outside my window, I'm a pretty light sleeper and I'm up and down all night long and I didn't hear anything," Metzger said.

While the Carter County Sheriff's Dept. is doing what it can, Tim still holds out some hope that his son's boat can be recovered.

"Maybe someone knows something--or has seen something that they could help us out," he said. "People around here's got integrity---and we don't steal."

The boat is a 14-foot, 1982 Lowe with a 1986 E25 Johnson motor.  It has an aluminum hull with blue, red, yellow and brown stripes running down the side, along with a picture of a bass.  It has two white casting seats and blue carpeting. 

If you have any info about this missing boat, please call the Carter County Sheriff's Dept. at (580) 223-6014.