DUANE BRATVOLD
Serving runs in the Bratvold family. Duane served in the
United States Air Force in the ‘70s while his father served in
the Army Air Corps under General MacArthur with the Battan- Duane also lost an uncle in the invasion of France, and
another received the Bronze Star.
This Bonney Lake,Wash., local says, “I always have been
drawn to pontoons for years. There were always many excuses
on why to wait to buy one. None were good excuses but
excuses nonetheless.”
But a shocking life event changed things around for Duane
when on May 3, 2012, his heart stopped.
“The main artery to my heart that supplies oxygen to the
heart was 100 percent blocked. I dropped dead 15 minutes
after my wife came home. Four days later I woke up in the
hospital not knowing what had happened,” Duane shares.
“Events like these change your perspective on things. After
four weeks of rehab, as we were on our way home from the
cardiologist, the conversation about buying a pontoon came up
again. We drove straight from the doctor’s office to a boat shop
we knew sold them and bought our first. This boat was my
emotional rehab after the heart attack. I spent every day that
I could on that boat. Whether for a full day or just minutes,
it was worth it. Being on the pontoon with family and friends
helped put the pieces of my life back together.”
The Bratvolds recently bought a new pontoon, customized
with about 3,500 red LEDs and blue underwater
lights. This boat has a bright future ahead of it for more than
the obvious reason.
“This year we’re working with local organizations and
identifying military families who may want to come to the lake
for a day. We are hoping that the healing that we get from our
pontoon will give comfort to the families who have loved ones
deployed,” Duane adds.
If you’ve ever thought about buying a pontoon yourself,
Duane’s advice is, “DON’T WAIT!”
“I almost lost my chance to own and enjoy one. I truly
believe that the pontoon saved my life. It also brought our
family closer together,” Duane shares. “Buy one and join the
rest of us. This is my pontoon story.”28 Pontoon^ & Deck Boat July^2017 http://www.pdbmagazine.com
TIMOTHY
GARDINER
Timothy’s service to this
country spans years as both an
active duty Marine and reservist
and beyond. During the years
from 1995-2001, Timothy served
in the United States Marine Corps
as an active duty Landing Support
Specialist. In this assignment,
his job involved military logistics, coordinating the movement
of Marines and equipment through air, rail, sea and land.
Remembering this time, Timothy says, “The coolest thing I got
to do involved external lifts with helos as part of a Helicopter
Support Team. Standing under a helo hovering feet over your
head is an amazing experience.”
During those years, Timothy was part of the 3rd Landing
Support Battalion in Okinawa, Japan. There,
he worked in an airfield control group,
processing Marines on and off Okinawa.
Timothy also served in the 26th Marine
Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations
Capable) out of Camp Lejeune. Here, he
worked Combat Cargo for two Mediterranean
deployments, including the initial push
into Kosovo and the earthquake response to
Turkey.
Working Logistics in the Marine Corps also deepened
Timothy’s interest in the water and boating.
“I loved going to sea as a Marine,” he says. “I grew up onthe gulf coast and I’ve always felt that my blood is 50 percent
salt water. Of course now I pontoon mainly on freshwater but
it’s that same sense of being at home on the water.”
Timothy and his family invested in their 1999 Sun Tracker
Party Barge 27, which he describes as perfect.
“We wanted something we could just cruise and relax
in, but could get up and go,” said Timothy who is known as
stillamarine on the PDB Forum.
Now, with family time spent on the water, Timothy’s “salt
water blood” is set to run in
the family. Even now, he is
planning the next trip with his
boy.
“I’m actually planning a
trip with my son to go down the
Tennessee Tombigbee Waterway
to Mobile Bay hopefully next
year,” he confirmed.
In 2001, Timothy
transitioned into the reserves,
where he was forced by
circumstance to switch
specialties to be an infantryman, where he served until 2005.
In speaking with Timothy, it is clear that this was not
a passing service, but a calling. “I loved my time in the
Marines,” he says repeatedly. “I regret leaving as early as
I did.”
Though that time has now passed, Timothy’s service
continues in another noble cause. “Now I work in law
enforcement so I have that same sense of service.” It is clear
that Timothy, regardless of his current assignment, is still
a marine.Duane’s father served in
the Army Air Corps under
General MacArthur.