Vallière for Veterans

Before Vallière was a brand, it was an idea and a rough sketch of a Mahi Mahi. Before the years of perfecting designs, adapting artwork for embroidery, testing countless fabrics and garments to create a product we could proudly stand behind — there was a vision. That if Vallière could become something, it would stand for something. Not just a coastal lifestyle brand, but a company built on values. Values that were passed down to me by two men I will never forget.

My grandfather John served in the United States Army during World War II. A tank mechanic, he was deployed to Germany and then Okinawa, Japan. My grandfather William was a career Navy man — stationed across the world, serving through both World War II and the Korean War aboard the USS Cotton.

They were both defining figures in my life. Men of quiet strength and unshakeable character. They crawled so I could run.

As a child, I fished with my grandfather and my great uncles — all veterans of World War II — in Shinnecock Bay. That is where my love of the water began. Every cast, every tide, every early morning on the water carries a piece of that memory.

Vallière for Veterans is my way of honoring their memory, their service, and the service of every man and woman who has worn the uniform of this country.

Our Veterans come home carrying weight that most of us will never fully understand. They face challenges that too often go unaddressed, and sacrifices that go unrecognized. I can't solve every problem. But I can take them out on the water.

There is something about the open sea that makes the weight lift — if only for a few hours. The salt air, the sound of the waves, the stillness of a line in the water. It has a way of quieting everything else.

Vallière for Veterans brings veterans out on the water, fully on us. No cost to them. Just time on the water with people who care.

And for those who want to share — we want to listen. The program creates a space for veterans to speak about their service, their experiences, and their sacrifices. To pass that knowledge and perspective to a younger generation who may not fully grasp what those before them endured so that we could live the lives we live today.

I built Vallière because I wanted to create something I could stand behind — a quality product rooted in the culture of coastal fishing. But I always wanted it to be more than that.

A brand that stands for something. Not with words and slogans, but with actions.

A company that gives back as it grows — to our Veterans, and to the community of anglers, watermen, and ocean lovers who make this brand what it is. Through sweepstakes, events, and experiences that bring people together around the one thing we all share: the love of salty air, open water, and the wind at your back.

This is Vallière.