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WATERVLIET, N.Y. -- Veterans with disabilities are learning to kayak in Watervliet. People in the city formed the David Fisher Upper Hudson Heroes program after local veteran David Fisher, died in Iraq in 2004.

The program's mission is to help disabled veterans learn to enjoy the outdoors in a kayak. These veterans are learning to kayak at the Watervliet pool before they take on other rivers and lakes in the area.

Certified instructors and volunteers are showing them how to paddle, steer, and keep their balance. They say teaching them how to kayak on their own gives them a sense of independence.

"I remember the first time a lot of the vets got in the pool, they kind of looked across the pool, and you can see it in their face, 'hey I'm just like everybody else now'," said Garth Johnston, a volunteer for David Fisher Upper Hudson Heroes.

Eastern Mountain Sports donated some of the kayaks and supplies for the veterans. Family and friends of veterans who wish to learn to kayak with them are welcome to the class. They meet once per week on Wednesdays at the Watervliet pool.