U.S. Marine Finds His Calling in California's Salmon Country

When Delbert Henson left the U.S. Marine Corps in 2023, he never imagined he would find his calling humping a pack full of gear miles up a remote Northern California creek to count salmon.

NOAA Fisheries supports paid, yearlong Veterans Corps internships that give military veterans hands-on experience in fisheries science and habitat restoration. Veterans develop skills that can prepare them for natural resource jobs or university science programs. NOAA partners gain field staff to help restore habitat and monitor fish populations, often in remote areas.

NOAA and our partner Mt. Adams Institute placed two veterans with fisheries organizations in northern California for the 2025-2026 field season. This is Delbert Henson's story. Read Scot Clark's story .

Henson grew up in Hornbrook, California, near the Klamath River, reading books about sharks and dreaming of becoming a marine biologist. After high school, he joined the Marine Corps and served as a field radio operator. When he left, he got a job installing cable networks at car dealerships, but then that company folded.

"I was in this little town, and there was really nothing available for me at that time," said Henson. "I was struggling."

Finding Veterans Corps

Henson learned about Veterans Corps through his twin sister, Margaret, and her supervisor, Bryan Souza, a Marine veteran who entered fisheries work through a Vet Corps internship. Souza now works as a senior fisheries field technician with the Mid Klamath Watershed Council, restoring salmon habitat in Klamath River tributaries.

Souza knew firsthand how difficult the transition to civilian work could be. A career outdoors had given him a new direction, and he thought fisheries work in the Klamath watershed might appeal to Henson, too.

"I live out in the woods, and I think this is a good place for veterans to be," said Souza. "And this job protecting forests and ecosystems, natural resources that we all need, is super important."

Souza has found that many veterans he has worked with are comfortable with the physical demands of fisheries monitoring and restoration.

"I've found that the veterans usually are like, okay, I will take this pain and hike this heavy piece of equipment up this horrible slope," said Souza. "And I'm willing to do it without complaining too much."

Restoring Habitat, Finding Purpose

After several conversations with Souza, Henson applied and began his internship with the Council in March 2025. He started fieldwork immediately.

He cut down trees and carried logs to build beaver dam analogs on creeks lacking the natural wood jams that provide habitat for salmon spawning and rearing juveniles.

"A beaver dam analog is a man-made structure using natural material that gets put across a creek," said Henson. "They slow down the water and catch sediment that builds habitat for salmon."

Henson also worked to improve fish passage. Sometimes, he saw results almost immediately.

"I've surveyed creeks that had no juvenile fish and only days after restoring passage you could see hundreds of them," said Henson. "What once looked barren transformed into a creek full of life."

Delbert also made his way to the coast to help seine fish at the Prairie Creek Floodplain Restoration Project to see what species of fish were using the habitat.

"When Delbert joined our monitoring team, he showed up early, worked hard to capture fish and had an ear-to-ear grin the entire time," said Bob Pagliuco, NOAA Fisheries marine habitat resource specialist. "His excitement for the work we were doing was obvious and we were grateful to have him on the team."

Work on restoration and monitoring projects like these ultimately benefits commercial and recreational fisheries and helps managers make decisions that support sustainable fisheries and the economy.

Discovering a Passion for Salmon

Henson's favorite work involves counting and collecting data on adult and juvenile salmon. These surveys help scientists estimate population sizes and assess how fish respond to restoration.

During his first few surveys for adult Chinook salmon, Henson saw none.

"This was emotionally very difficult for me because I heard I would be blown away by the number of fish," said Henson. "It felt like watching extinction."

Determined to find Chinook, Henson and his twin sister spent weekends searching creeks. At the mouth of the Scott River, they finally spotted about 30 adult Chinook resting before continuing upstream. Later surveys brought more salmon encounters.

"I think seeing the fight in the fish is one of my favorite things," Henson said of adult salmon swimming toward their spawning grounds. "They're beat up and bruised and damaged to the point where they can barely swim in a straight line, but they're so committed to the next line of salmon. This really called to me. I got a sense of belonging, and I felt like what I was doing was good."

Souza said Henson initially seemed unsure of himself but grew more confident. Henson even presented his work at the Salmonid Restoration Federation conference.

"[Presenting] was nerve-wracking, but afterward so many people congratulated me and offered me advice," said Henson. "People were genuinely interested in helping me. It shows just how incredible the restoration community is."

Pursuing a New Career

Henson completed his Veterans Corps internship in August 2026. The Council subsequently hired him for winter surveys, and he is thinking about getting a university degree next.

"I was thinking about what would have happened if I hadn't gotten this internship, and I think I would have a hole in my heart," Henson said. "Restoration and conservation work can be really tricky, but it's vital. I know for a fact that every project I've done and every person I've worked with has made a difference for salmon."

Souza believes Henson could contribute even more.

"Delbert is a really smart person, and I've been pushing him to go to college and become a fisheries biologist," said Souza. "We could use somebody like him out here on the Klamath."