Military Heroes Recognized at Football Game Saturday – Ohio State Buckeyes
10/11/2008 12:00:00 AM | Football
Lt. Col. Greg Gadson and Lt. Col. Chuck Schretzman honored before kickoff
Lt. Col. Greg Gadson and Lt. Col. Chuck Schretzman were recognized before the Purdue at Ohio State football game Saturday in Ohio Stadium. Lt. Col. Gadson was severly injured by a roadside bomb in Iraq in May 2007. Gadson lost both legs in the bombing, but turned his loss into an inspiration for others.
Gadson was named an honorary captain for the New York Giants during the 2007 NFL season and helped inspire the Giants through their playoff run and miraculous victory over New England in Super Bowl XV.
Gadson has been featured in Reader’s Digest, ESPN.com, CBS News and many other media outlets. Links to several articles are provided above.
Lt. Col. Schretzman, commander of the University of Dayton’s Army ROTC program and a professor of military science, will accompany Gadson on the field Saturday.
Gadson and Schretzman both played linebacker at Army. Check back later today for photos of the recognition.
The Inspirational Story of Lt. Col. Greg Gadson
by Greg Slabodkin, militaryit.net (posted May 1, 2008)
Much has been written and said about the inspirational story of Army Lt. Col. Greg Gadson in numerous articles and TV interviews. By now, many of us know about Gadson’s amazing role leading to the New York Giants’ upset victory over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII. Just yesterday, the Giants along with Gadson were honored guests at a ceremony on the South Lawn at the White House.
“I’m proud to be on the stage with this man,” said President Bush at the White House ceremony. “He has got the Purple Heart and three Bronze Stars, and now he’s got a Super Bowl ring minted for a true giant.”
Gadson’s story is more than just about how a double-amputee inspired the Giants to a winning season. It’s about an injured Iraqi war veteran’s incredible rise above overwhelming adversity. I had the honor of meeting Gadson in person recently and hearing his story. What follows is based on that interview with him.
Baghdad, May 2007
Gadson’s whirlwind story began in May 2007 in Baghdad when his vehicle was destroyed by an improvised explosive device (IED) on his way back from memorial services for two soldiers in his battalion. The tremendous blast from the IED threw Gadson clear of his vehicle, leaving him on the side of the road bleeding heavily and going in and out of consciousness. The heroes, he insists, were the soldiers who saved his life.
“I was a battalion commander doing what I thought I needed to do, where I thought I needed to be and my vehicle was hit by a roadside bomb,” Gadson said. “It nearly killed me and, if it wasn’t for what my soldiers did to save my life on the scene and the actions of everyone involved, I could have easily died and almost did. I’m thankful to be here.”
When news of Gadson’s life-threatening injuries reached former Army football teammate Will Huff, he immediately jumped into action and took a helicopter flight to be there at the hospital in Baghdad for Gadson, who was unconscious. Within hours, Huff was at Gadson’s side.
Huff, who later accompanied Gadson on a flight from Baghdad to Landstuhl, Germany, reached out to another former Army football player – Chuck Schretzman, who was stationed in Canada (Schretzman, like Gadson, had also played outside linebacker at West Point). Huff informed Schretzman of the grave news about Gadson’s condition, enlisting his help and support. Schretzman dropped everything and made his way to Walter Reed Army Medical Center, in Washington, D.C., arriving the same day that Gadson arrived at Walter Reed from Germany.
A few weeks after arriving at Walter Reed, Gadson would receive another visit from a former Army football teammate. In June 2007, Mike Sullivan, now wide receiver coach for the Giants football team, came to see Gadson, who ended up having both legs amputated above the knee due to complications from his injuries. Sullivan brought Gadson a Giants football helmet signed by the players, as well as a signed team jersey with Gadson’s number 98 on it from his West Point days.
Sullivan had gone to Walter Reed to lift the spirits of his former West Point teammate. In the end, however, it was Sullivan who left the hospital feeling overwhelmingly inspired by Gadson’s positive attitude and outlook, witnessing firsthand the amazing effect he was having on fellow patients and the medical staff at Walter Reed. In the months after his visit with Gadson, Sullivan recognized that Gadson’s inspirational story and infectious can-do attitude might benefit the struggling Giants football team.
Turning a Team Around
The Giants had not only lost the first two games of the 2007 season, but had given up 80 points to their opponents. It was then that Sullivan invited Gadson to speak to the Giants players and coaching staff an unprecedented act. Never had an outsider been invited inside to address the team. Speaking from the heart and without any pre-written notes, Gadson spoke to the Giants players during a team meeting at their hotel in Washington the night before their game against the Washington Redskins in Week 3 of the season.
“I talked to them about life and their responsibilities as professional athletes, and their obligation, opportunity and blessing to go out there and do their best,” said Gadson. “I wanted them to know how important they were to soldiers in combat zones who look up to them and stay up after or get up before their shift just to watch them play. However, beyond the external, I told them the most important reasons for doing their best was right there in the room the 53 players and coaches. You are playing for yourselves I said.”
“I told them there’s never going to be another 2007 Giants, so what are you guys going to do with this team?,” he said. “I challenged them: You’re either committed or you’re not. You guys can still achieve your goals but you’ve got to decide now.”
Gadson’s words of inspiration hit the mark. The Giants went on to defeat the Redskins and turned their season around. The night before their Super Bowl showdown with the Patriots, Sullivan and Giants coach Tom Coughlin again asked Gadson to speak to the players.
“I told them the first time I spoke to you back in September I was as an outsider and you didn’t know me from Adam. Tonight, I speak to you as a teammate’,” said Gadson. “I talked with them about pride, poise and team. I talked to them about how we had grown as a team and how I wouldn’t hesitate to fight alongside them in combat. That’s how much I believed in all of them. I talked about the importance of believing. The Patriots know they can beat us. But, you believe that we can beat them and that’s the key difference. Belief comes from the heart and that’s why we’re going to win tomorrow.”
In the end, the Giants won 17-14, their first Super Bowl victory in more than a decade.
Looking Ahead
These days, Gadson continues on the road to rehabilitation. In total, he underwent 17 operations on both his legs and right arm as a result of his injuries, with no further surgery expected. Gadson lives outside of Washington at Fort Belvoir in American Disability Act-compliant quarters with his wife Kim, and their two children, daughter Gabriella (15) and son Jaelen (14). He commutes almost daily to Walter Reed for physical and occupational therapy which is going well.
As far as the future is concerned, Gadson is weighing his options. He has deferred the Army War College for a year and for now will pursue a graduate degree in public policy from Georgetown University. Gadson will also continue his public speaking as a motivational speaker, inspiring such audiences as school kids, associations, companies, and perhaps the 2008 Giants football team. Regardless, things are looking up for Gadson a year after his near-death experience.
“When I look at the events of my life over the past year and all the incredible things that have happened, it’s certainly not anything that I would have imagined,” said Gadson. “I’m living proof that life can change in a minute. My life literally changed in a flash and a boom. Only through faith, family and friends did I persevere.”
