Mike Lupica in the Daily News introduces us to NY Giants honorary captain Lt. Col. Greg Gadson,
He played at West Point between 1985 and 1988, and one of his teammates was Mike Sullivan, who played cornerback and some safety and is now one of Tom Coughlin’s assistants with the Giants. When Sullivan and so many other of Gadson’s teammates found out what had happened on the night of May 7, found that Gadson had first lost his left leg to arterial infections and then his right, it brought that old Army team back together.
“My injury turned out to be a catalyst event,” Gadson said. “These were guys who hadn’t talked in years, but now were rallying around me, and my family. Some of us had stayed in contact, but not to any great degree. But now an incident in a war reminded us that we were still brothers.”
Sullivan visited Gadson at Walter Reed, came back in June, this time with a No. 98 Giants jersey, Gadson’s own name on the back, signed by several Giants players. When Sullivan left that day in June, he said to Gadson, “What else can we do?”
Greg Gadson said he’d love to take his family to a Giants game.
It was the Giants-Redskins game, in Washington, third Sunday of the season, Giants 0-2 by then. The tickets were arranged and then the Friday before the game Mike Sullivan called and asked if Gadson would be interested in addressing the team on Saturday night.
Gadson’s wife Kim drove him to the Giants’ hotel. Lt. Col. Greg Gadson, Second Battalion, 32nd Field Artillery, old outside linebacker from Army, spoke to the Giants. And just as no one knew that the Giants would begin a 10-game road winning streak the next day, just as no one knew this could ever become a Super Bowl season, no one in that room including Gadson himself knew that the soldier in the wheelchair was joining the season that night.
Read the whole story.
Matt Burden, aka Blackfive, has posted a thoughtful and fair overview of the New York Times “War Torn” series about vets who return home and later commit murder. He also raises an important point about veterans care that we should all take to heart,
I, for one, believe the New York Times reporters were concerned about the vets. But I am also inclined to believe that they were pushing a stereotype, one that began with Viet Nam vets, and their stories fit their own mental narratives. Obviously, I cannot prove that. But it does ring true for anyone who’s experienced that kind of bias before – “Soldiers and Dogs Keep Off the Grass”.
In the end, I think we can all agree that war sucks, it affects everyone, and that our vets deserve all of the support that we can afford to give. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI) are NOT being addressed at the level that they need to be addressed. I don’t know anyone who believes that our veterans are being effectively treated. No. One.
This is a very complicated and expensive issue that deserves front line attention, I think everyone would agree with that. Can you think of any specific proposals from the candidates? How about this being a topic during a debate? If it has been, I missed it. The public should be demanding that this be taken up as a domestic policy priority.
Town Hall editor Rich Tucker has a column with a couple of ideas that strike me as worthy of consideration,
One way to do that is to enroll vets in the Federal Employees Health Benefit Program, the same system that civilian employees enjoy. FEHBP offers dozens of plans, from fee-for-service and health savings accounts to preferred provider organizations and health maintenance organizations. Vets could choose a plan that worked for them and their families, and would gain control over their health care.
Failing that, Washington could agree to give each veteran a set amount of money to buy health insurance. This would create a market, motivating companies to put together attractive packages to win new customers. Meanwhile, vets would become engaged partners in their health care, instead of being forced to wait on bureaucrats to serve them.
Coverage of Walter Reed is one thing. The real story is happening soldier by soldier in communities clustered around the country. It’s no secret. It’s happening all around us.
The length and ferocity of the Iraq War has overwhelmed the system and those who have sacrificed most are paying the price. To quote Bob Dole, “Where’s the outrage?”.
I think part of the answer lies in the fact that it is so shameful we don’t want to acknowledge its existence. Another reason is that so few are carrying the load for so many. About 1% of American families are military families.
The bottom line: the VA system is broken, the men and women in the military deserve the best care and we are not giving it to them. It’s about time that the public demands action from the political class.
Need a Monday afternoon laugh?
Hat Tip: Andrew Sullivan
He may have left the Red Sox for the Evil Empire (and missed out on another World Series win:)), but it turns out Johnny Damon isn’t all bad. In fact, as a human being, he’s pretty great.
Johnny Damon honored for work with wounded soldiers
NEW YORK – Johnny Damon was trembling as he stepped to the podium. He tried to steady himself, take a deep breath, find some way to choke back the tears.
It was no use.
The Yankees outfielder was overwhelmed by his introduction Sunday night at the 85th annual New York baseball writers’ dinner, where he was honored for his work with soldiers wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan.
“Wow. I’m not that emotional of a person,” Damon said after a standing ovation. “But for the freedom that we have, we all should pay more attention to people who go out there and fight for it.”
Gateway Pundit inspired our producer Rob to bring Babs and Bubba together again in a song parody that brings us back ten years to this very date, the 1998 State of the Union address. Great job by Rob.
Jonah Goldberg joined us to discuss his controversial new best seller Liberal Fascism.
In the second segment we talked politics, and heard a great musical reminder of Bill Clinton’s State of the Union address ten years ago tonight. Our producer Rob did a great job reuniting Babs and Bubba,
All of our interviews are also available for download at iTunes and Podcast Alley via the Pundit Review Radio Podcast.
What is Pundit Review Radio?
Pundit Review Radio is where the old media meets the new. Each week Kevin and Gregg give voice to the work of the most influential leaders in the new media/citizen journalist revolution. Called “groundbreaking†by Talkers Magazine, this unique show brings the best of the blogs to your radio every Sunday evening from 7-10 pm EST on AM680 WRKO, Boston’s Talk Station
Bruce McQuain from QandO joined us for another edition of Someone You Should Know. The Someone You Should Know radio collaboration began as an extension of Matt Burden’s series at Blackfive. Thanks to Matt, Bruce is now on board and we are lucky to have him as part of the show.
Tonight, Bruce told us about Sgt. Rafael Peralta, who has been recommended for only the fourth Medal of Honor since 9/11.
Said Cpl. Brannon Dyer, “He saved half my fire team”.
Peralta was so proud of being an American citizen and a Marine that he proudly wore a military tattoo on his arm, and hung medals, commendations and plaques with the Bill of Rights and the Declaration of Independence around his bed at his family’s home in the San Diego. He is what being an American is all about. He was also a Marine’s Marine. And that is why Sgt. Rafael Peralta, immigrant, infantryman, American and nominee for the Medal of Honor is someone you should know.
All of our interviews are also available for download at iTunes and Podcast Alley via the Pundit Review Radio Podcast.
What is Pundit Review Radio?
Pundit Review Radio is where the old media meets the new. Each week Kevin and Gregg give voice to the work of the most influential leaders in the new media/citizen journalist revolution. Called “groundbreaking” by Talkers Magazine, this unique show brings the best of the blogs to your radio every Sunday evening from 7-10 pm EST on AM680 WRKO, Boston’s Talk Station