Transcripts For CSPAN3 Col. 20240704

You, first of all, for for being coming out on a on a on a weekday evening to this suspense some time with theresa and i. As we as we share share the book. Share a book that were very proud of. Secondly let me apologize, because i was a little untimely. I actually got was i say working on my resiliency, i went to a park and lost a little bit of time, left a little bit of track of my time and so i so sincerely apologize for being late my my old boss here, general anderson, is our term and we we pride ourselves on be on time and i was i was not on time so. Um so please accept our apologies but my apologies because, um, because left a little late. Secondly. Ah, thirdly, there are some, theres a lot of familiar faces here. And, and im absolutely really humbled that so many people this journey, this, that, that we talk about in the book are here and and how you all directly and indirectly have shaped my have shaped my life and um you know were just sort Getting Started with were three months to the day of the official release of of the book and and were getting close to ten times or so of having one of these events. I think is number seven. I think, um, and on several occasions, um, weve, weve had the opportunity to have an individual, um, who is, is whos in the whos been part of, of the jury. Thats document it and um, and so if you dont, if you give me a second, i would just like to Major General retired and Rodney Anderson his linda to stand up because theyve been a huge huge part of my my journey and id just like. You and you can read a little bit about him in the book yeah so um with, with that said were going to were going to try to theres no direction that have to go and. We certainly look forward to entertain your questions but what we try do is try to give you some insights and glean of the some of the things that are in the pages, not necessarily readily in the book and, and share those sort of stories. And hopefully thatll even pique curiosity more and get us started with. With the cover of the book. Um its, it a selfportrait that i took about 12 years ago. Um, not because i planning a book cover or, or anything like that. Um, it was, there was a exhibit at a local art center in northern virginia, you know, not far from where i live, that, um, that, that opened a exhibit for veterans answering a question how how veterans themselves and, and i decided im an avid and i decided that i to try to to the that into a photo and i for the early part my my of attempts were to take this classic selfportrait. You know i, i this famous portrait of uh of ernest hemingway. And i was trying Something Like that, trying to look more sophisticated than i was or whatever. And it just, it was a disaster. It wasnt working. I, i put it on the back for a little bit, and, and i, one day i was taking pictures of one of my camera and and i sort of realized that it was a wide angle lens, and it it let you get kind of close. And i realized that could fit my new body. Um, you know, um, im sometimes i like to say sometimes that can classify myself as a little person now. I mean, nothing. Um, but i could fit new body in a, in tight frame and i would talk to my wife about says, well, why dont you go in the backyard and take it at the top of the walk out of our basement and, uh and she said, you know, um, you know, it may, you know, at being at the top of the stairs may you know, represent, um, you overcome, what you overcame and so she helped me set my camera up on a tripod and i had a cable, and i took a bunch of pictures and. The one you saw was one that i submitted to the art centers, as is my answer to the question, do veterans see themselves . And i called the photo scarred rizzo um, you know, my scars are i cant ever hide. Uh, theyre very obvious its, um, but i want to. But i was also saying that thats not what defines me. I felt that i did not want to be defined by bob. My scars are a part of me. Theyre part of my journey, part of my life. But thats not my thats not my defining characteristic. And and so i, i interested in was up and i actually got along with some other photos. I, um, got a chance to show some in new york city and texas. And so it was a little bit of a, a traveling exhibit. But anyway, um, were trying to figure out a photo for the, um, uh, the book, the book cover and i had given it to teresa and. She shared it with the publishers. I think as soon as they saw the, um, they figured said that was it. So yeah i had sent them a number of photos some taken by the new york giants. There was one of greg stepping out onto the practice field and hes his prosthetic leg legs and he looks large and in charge and hes got his sunglasses on, a little smirk, his face. And as new york giants shirt with the logo bright blue and hes it looks fabulous i thought thats going to be the photo and but i also sent him the selfportrait and happened to be in tucson, where our publisher, tim shaffner is based and went to lunch with them. And he pulled out his laptop and he showed me a of different covers. But then i tell he was leading up, you know, and he showed me the one that we chose and i just thats absolutely plus its happens to you my favorite color. So the green teal worked perfectly. Yeah so ill im going to transition to the teresa. Let us let us talk about lets talk a little bit more about how this got started and how long it was such a long journey, so greg and i met just a few months after he was wounded. I was working as producer at what was then known as the pentagon channel. Some of you may be familiar with carried on. Uh, its not my fault. I produced. I did daily coverage for they used to have that show at 6 00 and then i graduated was promoted to a documentary series called recon you might remember that story. So i got to produce that show for a while, which is a great job. I was assigned to write as i first got to the pentagon, i went there kicking and screaming. I worked for nbc news through a series of really boring events, wound up leaving nbc and going to the pentagon. And i didnt want to go off. And im here for six months. Im out and i wound up staying for eight years until that particular operation. But anyway, i was assigned go cover the opening of matsu, the military advanced training, which was a new wing at walter reed, a new rehab wing. And it was opening up on one year to the date, i believe, of one Year Anniversary of the Washington Post scandal that heard part series three, part that you may remember that. And it was kind of the walter reeds answer to that scandal. So i went there to cover it and there were many wounded there demonstrating different pieces of equipment. And greg was there learning to use his new prosthetic legs. And he was on in a harness that had a caribbean or on the back they had a cable that was attached to a track in the ceiling and so he could walk attach this cable and then if he fell he wouldnt face plant right he would just kind of hang there. So like pinocchio and so so he was coming around the track and i had videographer with me and hes roland and greg wipes out right in front of me buddy and hes just hang in there all and i leaned so i could see him and i and and he says and he looks up at core of his eye and he says are going to use that. And i said and he went wow, i his legs back underneath them and and what all because like said better do it again and i thought well thats the moral of the story right that. They he says everyones going to see me fall. I said, well, they get to see you get back up and keep going. And thats kind of the whole point of the whole book. I can always say its a little bit about the military and a little bit about football, but its a lot about recovery. So thats well, and then the book, that was how we met. That was how met. And then a few months later, few months later, his best chuck kretzmann calls me up and says, well, hold on a sec, so let me i dont how many of you have read the book . But this is very first book. She when when we met before when we first met, she hadnt even began taking classes on, writing. And so thats really when the project. Yeah, i was a Television Producer for many years and we do a lot of writing, but its very different book writing. And so i wanted to learn how to write a book. So i was in, so i started taking classes and then chuck schwartzman calls me up and. He says, hey, did you know greg is talking to the giants, new york giants, michael what about . And hes like, well, hes like a motivational speaker to the new york times, just kidding me. And then, you know, it goes on. The season goes on, and then they win. And im thinking, hmm, guy loses of his legs in iraq. And then coaches new york giants to the super bowl. That seems like a good story. I think ill write that book so i started going to these classes and i said to greg, hey, do you mind if i write a book about you . And what was your response . Well, she asked if i said i wanted to write about you was she was taking a writing course she wanted to use as a story for her writing. I said, sure, i dont mind, but to under two conditions a cant use my name and b. Look, im not interested in this ever being published. This is not why im doing this. The for me and ill do this for you, but i am interested in this ever being published and see you agree. I agreed and he made me. I said, what do you want to call you . Then he said, i want you to call me, harry. Okay, its my grandfathers name. If you didnt that at the time, but it was my grandfathers life. So i go to this writing workshop and ive got a couple chapters written and all of you know how workshops work. But we read each others and then we critique each other and its my day to be critiqued and i start and this in the workshop stands up and says that guys name is not harry. That guys name is greg gatz and shes stealing his story she is a plagiarist and so i had to do something with my instructor, michael koryta, who writes who writes mysteries at the time. He was our instructor at this workshop and. Boy, i still remember the look on his face like, well, youre out of here. So i had some explaining to do and obviously the truth came out and i then from then on called you. Yeah, yeah. Well, i thats my name. So another kind of actually another question that we get is how long did it take us to write this and and why did it take so long . Our, our answer is 16 years and everybodys like, wow. I mean, know, we were right. One word at a. And part of it was i really never intended for it to be published. I first have to admit that, you know, our relationship and grew stronger by really her sort of. Inquisitiveness or, caring and just asking me, you know, asking me questions. And we developed a hard conversations and and so a large part of what i shared was actually, i think a part of me healing this is me healing. Early on. Its me healing is very and and when i would talk to her i wasnt talking in her mind that this was going to be published. I was very free and candid i hope i could be. And i think i would be the same now. But i was just it was very and i didnt hold i didnt any punches and and, um, and like, and, uh that was my sort of protection because. I wasnt worried about it being, being published and so we got to, we got to a point where the book sort ended with, you know, the giants winning the super bowl against the undefeated new England Patriots super bowl 42. So so i was like and then they won the super bowl. The end, like, and and so so therese mentioned one of my best friends named chuck kretzmann. Um, he was the other outside linebacker at point when i played football at west point, we were best in each others weddings, went to see jesse together, just, you know, really joined the hip, you know, when, when people ask about us, they about the other one, depending on whos there and and we both, we retired. We came in the army exact same day because we were prep sisters the United States military prep Preparatory School and we got out of the army one month apart and six months after he retired, he was diagnosed with als. Lou gehrigs disease, and hes still alive to this day. We and in in 2000 in 2012. But you know the disease is still making making progress but in his stories is another significant story itself for him to be dealing with this. But he was the one that came back to that came back to to specific and said, um, i really think you guys should publish this book and it was it was the word that to me was what pushed me over the um of the hump to to to to edit to produce the book or the published a book. Well, by that time i mean this is a few years into his a. L. S. , i mean a lot of things had started to happen. I mean, my men in my classmates liked to call me forrest gump because, i mean, some of the things that have kind happened were certainly never anything on my radar from you know not just one super bowl or two. So im and oh against tom brady so i dont know if that makes me but but um, you know a couple of movies and tv just, you know i say being able to continue to serve in active duty and and uh, and, and even command again were some of the highlights of, of that that transpired. You know postsuper post the first super bowl and so so thats thats what took so long yeah thats what took so long because i was like super bowl was the end and then he called me up and he wasnt bragging we were friends. He was just telling me how im going to be in this movie making the movie movie. Im done with the book and hes like, well, im, im going to, uh, iceland to test these new prosthetic legs been used before, especially not by a person has to, uh, as a double amputee. And im like, yeah, yeah legs migs. Oh, i dont want, dont want to go back. I dont want to do anymore. And then it became apparent, you know, through everything he was doing that it all had to be included, was all part of his story and ill had to be included and in fact, many of those things were the way points, right . Yeah. And, uh, you know, you should what are the other things that sort of happened with the book, you know, as we sort of let it firm in and percolate over time. Is, is, um, with more things in the rearview mirror. I think it really became better, became more it fermented for it. Yeah. Your perspective changed. Yeah. You know, when you were just you were newly wounded and you didnt know what the waypoints were right. And then as those things became clearer, things began to happen. And one of the big waypoints, one of the big turning points was when you went to vail, veterans and you were able to go skiing and, you were able to walk. Now the one was you. It was spring and you could go fishing with jaylen with son and august and you could well he learned that he go horseback riding with his whole family and he that he could do some of those things that he was so concerned that he wouldnt able to do anymore. Yeah you actually want to talk. Can talk about your, um. People say, you know, why did you write book . I mean, obviously it was a good story, but when i first met greg and i was thinking about this and i have all ive ever said this before but of that at walter reed i met a lot of people that day who are still in my life. That was just a big for me, but, uh, there was just a presence about him, even though he was just a few months out from being grievously wounded and hes stomping on his legs, you know, not the most thing for a person and learning in front of all these cameras. Um, i could just that, uh, there was something about him and i was brand new to covering the military. I didnt know, you know, a general from, a lieutenant. I didnt know anything. And so i and i know what his rank was. I, um, so it was just a genuine. That guy seems kind of cool. I want to be his friend. I want to meet him. I want to know more about him. So. Yeah, there was that. Yeah. Um, there was a, you know, one of the things that happened too was that in piecing together so, greg is for the first four chapters, right . So he couldnt tell me much about what had happened. So piecing that together was quite a an undertaking so greg was able to point me in the direction of of some people, you know, who was in the truck with him. So i was able to track down a few people who were out on route jackson that night and speak to them and. Um, but there was one guy named bradby who once everyone Gulf Company Commander was sitting behind in the vehicle. Yeah. So once everyone out that greg was wounded, brads like, oh, wait, im in charge. This is my scene now so great. So brad had to establish a perimeter and try to organize chaos, tend to the wounded and make sure the wounded being tended to and and, uh, so he had everything to do with that scene and he had gotten out of the military and i couldnt find him. Id call up people and theyd say, yeah, bradburn youre going to find that guy. He went underground. Youll never youll never reach him. Okay . And it was probably a year of just searching, like bugging my army friends to look in the army directory, which theyre not supposed to do, and try to find him for, me and and, uh one day just. I dont know why. I, i try it the whole try this one more time and on the good ole internet some document up that had a email from someone whose last name was bandy. Im like, im just going to say all this out into the into the cyber sphere and see if anything comes back. And i said if you know a guy named brad, you know, tell him im trying find him a couple weeks and im sitting at my desk and my phone rings and i dont recognize the number. And i normally wouldnt pick up, but for some reason i did. And this voice says, is this tyrese . And i said, yep. And he said, this is brad bandy i heard you been looking for me. And brad had forensic reports. He photos. He had a lot of detail and was a great and remember it every bit about it and the thing made the whole project easier was how beloved greg was and is all i had to do was say im writing about greg gadson and would say, what can i how can help . What can i do . How can i help you with that . With that project. One of the things that also kind of stands out in the end in us on the book is for the first 13 years, i couldnt get past chapter. Four like again. You havent read, dont want to ruin anything but. It was just its what i dont remember. And emotionally, intellectually it just it just floored me and i would just stop and i would always walk away. And and it was the pandemic where i wasnt traveling, going anywhere that the reason read the book together over zoom and and got through it i mean, i would have you know i had to read the book to make sure i felt like it was you know, accurate and, and were there werent a whole lot of things we had to change. But that was part of our, our own proof reading, if you will. But yeah, for the majority of it and, even the day if i mean reading those first few chapters is i, i, i dont want to say i dont like to it, but it, its just that emotional, you know, almost 17 years later, some things he didnt know about, he didnt know they had happened. I was reading, i was like, oh, i didnt, i didnt realize that it was, you know what . It actually happened at that scene. What did actually at the medical unit and what actually happened at the baghdad where you for your third stop. Yeah weve actually in i continue to meet people along this journey um i to be going out to the to the 25th Infantry Division for an opd something and, and then the vision surgeon was one of the was one of the docs that tried me the night that i was, uh, that i was wounded. And he doc did, you end up talking with him . I did, yeah. Hes a doc reader, but he told me he was the first to tell me you know, point blank, you know, how how bad the pain was. I had no memory of pain. And and then, you know, really graphic in graphic detail each, he shared with me information that, you know, i had no recollection of one of my favorite little stories in the, uh, in the book. Um, which i think me, its, its sort even in these difficult moments, you know, who you are still kind of shines through and it was, it was one of the nurses that was trying get iv started in my arm and uh, eric was, was, was his name and he was trying to get my glove off and um, and i guess he was, he was having some difficulty and i, i look, his glove was so bloody. Yeah. And was, and he kept sliding, couldnt get it off and, and i looked over, i looked up at him and i said, how are you going to save life . I know were on cspan. So expletive deleted expletive. How are you going to save my life if you cant get my glove off . And i smiled at yeah, yeah. Scared him. He got the off yeah. He got my glove off. So, um, so just Little Things like that detail that theresas able to recapture later on this im Lieutenant Colonel promotable fougere she is stationed the Fort Belvoir Community hospital. Shes getting promoted to colonel on the on a 23rd she was my army flight nurse from from uh, from falcon to uh, the green zone and then from the green zone to the lot. And somebody connect was able to put two and two together and a couple years ago connected us and, and im getting to see her get promoted to the colonel. So its, its, its gift. Its a journey that just keeps on, keeps giving, keeps on enriching. My life. And, you know, i i theres a i everybodys going to get something different. But i feel like my service. You know, general anderson stopped in the in the Division Headquarters over 30 years ago. Im first lieutenant, promotable out of the advanced course. I came from an eight inch heavy core unit to the 82nd airborne division. I have gone from one extreme place to another. Im just like, im not enjoying it. Ill be honest with you. I was like im out of here whenever i can. And he pulls me aside, says, you need to come by and see me one day. And, and and i and, i did. And he sat down and he just kind of calmed me down and, and and gave me a gave me a waypoint to what i needed to do, to grow professionally. And, um, and he did it on a by seven card that i kept. Ive lost it now, but its somewhere in my house. But i kept my, my professional career, um, and so i use that as an example of service. Of service is, its not, you know, what we do professionally, but its what we do personally and, and what we give people i say our lives not about what we accomplish or what we accumulate, but its what we because what leave less. And i, i hope that the soldiers the folks that i was able to touch and that i left something with as as as those that i served with left love with me because that thats what preserve serves our force. Thats why thats a thats an ingredient that you cant, um you cant write down you cant read and it has to come from within inside of you and and is the true essence i think of service is truly truly giving. So sort of can say what you saw in greg that day so many years ago. Well i i knew immediately after our conversation that he had both passion and a man of character and later on when we served together in the battalion, he was a battery commander of mine. He he demonstrated the character of of being paratrooper a and a professional man. And so thats still today. And hes humbled and everything. And hes always been that way. And its really just a testament to you, to both of you that youre able to tell his story. And i might say that the um in terms of waypoints um its clearly the lord his angels watch it all. Greg that allows him to be today and thats thats a part of the story. Well then theres this part of the story where greg going in for one of many surgeries but one is a major one this is a this is like an because obviously youre losing first first leg. Yeah yeah. Greg arrived at walter reed with both legs somewhat attached and he was about to he was going for emergency surgery because i the blood vessels like last leg had ruptured and failed and his getting wheeled into the elevator and what did you see . Yeah. And, um, i will say that i saw major was colonel anderson then colonel anderson and my father were in the elevator holding, one on each side of me holding my hands. Is that as it were, taking to surgery. And so i would i would come out of surgery. Im back in the recovery, im still living and at this time and, um, and so after i come of my anesthetic and im to communicate with my wife, i ask where colonel anderson was and my father and she was looking at me in absolute bewilderment. And i was in and i was like, you know, really . Where are they she goes, theyre not here. I go where they go. Its as well. Your dad wasnt here. Hes hes at home and in general andersons in afghanistan colonel andersons in afghanistan. And i said and, um, and this day i will tell you that that they were there and, and when general anderson said that we angels that travel with us have had angels in my life, um, at every step of the way, let me share this. This is not in the book but about angels. During the first gulf war, i had a, my mother sent me a care package and, uh, and, and, um, and sent me across this very small cross. Nothing, nothing profound. But it was small enough for me to put on my dog tags and, and and i did. And, and, um, i returned that home from the gulf war, you know, safe and sound. And then future deployments. I would, um i would wear that set of dog tags that had that chain and, that case. It was, uh, i deployed to the balkans in, bosnia and later on to afghanistan, and, uh, sure enough, as, as i was going to iraq, i had, those dog checks with me. Well, our sapi plates, those of us in uniform know those things are a heavy they press your chest and and um and it it it broke my chain it broke the small chain of my dog that had my cross on it. And i lost my cross. Yeah, i will tell you, um, that i was for a bit crawling around in the sand, looking for that cross, but i am like, im never going to find it. This is a rat. Wheres this cross . And. And i was honestly, i was more i guess i was concerned. I was bothered that i lost that cross and didnt say anything to anybody. It and what i get a care package for my mother and lo and behold and it is uh theres, two things. There was some food and stuff like that and. And one item was an angel coin. Its a coin that had angel in the back of it. It had my name it and so um, it was small was about the size of a nickel. And so i put it in my wallet, which i wore around my, and the other thing was this hair clip was a womans hair clip with an angel on it. And im like, what if you send this to me . What am i going to do with this . And of me wanted this discarded and im like, you know, i didnt feel throwing away an angel. And so i got my driver it was metal he welded it in crossbar of our humvee windshield. And so, um, when i was hit by an ied, i the angel carrying my mother around my neck and that welded the vehicle so she always said you traveled with angels. Yeah. And so. Angels exist theyre here and. And thats my thats my story. How we doing on time . Really good. Thats the first time ive shared that kind of publicly. Thank you, sir. Praise the lord. Praise the lord. So do we want to open the floor for questions . Questions. You got anything else you want to one . Any other tidbits. Yeah absolutely. So first iteration for you. Just so you know, anybody in here to ever going to the pentagon, they didnt want to go either. They want to get out as soon as they could. Okay. You mean you just off had just made to go that you also got command . Well, i know that was one of the most demanding commands of the entire United States army. You had of the most visible garrisons in the entire world. Would you go through how that affected you. You were still recovering mentally, physically, spiritually, and you get this increase difficult job that you are surrounded by generals and sergeant majors. Youre 24 hours, seven days a week. Yeah, i go on and on because nothing ever closes down on these installations, the hospitals always open. Theres always some kind of weather coming in. You did a great there. What would you go through . Not only how how the job affected you, but also how you got through it all . I just just how you put all that together because even people who wouldnt have to do with the challenges that youve had to do struggle with that job time to time. And you did an incredible when you just kind of go through that was. Yes, sir. So general aycock, you were an act were you as an ex or. No, i was an incoming income. So he was my chain of command as a garrison commander. Garrison, we had a u. S. Army, fort belvoir. So, first of all, its a its a very unique command. I think one of kind of to us and kind of fort meade. We were we actually had General Court martial convening all through it was it was it was like a coherent post there were over 150 different organizations on post that didnt communicate, didnt work with each other. And so it was it was literally herding cats, not like a nice, neat, you know, chain of command here at fort bragg. I know fort bragg several entities, but this over 150 different organizations. And so, you know, i felt that the challenge for me was, okay, everybodys had your job, but we are here, have to sort of build a community and and because we have some shared interests and this being a great, you know, a Great Community and so. Sir, i just so first of all, i took command in one week in the command. A show. Its the post is a great shows like a tornado is a Straight Line storm. It starts out in chicago like rolling your day it fort belvoir it might well been one of the bulls eyes it went through over 700 trees knocked down on the installation parts of the didnt have power for over a and just i mean im in my headquarters on saturday morning and mtw commander is over one shoulder that was a general lillington and and i think ferriter was in comm commander he was over the other shoulder and and theyre just kind of standing behind me and, you know, were getting status reports just trying to figure out whats on. And and so finally. I said, i turn. I said, sir, look, i have been through a lot will be will be. All right. Ill call you if i need you and there. And they kind of looked at each other and. They left last i saw. So i just you know, my whole goal, sir, was just, uh. I wanted everybody to kind of by that that we werent just singular entities just do not thing in answer to our own our own concerns but that we could we could build a community that we depend on one another and we could share lessons learned. And i would have a once a once a month meeting from a rep from a as many you know, we obviously unfortunately, get everybody to participate. But got a lot of the big, big tenants on post to participate and share. And we just again it was about making a special community i think for others again a unique post but its one of the most beautiful post and in the army and and i was proud and honored to, you know, the kind of try to take care of it, be responsive for take care of it for for a couple of years. So thank you, sir. Thank question. Any questions . No, for sure. Thats the straightforward. So somebody notes. Say good evening certainly to all the Senior Officers here, Lieutenant Colonel wilson, certainly when acknowledge you and a few questions that i have and one if we can talk about the title of the book, waypoints. Again, given the definition and certainly the journey of, your story has many waypoints in the one point, the one waypoint and i think mr. Is you may probably be more tied in as a colonel going through his process. Well, talking about your wife, mrs. Kim. Yeah. Its that whole conference asian journey, i guess the waypoint i want to pick up is the conversation that she received on the phone call. And its certainly a read some of the background story there. But how did you go about recording her story and how that developing for you, colonel . And ill come back to you to what the waypoint kind of the physical and emotional journey piece in there. If we can talk kind of what that look like and sort of presenting. Okay. Yeah, kim was very gracious and very helpful in putting together this story. She is very much a behind the scenes person. And so i was very grateful that she willing to share with me as much as she did kim preferred to communicate via email and she luckily had kept a journal of all that had happened as much as she could. I mean, she had her hands full write to kids, a wounded husband and. Just incredibly chaotic time. But she was able to look at her journal and email me just some of her and some of the just the black and white of what had happened. You know, receiving the phone call and who was there, who she called first. And one of the first people she called was mrs. Anderson, because they were very close. And and you were able to provide her with some with some much needed support. So thank you so much, because we often do hear your story and certainly for the folks that play the background in the whole scene, getting you to healing. So its good to hear that you know those connections were made and with the current out of the generals being a part of that. So the one we talked about during this conversation about healing, i like to go back there, obviously still being in a zoo, having served a little time there in the desert, when we talk about healing one, we see the physical side. But before we talk about the physical side. If we could talk kind of the the motion healing your emotional healing process, im sure that thats coming from the funeral and then also that you come from a more yourself and into this happens so from that way point of your healing journey what does that look like and what can add for those who have served that may suffer with ptsd and certainly some other that come with multiple tours. What can we share that concern to help connect those pieces . Sure. As you you understand and appreciate what physically happened to me. Theres no doubt that to me that thats a miracle. You know, i will tell that the last thing that my last conscious thought as i was lying on the ground after i was blown of the vehicle was i said, god, i dont want to die here. And that and thats all i remember until til First Sergeant johnson fires really starting to he start trying to me you know that night i went through 129 pints of blood so the average human holds 6 to 8 units. I went through 129 pints of blood and i went a rest or died six different times and and so on the basis of that i, we could argue or i could i dont think anybody would dispute that its a miracle that im alive. But i say in hindsight for me, the the greater miracle is that as god answered my prayers, im alive, not saved me, but he healed, me and and so that word i want to focus on the healing part because its dimension. Its not just mentally emotionally, its also spiritually and and can recognize that healing. And i was healed. I was put on the path to recovery after i at i made the decision for them to take right leg and i was now out of the care in ward 57. And of all the motion like you look, you dont know what you dont have any idea what your life has in front of you. You know, you dont know what normal looks like. And so there are there are a lot of things going through your mind. But the one thing that i can tell you that was absolutely missing missing was was i was not angry. I had no anger in my heart. And and i knew that because you could have put the person in front me that had done this to me. And you could give you could have given me a weapon. And i had no compunction. I had no desire to even the and and and thats, you know, thats forgiveness. That that that released me to continue to forward and and you know, the understanding from our from from this from the bible is that is that theres nothing in life that you handle. And so i, i took that on faith. I that was all i had to take that on faith and just trust i was going to get there. I didnt need to know what it was going to look like and and thats you thats walking by faith, not by sight. I ask about you and rihanna know, on the battleship, but, you know, ill say. Yeah, well, i could comment on rihanna. She when i was getting the permission to use her as a photo greg with rihanna and its from gregs but the publisher wanted me to get make that it was okay with her somehow i get it ill just call up rihanna. How am i going to get that . Well, i was able to find her agent and got a staff, right. So yeah through so im ready and i or husband actually was able to find it and i sent a a letter with the picture and i was want to use this in the book about greg and i figured ones ever going to answer my little letter, my little note and it took maybe four or 5 hours and they got back to and they said rihanna says absolutely you can use photo and we cant wait to read book and which just against so so highly of greg how much they enjoyed working with him on that movie so the story that photo so so those of you battleship if you can you can deconstruct the movie literally the last scene that you see in the movie i film first and the first scene that i filmed battleship i did last. So i was working backwards and and so that the day that photo was taken, it was it was i actually it made us redo the scene because they wanted me in my uniform. The clothes i had on is what filmed on that day. I got a hawaiian shirt on and some shorts and i been up on the stage, you know, shaking liam neeson saying, giving me my hero award or whatever. And and i was walking back to my seat and i tripped over the curb and fell and i broke my prosthetic in front of over a thousand people. So i had this big sigh and everybodys running over me. My prosthetic, one of my legs is broken. Im like, again, like pinocchio, i guess. And bringing to a halt, i cant ever anymore. I didnt even have a wheelchair on the set. Theyre trying to find they find a wheelchair. They finally plop me in and well be on it. The director stepped in. And then they keep going and and im kind of at im a little well, bummed and disappointed that i bought everything to a stop and. And they certainly werent going to be able to use me any more that day. So, you know, and im sitting there under the tent and then i feel this hand on my shoulder, i turn around to go. Rihanna goes, itll be all right im thinking, really really. So thats how we met. Yeah. You people. Sir, can tell us about your experience with the giants and how the players may have affected you and. You affected them in that in that journey . Sure. Well, one of the things that happened that really of set things in motion was one of my west point classmates and teammates named Mike Sullivan to read about. He had come to visit me and when i was still an inpatient and you know and and so as he was leaving you know we agreed that you know i would try to go to the game when the giants came to town and play the Washington Redskins and and so you know. Sure sure to true to his word you know third week of the season he calls me up the monday before the game and he asked me how many tickets like for the game. And i i asked him for four and he said, sure so on tuesday he called me back and he says, i dont know if youve been following us, but you know, we havent been playing well, you know, we hadnt won a game. Were all in two. And the redskins were and oh, and and hes like, you know, would you be willing to speak to the team . And i was like, so i was sometimes a little im a little cynical sometimes im like, honestly, you know, that sets me up. He asks me for tickets and he wants me to speak to the team player, you know. But no, he it was quite like that. He, he, he wanted to run the idea behind you see that was willing to do it because he wanted to, to talk to coach coffman and you know, coach coffin has been there five or six years. Hes never let anybody outside or outside the Giants Organization ever address the team. But mike was going to pose the idea to him and. And he did. And and sure friday for friday before the game, coach coffin called and you know hes telling me all this stuff about the team that is not making any sense to me. And then he says, ill see you saturday night and my wife drive to the team Hotel Saturday night and i, i dont really know what im going to and, and so shared, you know, a little bit about what happened to me and you know, and really how my team, you know, how team saved my life. 15 or 20 minutes and i guess it was sort of a dropped a mike moment. I didnt even know. I was like, i mean, this is four months after im im completely unaware, unaware of whats going on. He releases the team, go to their rooms and and i go back home. The next day. We all my whole family drives to the stadium and we park and and instead of me sitting in the stands actually asked me to be on the sidelines with them. So im on the sidelines with them. My first sight, first time being on the pro football sideline and and remember going in the locker room at halftime and it was the last to the redskins and new york giants three and im like your motivational speaking career is not getting off to a good start. And but we came out and the giants would end up winning the game 24 to 17. And and that would be the of 11 consecutive off road victories. You know, ultimately they would have that season and super bowl. So during the season would he would call me and, you know, ask me, check in on me. And he says, the guys are always asking about you. I was like, yeah, yeah. Just i really didnt i really didnt believe. And they kept trying to get me to come back to a game regular game, which i never did and and so they made the playoffs as a wild card. They were sixth seed and and they had to go tampa to the buccaneers. And so i was able to go to that game. I applied separately. They would go to practice and i went straight to the team hotel and and when and and so they came to the team hotel practice and i saw them. That was the first time it really clicked to me that. I was one of them. Like it was. I was like, wow. I mean they, it was, it was like a homecoming. And in a lot ways it was it was sort of a it was a perfect gap and a perfect for me because i was without my unit. I mean, i felt guilty about getting wounded. I wasnt with my soldiers and there was a lot a lot of guilt that i had about the fact that i wasnt with my soldiers and and became my soldiers. And so we won the tampa game. Unfortunately, i had to go back in the hospital for some more surgery and and i missed the i would miss the, um, i had that surgery a couple of days after the tampa game and i was still in the hospital when they were going to play their second playoff game against the cowboys in dallas. And i tried to call my teammate mike, um, and didnt answer and i ended up leaving him a voicemail, so maybe a minute and it was, i was kind of half drugged up or whatever. Um, but told them that i missed them and i wish i was there with them to some effect. And my that with coach coughlin and coach coughlin shared that voicemail with the team the night before, played the cowboys and so we made it beat the cowboys. So i was still in the hospital. The following week when they were going to going into the nfc championship against the Green Bay Packers in, green bay and coach coffin called me on a wednesday the before the game and asked me if i would be the honorary cocaptain with harry carson for the york giants. And i was like absolutely coach and i and i telling my doctors that im like, im out of here whether you guys let me out here or not, im going to green bay and and they discharged me, i think, on thursday. Friday, i flew to green bay, saturday. And so this is just a couple of days of hospital. I would go out the coin toss for the third coldest game in the nfl history was 33 below zero. And and and instead of going they had they had a a booth for me to go into said, no, i want to stay on the sidelines with them in. And, um, i stayed the entire it went into overtime. Um, Corey Webster end up intercepting, um, brett favre in overtime. So i have the last football that brett favre threw as a Green Bay Packers because it was an that game. So we, we drive enough for a lawrence time to kick the winning field goal so im going to the super bowl and and so we got there on a friday before the super and so i actually went a practice on saturday thats the first time i gone to a giants and i was next to coach coughlin on the way back. And asked coach coughlin if i could talk to the team and i and, you know, when i asked them, i was i kind of half hoping he had a plan would say no. But i really i really wanted to talk to him, but i didnt. And said, yes, you can talk to. And i was like, oh boy, what am i going to say . And a little bit of the gist of what i told him was, i said, you know, five months ago, you know, we didnt know we either were. At and i got to watch you all become a team. But i also said to him that night said, if i could be anywhere else in the world. If i could be anywhere else in the world right now, i would be back with my soldiers. But i know thats not, um, but i would also take every one of you with me, because thats because were a team, and, and i told us said, um, i said, we will be victorious tomorrow. And, um, and so after the end of the game, um, the best part of that journey me was Michael Strahan came over me and he put his hands around me. A hes a, hes a, hes his father. Army retired, army veteran. He put his arms around me, this big man, and he shook, he says, thank you, you thank you for everything youve done. We could not have this without you. And, um, thats thats my story, right. Dr. Edwards is the founding and the victims of communism foundation and recipient of the truman regan medal of freedom. Hes an adjunct professor of