Today’s #VeteranOfTheDay is Army Veteran Gregory D. Gadson, who served seven years after an IED blast nearly killed him in Iraq.
February is African American History Month. Today’s Veteran of the Day served for 25 years, deploying multiple times.
Gregory Gadson graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York, in 1989. After graduating, he commissioned as field artillery. Gadson served in Operation Desert Shield/Storm, Operation Joint Forge, Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom.
On the night of May 7, 2007, Gadson returned from a memorial service in Iraq for two soldiers from his brigade when an improvised explosive device took both his legs and gravely injured his right arm. Gadson was on the sideline during the 2007-2008 New York Giants Super Bowl run. The Giants did not lose a single game he was on the sideline, culminating in a victory over the previously undefeated New England Patriots.
Despite the severity of his injuries, Gadson remained on active duty in the Army until retiring in 2014 as a colonel. During his service, Gadson earned a Distinguished Service Medal, two Legions of Merit, three Bronze Star Medals, a Purple Heart, three Meritorious Service Medals, and three Army Commendation Medals.
He also earned the 2017 Henry Viscardi Achievement Award, a civilian award which honors extraordinary leaders with disabilities.
Today, Gadson works as an entrepreneur and managing partner of a government services company. He is also a passionate advocate for disabled and wounded soldiers, both former and current, and serves as a motivational speaker for sports teams, organizations, and government agencies.
Thank you for your service!
Nominate a Veteran for #VeteranOfTheDay
Do you want to light up the face of a special Veteran? Have you been wondering how to tell your Veteran they are special to you? VA’s #VeteranOfTheDay social media feature is an opportunity to highlight your Veteran and his/her service.
It’s easy to nominate a Veteran. All it takes is an email to newmedia@va.gov with as much information as you can put together, along with some good photos. Visit our blog post about nominating to learn how to create the best submission.
Contributors
Writer:
Fact checker:
Graphic artist:
Topics in this story
More Stories
This week’s Honoring Veterans Spotlight honors the service of Army Veteran David Bellavia, who received a Medal of Honor from the Iraq War’s deadliest operation, the Second Battle of Fallujah.
This week’s Honoring Veterans Spotlight honors the service of Army Veteran Scotty Hasting, who served in Afghanistan.
This week’s Honoring Veterans Spotlight honors the service of Army Veteran Roy Sheldon, who served in 97th General Hospital in Frankfurt, Germany.
And he did a great job playing a guy who was likely much like himself in the movie Battleship. Bad-
He was a great linebacker for the Army Team too!
Why was Ft. McClellan left off toxic post list?????
Thank you for your service – Gregory Gadson.