Zero2Cool
6 years ago
Read it!

A
few years ago, I was in Carlsbad, California, getting fitted for new golf clubs. Just before I went out to the driving range, somebody told me that I would be sharing the range that day.

“Great,” I said. “Who’s coming?”

“The Wounded Warriors.”

I’ve always had an appreciation for the men and women who serve in our military. My grandfather, Edward Rodgers, was active duty in the Air Force in the Second World War. His plane was shot down and he was a prisoner of war for nine months. He came home with a Purple Heart and a Silver Star.

He passed away in 1996. I had just turned 13, so I never really got a chance to spend time with him on an intellectual level, when I would have been able to understand the gravity of the stories he told or the sacrifices he and others had made while they served. But from what I know, I think that in his opinion, serving was one of the greatest achievements of his life. And I know that my family has always had a strong sense of pride about his service.

So as far back as I can remember, an appreciation for the military is something that’s always been part of me.

It’s one of the reasons why I was so excited when I found out I would be sharing the range with the Wounded Warriors that day, and it turned out to be an incredible experience.

I remember standing there, watching them hit balls. One warrior was a double-leg amputee. Others had lost an arm, or an eye, or were overcoming various other disabilities and challenges. And while I found myself marveling at their ability to hit the ball, what really struck me was the joy that these men and women took in getting back to doing something they had loved to do before they were in the service — before their injuries.

What I took from that experience was the idea of perspective. How special the little things are — simple things, like the ability to hit a golf ball.

Things many of us take for granted.

There are a lot of folks out there who have given their lives or their livelihood for a cause that they believe is bigger than they are.

I think back to 2004, when I was still playing at Cal. We were in San Diego for the Holiday Bowl and some of my teammates and I visited a military hospital there and met with men and women who had been injured in Iraq and Afghanistan. Some had suffered gunshot wounds. Others had been caught in grenade explosions.

I obviously admired them for their courage and sacrifice. But what really struck me was that despite their injuries, some of them couldn’t wait to get back to active duty. They were pleading with their doctors to help them so they could rejoin their units and continue fighting.

The strength of the bond they had with their fellow soldiers was something that really stuck with me. I was just amazed by the selflessness they displayed and their complete devotion to — once again — something bigger than themselves.

The idea of being a part of something much bigger than yourself is something I have always gravitated toward. Football is the ultimate team sport. That’s one of the things I love most about it. And I think that everybody — regardless of their faith, background or whatever — is searching for something like that.

Something bigger than themselves that they can give themselves completely to.

When the opportunity presented itself to partner with the Wounded Warrior Project, for me it was a no-brainer.

What the WWP tries to do for veterans is give them the opportunity to live life on their own terms, take control of the narrative of their lives and allow them to get back to doing the things they enjoy doing. With all the stuff some of these veterans have to deal with — from injuries, to post-traumatic stress disorder, to potential disability, to getting back on their feet and getting a job and getting assimilated back into society — the WWP helps them achieve it.

I play in a celebrity golf tournament in Tahoe every year, and a couple of years ago I had the opportunity to play with Chad Pfeifer, a veteran who had his left leg amputated above the knee after the vehicle he was driving hit a roadside bomb in Iraq. He learned how to play golf in 2007 while he was rehabbing at an Army hospital.

Today, he’s a three-time Warrior Open champion, which is an annual tournament for veterans who have been injured in combat.

Getting to play golf with Chad for a round was fantastic. He’s a great golfer and an even better human being. Just sharing the course with him was truly inspiring.

There are a lot of Chad Pfeifers out there, I think — people who have gone through a terrible trauma, who have made such an incredible sacrifice for our country, and now they’re back out in the world doing something they love and enjoying life.

I saw a number of them that day on the driving range in Carlsbad.

But there are countless others who are struggling to assimilate back into society. They’re having difficulty finding jobs, or they’re suffering from debilitating post-traumatic stress disorder.

To me, when it comes to taking care of our veterans and helping them not just assimilate back into society, but to actually thrive, I don’t think there’s any limit to what we can and should do.

Veterans make the ultimate sacrifice so the rest of us can enjoy the freedoms we so often take for granted. The least we can do is work to create an environment in which they can come back after serving and experience those same freedoms to the fullest and live their lives on their own terms.

I think that’s a great way to show our appreciation.

https://www.theplayerstribune.com/en-us/articles/aaron-rodgers-packers 

Aaron Rodgers wrote:


UserPostedImage
gbguy20
6 years ago
Great read. Let's stop making him a villain please
BAD EMAIL because the address couldn ot be found, or is unable to receive mail.
Smokey
6 years ago
My father was a Master Chief in the Navy. He joined before America entered WWII and retired after 28 years of service in 1968. He never spoke about his service during WWII, but I do know that he never left the East Coast/Atlantic & Mediterranean areas of operation. I do know for a fact that his ship was directly involved in the Cuban Missile Crisis.

That said, as much as I respected his service, I experienced first hand the hardships that of a military family when a Father/Mother or both are serving away from home. While the benefits veterans receive are well deserved, all too often their medical needs are not being met. Aside from the loss of most of his hearing, my father was very lucky not to receive any war related injuries. The Wounded Warrior Project certainly deserves our support, but the real question should be asked. Why are our Military Veterans and the families of those currently serving not compensated better than they are ? Why is there a need for a fine organization like the Wounded Warrior Project in the first place ?

I salute Aaron Rodgers for his support of the WWP and recommend supporting them with our charitable contributions. In addition, letting our elected representatives know that you care about this issue can only serve to help improve the support that our Military/Military families deserve.

[twocents]

UserPostedImage
Fan Shout
Zero2Cool (now) : News about Derrick Harmon mom, saddening.
Zero2Cool (1h) : Mark Murphy: "I predict we will trade up once and down twice."
beast (2h) : Rip the Packers and getting the fans yelling and booing him
beast (2h) : Super competitive Bears fan and WWE "superstar" wrestler, Seth Rollins is supposed to announce a Bears pick and absolutely rip Packers
packerfanoutwest (16h) : Golden
beast (16h) : I want DT Derrick Harmon, Oregon
Mucky Tundra (17h) : And I can't be looking at my phone
Mucky Tundra (17h) : Hey I'm at work lol
Zero2Cool (19h) : btw, new site chat won't delete auto like
Zero2Cool (19h) : because everyone left like wimps
TheKanataThrilla (19h) : I am wondering if there is some type of autoclear when there isn't activity after a certain amount of time.
Mucky Tundra (19h) : What happened in the chat? Me and Zero posted a few things earlier and they're all gone
dfosterf (19h) : 10-15 min bs plus flyover
dfosterf (19h) : Yes
Zero2Cool (19h) : 7pm is when this kicks off????
buckeyepackfan (20h) : I told him. IT'S VONTE MACK , no matter what!
buckeyepackfan (20h) : He asked me who I thought The Browns were taking.
buckeyepackfan (20h) : 2. Would of had to wear Browns gear all week. NOPE I'll watch from my living room.
buckeyepackfan (20h) : He wanted to know if I would go. 2 things, would have had to fly from Detroit to Green Bay. Nope
buckeyepackfan (20h) : All expense paid trip to the draft. He will be in the Browns section. I told him to say hi to J-10VE for me 😃😃i
buckeyepackfan (20h) : For a call from my nephew, he won an sllexp
TheKanataThrilla (24-Apr) : Hope to see everyone in the Chat tonight!!! Go Pack Go!!!
TheKanataThrilla (24-Apr) : Jeanty would be a great pick-up for the Bears. I see Warren mocked to them as well who I think would be a great selection.
Zero2Cool (24-Apr) : GameDay Chat is open. Posting bits an tids in there.
Zero2Cool (24-Apr) : Excellent Source: The Bears have a deal in place to move up to 5 if Jeanty is there.
Zero2Cool (24-Apr) : Probably not until 10pm will be making pick
dfosterf (24-Apr) : But it is still not tonight. Lol
wpr (24-Apr) : Today is finally here.
dfosterf (24-Apr) : I should have put it in quotes
dfosterf (24-Apr) : It is the title of a you tube video.
dfosterf (24-Apr) : I'm not assuming anything
beast (24-Apr) : If they aren't doing it, then why are you assuming they know how to do it?
dfosterf (23-Apr) : Mackelvie
dfosterf (23-Apr) : Michael Macelvie- NFL teams know how to draft- Why don"t they?
dfosterf (23-Apr) : Youtube
Zero2Cool (23-Apr) : Packers were not selected for the 2025 Hall of Fame game.
dfosterf (23-Apr) : PFOW Out of our division would be a good thing imo
Zero2Cool (23-Apr) : Jameson Williams is done at 24 years old? What? He's a WR, not QB. I'm missing something here haha
wpr (23-Apr) : Tomorrow is almost here.
packerfanoutwest (23-Apr) : would you want him if Pack needed a back up qb?
packerfanoutwest (23-Apr) : JW is done......stick a fork in him
Zero2Cool (23-Apr) : You should. He goes to AFC that helps Packers.
packerfanoutwest (23-Apr) : don't care
Zero2Cool (22-Apr) : Lions shopping Jameson Williams?
packerfanoutwest (22-Apr) : Packers General Manager Brian Gutekunst says Green Bay’s roster can win, even without adding anyone in the draft.
Zero2Cool (22-Apr) : It's a poor design. New site has SignalR like our gameday chat
wpr (22-Apr) : Ah today's Shout was very quick to post.
wpr (22-Apr) : now 3
Zero2Cool (22-Apr) : Who? What?
beast (22-Apr) : What is he supposed to say? He doesn't want players currently on the team?
Please sign in to use Fan Shout
2024 Packers Schedule
Friday, Sep 6 @ 7:15 PM
Eagles
Sunday, Sep 15 @ 12:00 PM
COLTS
Sunday, Sep 22 @ 12:00 PM
Titans
Sunday, Sep 29 @ 12:00 PM
VIKINGS
Sunday, Oct 6 @ 3:25 PM
Rams
Sunday, Oct 13 @ 12:00 PM
CARDINALS
Sunday, Oct 20 @ 12:00 PM
TEXANS
Sunday, Oct 27 @ 12:00 PM
Jaguars
Sunday, Nov 3 @ 3:25 PM
LIONS
Sunday, Nov 17 @ 12:00 PM
Bears
Sunday, Nov 24 @ 3:25 PM
49ERS
Thursday, Nov 28 @ 7:20 PM
DOLPHINS
Thursday, Dec 5 @ 7:15 PM
Lions
Sunday, Dec 15 @ 7:20 PM
Seahawks
Monday, Dec 23 @ 7:15 PM
SAINTS
Sunday, Dec 29 @ 3:25 PM
Vikings
Sunday, Jan 5 @ 12:00 PM
BEARS
Recent Topics
now / Green Bay Packers Talk / Mucky Tundra

6m / Green Bay Packers Talk / Zero2Cool

14m / Green Bay Packers Talk / Martha Careful

3h / Green Bay Packers Talk / beast

19h / Green Bay Packers Talk / TheKanataThrilla

24-Apr / Green Bay Packers Talk / Zero2Cool

24-Apr / Green Bay Packers Talk / wpr

24-Apr / Packers Draft Threads / wpr

22-Apr / Random Babble / Martha Careful

22-Apr / Green Bay Packers Talk / dfosterf

17-Apr / Random Babble / wpr

13-Apr / Green Bay Packers Talk / Martha Careful

12-Apr / Feedback, Suggestions and Issues / Zero2Cool

11-Apr / Feedback, Suggestions and Issues / Rockmolder

2-Apr / Green Bay Packers Talk / Zero2Cool

Headlines
Copyright © 2006 - 2025 PackersHome.com™. All Rights Reserved.