- 11.08.2009
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Visit with a purpose for Pack
If N.C. State's leadership quandary has you depressed, you can find some solace in coach Tom O'Brien's decision to take members of the Wolfpack football team to the Wounded Warrior Battalion at Camp Lejeune on Thursday.
That's a good thing that O'Brien and his players did yesterday, for both sides. The visit gives the Marines, injured in combat in either Iraq or Afghanistan, something to look forward to and the players a sense of perspective.
What hit me was how young the soldiers are. The stereotype of wounded veterans from movies is Lieutenant Dan from "Forrest Gump," not a kid fresh out of high school.
Of the dozen soldiers there on Thursday, almost all of them were between 19 and 22 — the same age as the football players.
"That's what most of the guys were talking about last year on the bus," O'Brien said. "These are the guys we went to high school with."
O'Brien invited the Marines to State's second home game, on Sept. 12, against Murray State.
You can learn more about the Wounded Warrior Battalion on its web site.
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J.P. Giglio
J.P. Giglio covers the ACC for the News & Observer, where he has worked since 1997.
Comments
bottomfeeders
Mon, 06/15/2009 - 17:42 — bluecatncs!! go duke!!
jdpohio
Mon, 06/15/2009 - 17:38 — bluecati am back and i know u are glad.
Good work, Tom
Fri, 06/12/2009 - 13:32 — JPDOhioEveryone needs a reality check every now and then.
Visits like this are truly a win-win. It's got to be a nice change of pace for the soldiers as they work their way through what must seem like endless days of recovery.
And the players get a reminder of how lucky they are to have scholarships to play football while getting a quality education at a top notch institution. And they get to meet people who are making real sacrifices for our country.