Freedom Alliance took three injured service members to Redskins Park for a private tour of the facilities and to meet some of the players and watch them practice this Monday.
SSGT Nunez, SPC Joe Yantz and SPC Chris Borghi, are all members of the 82nd Airborne currently recovering at Walter Reed.
While touring the facilities they ran into Redskins legend and former quarter back Joe Theismann, who took the time to sign autographs. “It’s the guys who wear a real uniform who make it possible for the guys like them to wear their [Redskins] uniforms,” said Theismann.
“We are thankful for everybody that comes up to us and says ‘Thank you for doing what you do,’’ said SPC Yantz. “And it’s great that [Freedom Alliance] gets to do this for us because it gets us out of the hospital and get us doing stuff.”
The soldiers also toured Coach Shanahan’s office, the dining facilities, weight room and three Redskins Lombardi trophies.
Later, SSGT Nunez offered an 82nd Airborne flag and a motivational poster as a gift for Coach Shanahan and the rest of the team while out on the field watching their last 30 minutes of practice.
When practice concluded, the players and coaches took time to thank the soldiers for their service.
Quarterback Rex Grossman said on the Redskins Blog that meeting the soldiers gave him a renewed perspective of what’s important.
“It was an honor to meet some of those guys that sacrifice so much for our country,” he said. ”It’s humbling; we’re out here playing a game and they’re in real life over there at war. It’s definitely brings you don’t to earth and all of this really isn’t that important, when you put it in context of what they do.”
Santana Moss, Ryan Torain, Reed Doughty, and John Beck also came over to thank the soldiers for their service and sign hats and footballs. Click here to learn more about Freedom Alliance Support Our Troops programs and how you can help.
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