[Mikolar]

Apologies if this has been posted ... but David Feherty's recent column perhaps says more about the game, Tiger, many tour players, and Feherty himself than most of the posts I've read.


Soldiering On
The Troops First Foundation gives America's injured vets a chance to reclaim their dignity
By DAVID FEHERTY
CONTRIBUTING WRITER, GOLF MAGAZINE
Published: August 26, 2009

The final round of Tiger's AT&T National at Congressional Country Club in July was particularly satisfying for me to witness because I followed the host toward his oneshot victory over Hunter Mahan, who had earlier posted an incredible 62. Hunter has supported my Troops First Foundation events since the beginning, and like Tiger, his dad served in the military. Earlier that week, Hunter, Rod Pampling, Jason Gore, Pat Perez, Kelly Tilghman and Tom Watson played with thirty or so seriously injured servicemen and women (most of them amputees) in my 2nd Annual Improvised Explosive Day of Golf at the Chevy Chase Club.

This year I had another amazing group of warriors, from Rob Brown — a below-the-knee amputee who may represent the U.S. in both the regular Olympics in kayak and Para-Olympics in track and field — to 22-year-old PFC Brendan Marrocco of the 25th Infantry, who on Easter Sunday in Tikrit was robbed of all four limbs plus his left eye.

It takes a while to figure out how to react to the severely injured members of our armed forces, but after almost three years of being around them, I think I have it figured out. This year's IED of Golf was the first time I'd met Brendan, with whom it is impossible to shake hands, play footsie, chest bump or, for that matter, pull his finger. A stump-to-knuckles thing had to suffice, and after that I embarked on what is now my normal procedure for getting to know a new member of my F-troop, who was being driven around in a cart by his brother Mike. It went something like this:

Me: "You know, you're not as tall as I thought you'd be."
Brendan: "I used to be taller."
"Yes, I can imagine. So, what would you like to do today?"
"I'd like to kick your a**."
"Well, that seems unlikely. Obviously you can't walk, but you look like you'd bounce pretty well. Are you going to be okay in that cart without a seat belt?
"Yeah, I can hold on with my butt cheeks."
"Excellent! Well, clench on, brother — I'll see you out there."

(Later that morning)
Me: "Hey, Stumpy, how's it going?"
Brendan: "I like this — is there any chance I can go watch Tiger with you this week?"
"I'll get you inside the ropes if I have to wear you like a f-----g hat."
"Man, that's cold."
"Hey, get used to it, kid — you're an F-trooper now."

These exchanges usually horrify first-time witnesses, but after a few moments, everyone gets it. Brendan has lost his limbs, not his mind, but more important for a man who has been trained to be one of the best soldiers on the planet, he has lost his dignity. By his reactions to my seemingly callous assaults on what is left of him, Brendan regains a little of that dignity each time.

Brendan, like the rest of my men and women, is more courageous, more inspiring, more complete, and funnier than any able-bodied person I know. His intelligence and his sense of humor are the only weapons he has left to defend himself, and he will use them in a manner that leaves those of us who are lucky enough to have him and others like him defending our freedom utterly awestruck and humbled.

Tiger had a one-shot lead after the 17th hole, and as he stood waiting for Anthony Kim to putt out, I put my hand on his shoulder and told him that Brendan, who had followed him all day in a cart inside the ropes, was now in his wheelchair where Tiger would turn the corner to go to the 18th tee. Tiger smiled at me and nodded.

Before heading to the last tee, Tiger hunkered down and knuckle-stumped one of his heroes, PFC Brendan Marrocco. Brendan, who before that day had been ashamed and frightened to go out in public, was wheeled by his father, Alex, and his brother Mike down the center of the 18th fairway to an overwhelming, roaring, standing ovation. He lifted what is left of one of his arms in a salute, and this announcer wept like Gary McCord at a Barry Manilow concert as Tiger looked on in the background, smiling.

It's hard to know which boy the old Green Beret Earl Woods would have been prouder of at that moment, but I do know this: Because of Tiger Woods, Hunter Mahan and the Troops First Foundation, PFC Brendan Marrocco is no longer ashamed to go out in public. And by this winter, he will be hunting birds with us and pulling his own damn trigger, or I'll make the little swine drop and give me twenty. Only a fool would bet against him being able to do both. Like they say, there's strong, and then there's Army Strong.

[kamtile]

Awesome, thanks for posting.

[rymail00]

Faherty is the best! His column is the first thing I would always read. He his funny and will say what ever is on his mind, in a game w/ a lot of stuck up people he is definately the best side of golf.

Plus the thing he has been doing w/ the troops is awesome, there needs to be more Faherty's in golf/world (yup thats right I said).

Did he really retire from broadcasting?

[S70B]

Great Story. Thanks for sharing.

[Asleep]

God bless those boys, and David Feherty for his work with them.

[smith5606]

When I was a kid, I always saved the most delectable part of the meal for last. I'd eat all the yukky stuff first, the almost yukky staff next, the good stuff, and then the really good stuff. Gave me something to look forward to, I guess.

I read David Faherty last.

[Pepperturbo]

Mikolar, on Sep 30 2009, 07:04 AM, said:

Apologies if this has been posted ... but David Feherty's recent column perhaps says more about the game, Tiger, many tour players, and Feherty himself than most of the posts I've read.


Soldiering On
The Troops First Foundation gives America's injured vets a chance to reclaim their dignity
By DAVID FEHERTY
CONTRIBUTING WRITER, GOLF MAGAZINE
Published: August 26, 2009

The final round of Tiger's AT&T National at Congressional Country Club in July was particularly satisfying for me to witness because I followed the host toward his oneshot victory over Hunter Mahan, who had earlier posted an incredible 62. Hunter has supported my Troops First Foundation events since the beginning, and like Tiger, his dad served in the military. Earlier that week, Hunter, Rod Pampling, Jason Gore, Pat Perez, Kelly Tilghman and Tom Watson played with thirty or so seriously injured servicemen and women (most of them amputees) in my 2nd Annual Improvised Explosive Day of Golf at the Chevy Chase Club.

This year I had another amazing group of warriors, from Rob Brown — a below-the-knee amputee who may represent the U.S. in both the regular Olympics in kayak and Para-Olympics in track and field — to 22-year-old PFC Brendan Marrocco of the 25th Infantry, who on Easter Sunday in Tikrit was robbed of all four limbs plus his left eye.

It takes a while to figure out how to react to the severely injured members of our armed forces, but after almost three years of being around them, I think I have it figured out. This year's IED of Golf was the first time I'd met Brendan, with whom it is impossible to shake hands, play footsie, chest bump or, for that matter, pull his finger. A stump-to-knuckles thing had to suffice, and after that I embarked on what is now my normal procedure for getting to know a new member of my F-troop, who was being driven around in a cart by his brother Mike. It went something like this:

Me: "You know, you're not as tall as I thought you'd be."
Brendan: "I used to be taller."
"Yes, I can imagine. So, what would you like to do today?"
"I'd like to kick your a**."
"Well, that seems unlikely. Obviously you can't walk, but you look like you'd bounce pretty well. Are you going to be okay in that cart without a seat belt?
"Yeah, I can hold on with my butt cheeks."
"Excellent! Well, clench on, brother — I'll see you out there."

(Later that morning)
Me: "Hey, Stumpy, how's it going?"
Brendan: "I like this — is there any chance I can go watch Tiger with you this week?"
"I'll get you inside the ropes if I have to wear you like a f-----g hat."
"Man, that's cold."
"Hey, get used to it, kid — you're an F-trooper now."

These exchanges usually horrify first-time witnesses, but after a few moments, everyone gets it. Brendan has lost his limbs, not his mind, but more important for a man who has been trained to be one of the best soldiers on the planet, he has lost his dignity. By his reactions to my seemingly callous assaults on what is left of him, Brendan regains a little of that dignity each time.

Brendan, like the rest of my men and women, is more courageous, more inspiring, more complete, and funnier than any able-bodied person I know. His intelligence and his sense of humor are the only weapons he has left to defend himself, and he will use them in a manner that leaves those of us who are lucky enough to have him and others like him defending our freedom utterly awestruck and humbled.

Tiger had a one-shot lead after the 17th hole, and as he stood waiting for Anthony Kim to putt out, I put my hand on his shoulder and told him that Brendan, who had followed him all day in a cart inside the ropes, was now in his wheelchair where Tiger would turn the corner to go to the 18th tee. Tiger smiled at me and nodded.

Before heading to the last tee, Tiger hunkered down and knuckle-stumped one of his heroes, PFC Brendan Marrocco. Brendan, who before that day had been ashamed and frightened to go out in public, was wheeled by his father, Alex, and his brother Mike down the center of the 18th fairway to an overwhelming, roaring, standing ovation. He lifted what is left of one of his arms in a salute, and this announcer wept like Gary McCord at a Barry Manilow concert as Tiger looked on in the background, smiling.

It's hard to know which boy the old Green Beret Earl Woods would have been prouder of at that moment, but I do know this: Because of Tiger Woods, Hunter Mahan and the Troops First Foundation, PFC Brendan Marrocco is no longer ashamed to go out in public. And by this winter, he will be hunting birds with us and pulling his own damn trigger, or I'll make the little swine drop and give me twenty. Only a fool would bet against him being able to do both. Like they say, there's strong, and then there's Army Strong.

Thanks for posting this... I lost my best friend (SOPS sgt) and cousin to a land mine, the feelings are like it was yesterday. I was just lucky...

[larrybud]

rymail00, on Sep 30 2009, 10:30 AM, said:

Faherty is the best! His column is the first thing I would always read. He his funny and will say what ever is on his mind, in a game w/ a lot of stuck up people he is definately the best side of golf.

Plus the thing he has been doing w/ the troops is awesome, there needs to be more Faherty's in golf/world (yup thats right I said).

Did he really retire from broadcasting?

Huh? He's on the current CBS broadcasting team.

[freddiec]

That's awesome. One of the best stories I've read in a while. I have a whole new appreciation for Ferehry and what he does.

[2659edward]

Asleep, on Sep 30 2009, 10:43 AM, said:

God bless those boys, and David Feherty for his work with them.

+1

['53 Precision]

HOOAH!!!!

[rymail00]

larrybud, on Sep 30 2009, 11:40 AM, said:

rymail00, on Sep 30 2009, 10:30 AM, said:

Faherty is the best! His column is the first thing I would always read. He his funny and will say what ever is on his mind, in a game w/ a lot of stuck up people he is definately the best side of golf.

Plus the thing he has been doing w/ the troops is awesome, there needs to be more Faherty's in golf/world (yup thats right I said).

Did he really retire from broadcasting?

Huh? He's on the current CBS broadcasting team.

I yeah know, but, I don't know maybe 4-6 weeks ago they did a 3-5 minute thing on Faherty. He was in press conference pretending to not answer questions from the media (because there was actually nobody in the press conference room but him) and I thought I remember him saying that he was retiring (I think it was maybe poking fun at Favre's retirement because it was around that time).

It might have been a joke, I don't know though. You never know w/ Faherty.

[boomgoesthedynamite]

rymail00, on Sep 30 2009, 07:35 PM, said:

larrybud, on Sep 30 2009, 11:40 AM, said:

rymail00, on Sep 30 2009, 10:30 AM, said:

Faherty is the best! His column is the first thing I would always read. He his funny and will say what ever is on his mind, in a game w/ a lot of stuck up people he is definately the best side of golf.

Plus the thing he has been doing w/ the troops is awesome, there needs to be more Faherty's in golf/world (yup thats right I said).

Did he really retire from broadcasting?

Huh? He's on the current CBS broadcasting team.

I yeah know, but, I don't know maybe 4-6 weeks ago they did a 3-5 minute thing on Faherty. He was in press conference pretending to not answer questions from the media (because there was actually nobody in the press conference room but him) and I thought I remember him saying that he was retiring (I think it was maybe poking fun at Favre's retirement because it was around that time).

It might have been a joke, I don't know though. You never know w/ Faherty.

That was a preview for the upcoming David Feherty Show, which will be on cbssports.com sometime in the future.

[jas904]

That's a great story. I love his one liners.

[Milo]

Can't believe you guys are falling for the Feherty "I want citizenship so I'll give them what they want to hear" blarney. He knows on which side his bread's buttered I'll give him that.

[rymail00]

boomgoesthedynamite, on Sep 30 2009, 07:52 PM, said:

rymail00, on Sep 30 2009, 07:35 PM, said:

larrybud, on Sep 30 2009, 11:40 AM, said:

rymail00, on Sep 30 2009, 10:30 AM, said:

Faherty is the best! His column is the first thing I would always read. He his funny and will say what ever is on his mind, in a game w/ a lot of stuck up people he is definately the best side of golf.

Plus the thing he has been doing w/ the troops is awesome, there needs to be more Faherty's in golf/world (yup thats right I said).

Did he really retire from broadcasting?

Huh? He's on the current CBS broadcasting team.

I yeah know, but, I don't know maybe 4-6 weeks ago they did a 3-5 minute thing on Faherty. He was in press conference pretending to not answer questions from the media (because there was actually nobody in the press conference room but him) and I thought I remember him saying that he was retiring (I think it was maybe poking fun at Favre's retirement because it was around that time).

It might have been a joke, I don't know though. You never know w/ Faherty.

That was a preview for the upcoming David Feherty Show, which will be on cbssports.com sometime in the future.

Oh ok. Thanks for clearing that up.

[Pepperturbo]

From Sep 30 2009, 04:12 PM:

HOOAH!!!!

You're either a ranger, in that case it's spelled correctly or you miss spelled the word a marine users "HooRah". Either way it's a motivational term used by one miliary person in agreement with what another military person says.

['53 Precision]

Pepperturbo, on Oct 1 2009, 10:11 AM, said:

From Sep 30 2009, 04:12 PM:

HOOAH!!!!

You're either a ranger, in that case it's spelled correctly or you miss spelled the word a marine users "HooRah". Either way it's a motivational term used by one miliary person in agreement with what another military person says.

HOOAH, I see you sport the SF Crest, "De Oppresso Liber" To Liberate the Oppressed, noble moto, thank you for your service if applicable (I would guess that it is in light of your avitar.)

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