Veterans Day: Double amputee U.S. Army Col. Greg Gadson honored with new SUV from TrueCar and Autonation
Motivational speaker given customized Chevrolet Suburban
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}TrueCar and Autonation have chosen retired U.S. Army Col. Greg Gadson as a recipient of its annual DrivenToDrive award for his work inspiring wounded veterans in partnership with DAV (Disabled American Veterans).
Col. Greg Gadson served 26 years in the U.S. Army as an artillery officer. (TrueCar)
Col. Gadson, 55, is a West Point graduate who spent 26 years in the service as a field artillery officer and lost his legs in an IED explosion in Baghdad in 2007 while returning from a memorial for two fallen comrades.
Along with a Purple Heart, he was decorated with several Bronze Stars and Merit Medals before retiring as commander of the U.S. Army Fort Belvoir in Fairfax County in 2014 and becoming a motivational speaker and photographer.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Col. Gadson works as a motivational speaker and photographer. (TrueCar)
"As I look at my own recovery, the number one thing that made me feel most normal was the first time I was able to drive again after being wounded, so I appreciate the significance of the DrivenToDrive initiative and what it provides to injured veterans like myself," Col. Gadson said of the award.
Col. Gadson was presented with a new Chevrolet Suburban High Country SUV fitted with the equipment required for him to drive it.
Previous DrivenToDrive recipients Retired U.S. Army SFC and U.S. Paralympian and DAV Ambassador Centra "Ce-Ce" Mazyck, Retired Senior Airman and DAV Ambassador Karah Behrend and U.S. Army Veteran Peter Way joined Col. Gadson for his ceremony. (TrueCar)
"Col. Gadson’s contribution to the veteran community is inspiring and we’re honored to support vets like him. We’re especially pleased that through the DrivenToDrive initiative we have the opportunity to provide a vehicle to Col. Gadson who we know will put it to good use by giving back to the veteran groups he travels the country to speak to," Mike Darrow, Chief Executive Officer and President at TrueCar, said. "The mindset of our military community is amazing, especially the resilience of those who are injured."
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The DrivenToDrive project highlights TrueCar Military program, which helps all active duty members and veterans find special deals available to them on automotive purchases.
If Col. Gadson looks familiar to you, that may be because you’ve seen him on the big screen. He appeared in the 2012 sci-fi movie "Battleship" as Lieutenant Colonel Mick Canales, a wounded veteran who returns to action to help fight off an alien attack.