On May 27, 2009, I raised my right hand and repeated, “I Brian Barefield, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic. That was by far one of the best days of my life. Well, that was until I stepped into Delmar Stadium in Houston, Texas on February 1, 2017, to witnessed all of our brave men and women who were injured serving and defending this country go up against NFL alumni pros all in the name of charity.

Many flooded stadium gates to see the battle on the gridiron between the Wounded Warrior Amputee Football Team against the alumni of the NFL and college athletics but more importantly just to say “thank you for your service” to the many who choose to fight for our freedom and support their families. Humana, health benefits service provider to millions U.S. service men and women sponsored the charity the game that included former players from the Houston Oilers, Dallas Cowboys, Texas A&M University, University of Texas and University of Houston. Wounded Warriors competing in the game include veterans from the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center and San Antonio Military Medical Center (SAMMC). This was the tenth WWAFT charity game and the fourth consecutive time the game has been part of the Super Bowl festivities.

As I walked on the field as a proud veteran myself, I could feel the energy from the members of the WWAFT. The pride seemed to be one that was shared. I overheard one veteran say, “Today was a great day to help bring some normalcy back to our lives. This day we got a chance to be on the same field with Super Bowl Champions and former NFL greats.”

That veteran saw his opponents on the field as the “greats” and his rivals opposite him and the fans in the stand saw him along with the other vets as the “great.” Former Indianapolis Colts running back Joseph Addai and Houston Sharpstown High School graduate commented, “A lot of people forget the unsung hero. The one who put their life on the line for us.”

The heroes were not forgotten on this day. They were honored and appreciated. One giving high praise was Atlanta Falcons Michael Vick. Though he garnered a lot of the crowd’s attention, his demeanor and attitude towards the veterans was one of extreme gratitude.

All in all, I was very pleased with the event and what they did for my fellow battle buddies. Job well done.

HOOAH!