'Incredible weekend' for injured OIF vet

[thedrifter]

'Incredible weekend' for injured OIF vet
Submitted by: MCB Camp Pendleton
Story Identification Number: 20031219223952
Story by John Raifsnider



MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif.(Dec. 12, 2003) -- It is probably a safe bet to say that Marine Sgt. Jason Wittling won't soon forget the weekend of Dec. 12-14, 2003.

Friday afternoon, just minutes after his three brothers arrived at Camp Pendleton from their home state of Wisconsin, Wittling was surprised to hear the voice of his favorite NASCAR Busch Series driver, Team Marines' Bobby Hamilton Jr., on the other end of the phone.

Hamilton was apprised of Wittling's condition -- he's now a quadriplegic after an accident in Iraq -- and wanted to extend his best wishes for a speedy recovery and an invitation to join the Team Marines crew at the California race next April.

"Bobby wanted me to know that he was pulling for me and he told me not to give up," Wittling said.

"He also said I was welcomed to be his guest at the next race they have out here. He said he'd take care of everything and I'd be his personal guest. That's pretty cool."

Wittling also received an autographed poster and die-cast car from Hamilton.

The next morning, Wittling's family drove him to La Jolla, ostensibly to have brunch at the Hyatt Regency Hotel with other injured Operation Iraqi Freedom veterans.

Shortly after arriving at the hotel, Wittling said he knew something just wasn't right -- there were too many Green Bay Packers souvenirs in the family van, and his mom and brothers were decked out in their Packers-logoed clothing and hats. He figured he was there to meet someone, but didn't know who.

Minutes later, Green Bay quarterback Brett Favre walked into the room and greeted Wittling and his family, then autographed several items for the family and posed for pictures.

Favre was followed into the room by Packers' head coach Mike Sherman, who also met with Wittling's family and had his picture taken with the injured Marine.

But that wasn't all.

Before leaving for meetings with his assistants, Sherman invited Wittling and his family to be on the Packers sideline before the game on Sunday.

"It's the least we can do for him, after all that he and the other Marines over there have done for us," Sherman said.

"They're over there protecting our freedoms so we can play football games over here. I think that if we can give him even an ounce of joy from all this, then maybe we've done something."

The invitation from Sherman resulted in a pound of happiness for Wittling, who admits to having bouts of depression over his injury.

"There are days when I get to feeling a little sorry for myself, and I'm not too happy about not being able to do certain things around here," admitted Wittling.

"Sometimes I just stare at my toolbox and wonder if I'm ever going to use any of my tools again. That kind of bums me out a little."

Sunday morning Wittling was wheeled to the Green Bay sideline where, once again, his favorite NFL player, Favre, greeted him.

"That was so cool, to be on the sidelines and to see all the Packers' players up close," Wittling recalled.

"It was really cool that he and Coach Serman took time out before the game to stop by and talk with me. I thought I might be in their way, but they seemed happy to spend the time with me. I was really surprised."

But the surprises didn't stop there.

Just before kickoff, Sherman told Wittling that if the Packers won the game against the Chargers, he would invite him into the Green Bay locker room afterward. Green Bay won 38-21 and Wittling and his older brother, Jim, were the only two non-Green Bay players or coaches initially allowed into the team's locker room.

Once inside, Sherman gathered his players around the Camp Pendleton Marine and, according to Jim Wittling, told his team: "There are a lot of football heroes in this room, but there is only one real hero -- and he's sitting right here."

With that, Sherman handed Wittling the game ball and had the Packers players stop by and sign it.

"That right there overwhelmed me," said Wittling.

"Pretty soon the players were coming up to me and signing my hats and then autographing their gloves and giving them to me.

"I told them they were doing too much -- I never expected to even get to meet Brett Favre, much less go on the Packers sideline. Then to get to go into their locker room after the game -- I'm still amazed that it all happened and that they were all so genuinely nice to me."

But the outpouring of gifts and thanks from the Packers still hadn't run its course.

On his way out of the Packers locker room, Sherman summoned Wittling into his office. There, the two men shared a beer and the head coach offered to have Wittling attend Green Bay's next game against the Raiders in Oakland.

"I'm not sure that he could stand that long of a drive just yet," Jim Wittling said of his brother.

"I know he'd love to go, but I think that might be just a bit too much for him right now, but we'll see."

Wittling's mother, Betty, who accompanied Jason and his three brothers to the Packers-Chargers game, says this past weekend was the happiest she has seen her son in a long time.

"This whole weekend was such a blast for him. It was just great," Betty Wittling said.

"Things have been pretty rough for him lately and he really needed something to boost his spirits. Meeting his hero, Brett Favre and spending that time with Coach Sherman -- that really cheered him up. It was really good for him to be able to do that."

Jim Wittling said he has never seen his brother Jason so happy.

"You should have seen him when the coach gave him the game ball," recalled Jim.

"His eyes were as big as silver dollars and he was in shock by all the attention. I've never seen him so happy."

Monday morning, Jason said he couldn't remember all the things the Packers players and coaches had given him, but he said he'd always remember this past weekend.

"Just think -- I've talked with my favorite Busch Series driver, Bobby Hamilton. I met my favorite football player, Brett Favre. And we caught Saddam Hussein.

"What an incredible weekend this has been."



Injured Operation Iraqi Freedom Marine Sgt. Jason Wittling, a native of Ashland, Wis., meets with Green Bay Packers head coach Mike Sherman Dec. 13, 2003, before a game against the Chargers. Afterward, Wittling, of 1st Combat Engineer Battalion, visited the Packer's locker room. In the postgame, closed-door session, Sherman presented Wittling with the game ball. Wittling was also extended an offer to attend the Packers's next game in Oakland. Photo by: Daniel Raifsnider

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Sempers,

Roger