Retired Colonel Greg Gadson to Speak at Central Catholic on November 15

Retired Colonel Greg Gadson will speak at Central Catholic High School on Friday, November 15 at 10 a.m. for the school’s National Honor Society Assembly.  Col. Gadson served in the U.S. Army for 25 years as a field artillery officer and is a former commander of the U.S. Army Fort Belvoir Garrison.  He is a bilateral above-the-knee amputee as a result of being blown 150 feet from his armored vehicle by a roadside bomb in Baghdad.  

Col. Gadson is a motivational speaker, an actor, and an author of the award-winning autobiography Finding Waypoints, the story of his physical, mental, and spiritual journey of recovery after losing both his legs and having significant damage to his right arm.

Central Catholic’s National Honor Society Assembly is focused on leadership, and Col. Gadson is a true inspiration and example of faith, duty, honor, and country.  The assembly will also celebrate Veterans Day, as our veterans are an exemplary model of leadership in action for us. 

Col. Gadson attended the US Military Academy at West Point, where he played football from 1985-88.  He served in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, Operation Joint Forge, Operation Enduring Freedom, and Operation Iraqi Freedom.  On the night of May 7, 2007 in Baghdad, while returning from a memorial service for 2 soldiers from his brigade, he lost both his legs and severely injured his right arm due to a roadside bomb.  He became one of the first military personnel to use a next generation powered prosthetic knee with technology that helps amputees walk with confidence and a more natural gait.

Col. Gadson is the recipient of 2 Distinguished Service Medals, a Meritorious Service Medal, three Bronze Star Medals, and the Purple Heart, among many other awards.  He is a photographer, and his work has been featured prominently in Coming Home: Journey, Community, Dialog, a New York City public art project that encourages communication between civilians and those who have served in the U.S. military.

Col. Gadson was an inspiration to the New York Giants during their Super Bowl winning seasons in 2008 and 2012 and has 2 Super Bowl rings recognizing his contributions as a motivational speaker to the team.  In 2012, he appeared in the movie Battleship, which starred Liam Neeson, Rihanna, and Brooklyn Decker.   He portrayed an army officer trying to recover from the loss of his legs.  In 2023, he made a guest appearance on the television series NCIS: Los Angeles.