Game 13 – Warrior Wishes Come True in Dallas!

After hosting warriors at the 12th NFL game of our 2015 “All32in17” mission in Houston & spending a few days Chiving on in Austin, it was time to get back to work & make Warrior Wishes come true in Dallas!

I had dropped my dad off at the bus station in Houston to catch his $1 overnight bus to Dallas before heading back to Chicago with the family.

My dad arrived around 1am and stayed up all night getting everything ready to host warriors at the Dallas Cowboys game for our 13th game this season!

Here are some of our favorite memories from making Warrior Wishes come true in Dallas over the past 3 years.

We had the honor of hosting Army SPC Michael Wells, Army SPC Amber Wells & Army SGT Bobby Henline at today’s game. (meet the warriors below).

We kicked off the day & met up with the warriors at the Cowboys PFUFA Ultimate Tailgate. Over the past few years our friends at this tailgate have hosted us & truly helped us make each warriors experience special. Plus this year they went above and beyond by raising $400 to make more Warrior Wishes come true! We are thankful for their hospitality & generosity!

As I mentioned in our Seattle post, a lot of people ask us what stadium is the best in the NFL? The answer is simple. AT&T stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys, is in a league of its own.

With Tony Romo & Dez Bryant sidelined due to injuries, the Cowboys had a difficult matchup ahead of them. The undefeated New England Patriots were in town & hungry for another win.

The Cowboys were able to keep Rob Gronkowski contained for much of the game, but Tom Brady & his high powered offense were too much for the Cowboys to handle. The Patriots went on to win by the score of 30-6.

Despite the loss, the warriors had a great time & we were just getting started. A friend of ours works for the Cowboys & was able to get us 6 Landry Room passes. On top of the warriors we had hosted at the game, we also met up with Marines Omar Milan & Harry Duffy as well as Army Warrior Julio Marin to host them in the Landry room as well.

The Landry Room is one of the most unique characteristics of AT&T stadium. It’s a luxurious room with couches, a full service bar & lots of delicious food. Most of the players meet up with their family members after the game in the Landry room.

Cowboys Jason Witten, Terrence Williams, Cole Beasley, Tyler Clutts, Nick Hayden, Lucky Whitehead, Demarcus Lawrence, Jason Garrett & Hall of Famer Charles Haley all took the time to take pictures, sign autographs & show these warriors their appreciation for their service & sacrifices! It was an unforgettable experience!

We would like to thank the PFUFA Cowboys Ultimate fans for hosting us at your tailgate & raising money to continue our mission, New Era Caps for providing Cowboys Caps for all the warriors & our friend Brett from the Cowboys for helping us secure tickets to the game & providing the Landry room passes.

TOGETHER WE MAKE WARRIOR WISHES COME TRUE!

So far this season my dad has been spoiled & only taken a handful of busses, but things are about to change. We do everything we can to keep travel costs down so we can make more warrior wishes come true. Over the next few weeks my dad will be riding the bus a lot! Staring with a 18 hour bus ride from Dallas to Chicago.

He will have a few days to hang out with us back here in Chicago before heading out to Atlanta to catch a bus to New Orleans for the Thursday night game later this week

MEET THE WARRIORS

ARMY SSG BOBBY HENLINE

A veteran of Desert Storm by age 19, Bobby was inspired to re-enlist in the Army after the attacks on September 11th, 2001. He deployed to Iraq three times with the 82nd Airborne Division and the 3rd Armored Calvary regiment. On April 7th, 2007, tragedy struck when Bobby’s Humvee was hit by a roadside bomb just north of Bagdad. Of five men in the vehicle, Bobby was the only survivor. More than 38 percent of his body was burned and his head was burned to the skull; he spent six months in the hospital fighting for his life, and within two years Bobby’s left hand was amputated. To date, he has had more than 40 surgeries.

In August, 2009 Bobby pinky swore with his occupational therapist that he would try stand-up comedy in Los Angeles while he was in town for a doctor’s visit. Shortly thereafter, during an open mic night at the Comedy Store, the “Well-Done Comedian” was born. Bobby believes that God kept him alive for a reason. He believes his mission is to help create awareness for burn survivors, to inspire people to live life to the fullest, and to heal others through his story and laughter. Bobby’s self-deprecating comedic style will leave you in stitches and will burn in your heart forever.

Bobby has also proved to be a gifted motivational speaker, using his own experiences as a way to add perspective and bring inspiration to people’s lives. Bobby has been asked to speak with companies, individuals and non-profit organizations. Testimonials from those who have heard Bobby provide a sense of the lasting aura he projects.

Bobby lives in San Antonio, TX
He performs regularly at the Laugh Out Loud and River Center Comedy Clubs in San Antonio, and has also performed at Rooster T. Feathers in Sunnyvale, CA. The Comedy Zone in Fayetteville, NC. and in Las Vegas at Brad Garrett’s Comedy Club.

Get inspired by Bobby & follow him on Facebook here

Watch his story below

ARMY WARRIOR MICHAEL WELLS

Michael joined the Army right out of high school. His MOS was 19K, M1A1 Abrams Tanker. He was stationed in Baumholder, Germany and Friedberg, Germany. Wells was injured by a mortar blast during his second deployment to Iraq, in Ramadi. He also suffers from PTSD. He currently works with a local rescue to train service dogs for other Veterans as a form of therapy.

ARMY WARRIOR AMBER WELLS

Amber is Michael’s wife. She actually nominated her husband for the Cowboys game and we learned that she too had served in the Army. Amber joined the Army in 2009 as a 68W, Medic. She was stationed at Ft. Sam Houston in San Antonio and then PCS’d to Ft. Gordon, Georgia, where she met her husband, Mike.

It truly was an honor to host these warriors at the Cowboys game to thank them for their service & sacrifices. We will see you in New Orleans Thursday!

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