Our “PALS” make Warrior Wishes Come True At The White Sox Game!
Our partnership with PALS (Patient AirLift Services) has really grown as we teamed up to host warriors for the 4th time this summer. PALS has already made Warrior Wishes Come True at the Phillies, Red Sox & Cubs games. This time They were hosting heroes at the Chicago White Sox game.
SGT Joey Welsh, SGT Matthew White & Marine Chris Cowan were the warriors joining us on this mission.
Volunteer Pilots Chris Hollingshead and Melissa Torres greeted the warriors early Sat morning & took off for Chicago. Jim Zangrilli provided the ground transportation to US Cellular Field.
Thankfully my dad was in town, so he met up with the pilots & Warriors at the stadium. He was excited to reconnect with Joey, a warrior that he hosted at this years Orioles game in Baltimore. He was honored to meet Chris and Mattnew for the first time. My dad presented all the warriors with New Era White Sox caps and got a few pics, before sitting down in a suite to watch an exciting back and forth game that the White Sox ultimately won 4-2 .
We want to thank PALS for their continued partnership and thank the White Sox for helping us create once in a lifetime memories for these wasrriors. Our next scheduled PALS /Warrior Wishes Experience is Sept 24 in Pittsburgh. Stay tuned for more details.
TOGETHER WE MAKE WARRIOR WISHES COME TRUE!
We also want to say Thank You to Sgt Joey Welsh, Marine Chris Cowan and Sgt Matthew White for your service & sacrifices to our country. It is appreciated, has not gone unnoticed & will never be forgotten. Learn more about the warriors below.
SGT WILLIAM JOSEPH WELSH
Sergeant William Welsh (36), is an active duty soldier with Battle Company WTB at WRNMMC in Bethesda, Maryland. SGT Welsh has deployed twice with 7-101st Combat Aviation Battalion, 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell KY. He served as a Chinook Door Gunner as well as the battalion senior Supply Sergeant. While deployed in Afghanistan he sustained multiple concussions.
SGT Welsh struggles with severe migraine headaches and loss of memory which has gradually become worse since 2008. He sustained a shoulder and back injury, both requiring surgery. Most recently, SGT Welsh suffered a stroke in June of 2015.
SGT Welsh is married to Jennifer Welsh, and has five children, Kailee (20), Kira (17), Ethan (3) Eli (3), Zoey (9 months). He has one grandchild Ava Castro (1). Upon retirement SGT Welsh’s short term goals are to return to his wife’s home state of Washington and work for a government agency in Emergency Management such as FEMA. His long term goals are to finish his bachelor’s degree and help other injured veterans transition back home from combat and injury.
ARMY SGT MATTHEW WHITE
U.S. Army Sgt. Matthew White was born and raised in Columbus, Ohio. He was highly active in athletics for as long as he can remember, and loved playing basketball and football in high school. White graduated in June 2007 and immediately enrolled in the United States Army. After completing basic training, Advanced Individual Training and Airborne school, White was assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
While serving with the 82nd Airborne, Sgt. White deployed twice to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. On May 8, 2010, while on a dismounted foot patrol with his squad in one of the most volatile areas in Afghanistan, White was struck by an improvised explosive devise (IED). Immediately following the blast, he was evacuated to Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. After many surgeries, his right leg was amputated below the knee. During his years of service, White received several accolades including a Purple Heart, Combat Infantryman Badge and Parachutist Badge.
In 2016, Sgt. White graduated from the Catholic University of America with a Bachelor’s of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies. Currently, Sgt. White as a contractor in Washington D.C. for the Federal Government with his two dogs Nike and Toffee.
MARINE CHRIS COWAN
