The New England Patriots [team stats] have no plans to appease hundreds of Iraq War soldiers and their families who the Massachusetts National Guard led to believe would be honored by their undefeated idols at a Veterans’ Day luncheon at Gillette Stadium.
The Guard took responsibility for the cruel blunder Sunday, telling the Herald it didn’t spring on combat-weary servicemen that no players were coming until after the veterans had driven all the way to Foxboro.
Pats spokesman Stacey James said yesterday that “the only commitment” from the Super Bowl champs was to provide space for the event.
“Whatever the communication errors were, I can’t speak for,” James said. “There was never a Patriot player confirmed to attend. As far as I know, there was no Patriot player asked to attend.”
A Guard spokesman did not return a call yesterday.
Sgt. Heath Hobson, 35, of North Attleboro said he would have liked to have met Rodney Harrison [stats] or had Tedy Bruschi [stats] sign his 2-year-old son’s No. 54 baby jersey.
But 13 surgeries after nearly losing his right leg to direct rocket fire in Baghdad on Jan. 27, Hobson has a healthy perspective on things.
“I was kind of disappointed they weren’t there, but that wasn’t my primary reason for going,” Hobson said. “It was really good for me just to be able to see and spend time with” his brothers from the 101st Field Artillery Regiment,” he said.
“There were guys that traveled an hour and a half to get there,” he added. “Some of them just got up and left when they heard the players wouldn’t be there. They were pretty disappointed.”
Hobson said he still felt appreciated on Veterans Day, but quipped he would truly be blessed if he had handicapped-access tickets to the Pats’ Nov. 25 game against the Philadelphia Eagles or their Dec. 9 match with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Guard billed Sunday’s event as a “welcome home” lunch for Iraq soldiers including “pictures and signing with New England Patriots
Ok, someone screwed the pooch on this one....still it could AND SHOULD be made right
Posted by: mpd61
Ouch!
Thank god that somebody in the Guard owned up, but still a bummer for the soldiers.
Posted by: pballernh
This is what rumors do in the military.
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