Retired Army Sgt. Michael Verardo, one of America’s most catastrophically wounded post-9/11 veterans, was laid to rest Tuesday with full military honors at Weddington Methodist Church in North Carolina. Family, friends, paratroopers of the 82nd Airborne Division, and national leaders gathered to remember a soldier, husband, and father whose resilience inspired a nation.
Verardo was one of the most catastrophically wounded veterans of the post-9/11 generation. Verardo’s injuries and his choice to keep living with purpose were honored by those who rose to speak on his behalf. Fox News’ Jennifer Griffin told mourners she would forever carry the image of Verardo forcing himself upright on his prosthetic leg to salute the American flag.