“Greater love has no one than to lay down one’s life for a friend.” ~ John 15:13
Beneath a brooding November sky earlier this month, a
reverent crowd gathered to bid farewell to Sgt. Michael Verardo, a man whose
God-given courage became a beacon in the long shadow of war. One of the most
catastrophically wounded post-9/11 veterans, his life bore witness to
sacrifice, resilience, and God’s sustaining grace.
The 24-year-old
paratrooper was first injured 15 years earlier during an IED attack in
Afghanistan’s Arghandab Valley. After recovering from his injuries, he returned
to combat and was wounded by yet another IED.
The second blast took
off his leg, shredded one arm, and left him with burns, a traumatic brain
injury, and severe internal damage. For 27 agonizing minutes, medics battled to
stop the bleeding. Flatlining multiple times, he clung to life with a tenacity
that stunned those around him.
Verardo spent years in recovery at Walter Reed and Brooke
Army Medical Centers, enduring a harrowing 15-year recovery journey. He faced
over 120 surgeries and underwent extensive speech, visual, physical, and
occupational therapy as he worked to recover from his injuries. Michael met the
path forward with humility, quiet strength… and his high school sweetheart,
Sarah Conklin.
She wrote “Hero at Home,” a tender guide meant to
help children grasp the quiet battles faced by military families.
Michael’s identity was shaped not merely by what war took
from him, but by the mission he chose next. “I did not lose a leg. I didn’t
lose an arm. I gave them,” he said, a truth that shaped his
remaining days on earth.
Through the Verardos’ leadership, more than 2,700
all-terrain Track Chairs were delivered to wounded veterans from Iraq,
Afghanistan, and Vietnam, restoring not only mobility, but also independence, dignity,
and hope that injury had tried to take from them.
Michael succumbed to complications from his injuries on
August 26th. Yet his legacy remains unshakable. It lives in every
veteran who regained mobility, in every family who found hope through his
story, and in every American who saw in him a reflection of sacrificial love.
Michael always rose to his feet, leaning on his prosthetic
leg and the Lord's grace, to salute the American flag. It represented the
ideals he had given so much to defend. His headstone now faces the Washington
Monument, a fitting tribute to a man who devoted his life to the ideals it
represents. Sarah summed it best: “Wearing our nation’s uniform was the
honor of Michael’s lifetime. Caring for him was my honor.”
Even in suffering, Michael lifted others. His life stands
as a testament to courage, faith, and selfless service. “Well done, good and
faithful” soldier.
Heavenly Father, I’m on my knees asking for
Your strength during times of despair. Hold my hand and be my hope. Let your
will be done in my life. My faith is in You alone. Amen
