Portraits of Courage by George W. Bush

Author:George W. Bush
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: The Crown Publishing Group
Published: 2017-02-27T16:00:00+00:00

After completing a three-day mission in Iraq, Drew Hillstrom was ready to return to base and get some sleep. But it would be nearly ten years before Drew finally got a good night’s rest.

While returning from that mission on September 1, 2007, a bomb activated by trip wire knocked Drew out and severely damaged his right arm. “My right arm has a very limited range of motion as well as limited strength,” Drew says. “I was also diagnosed with residuals from TBI and PTS, with the principal symptom being the inability to sleep.”

While learning to become left-handed was a big challenge for Drew, the hardest part of his recovery was losing his sense of purpose. “Leaving the military can create a void,” Drew explains. Drew was quick to anger—and still couldn’t sleep at night. “The thing that helped me the most during my recovery was the realization that in order to fully recover, I needed a new purpose in life,” Drew says.

He went back to school, earning his bachelor’s degree from the Milwaukee School of Engineering and a master’s degree in construction and business management. He got involved with golf thanks to the Salute Military Golf Association. And he started a family.

A few months after Drew played in the 2015 Warrior Open, I received a heartfelt letter from his beautiful wife, Elizabeth. “Life is challenging when I attempt to hold back tears as my husband pretends not to be in pain while picking up our baby,” she wrote—adding that Drew is finding new life in new pursuits. “We are a happy, fun-loving family. My warrior has found purpose again…to be the best husband, father, son, and golfer he can be.”

I recently heard from Drew that part of his purpose includes continued service to his country. As I write this, Drew, along with Elizabeth and their sons Harvey and Dexter, is preparing to represent America abroad as a foreign service officer with the Department of State.

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