Gregory Dimitri Gadson (born February 19, 1966) is an American actor and motivational speaker; and a retired colonel in the United States Army and former commander of the U.S. Army Fort Belvoir garrison.[1] He is also a bilateral above-the-knee amputee. He served in the U.S. Army for more than 20 years as a field artillery officer and served on active duty for Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, Operation Joint Forge, Operation Enduring Freedom, and Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Education and military career
Gadson attended the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York, graduating in 1989. He also holds a master's degree in Information systems from Webster University and a master's degree in policy management from Georgetown University.[2] He is a graduate of the Command and General Staff College and the Advanced Field Artillery Officers Course and in 2010, he became an Army War College Fellow at the Institute of World Politics in Washington, D.C.
Assignments
- Commander, U.S. Army Garrison, Fort Belvoir, Virginia[3]
- Director, Army Wounded Warrior Program, Alexandria, Virginia
- 2nd Battalion, 32nd Field Artillery.
- 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division (Fort Riley).
- Battalion fire direction officer for 5th Battalion, 18th Field Artillery, III Corps at Fort Sill.
- Division targeting officer, Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 82nd Airborne Division Artillery.
- Battalion adjutant, 3rd Battalion, 319th Airborne Field Artillery Regiment.
- Battalion fire support officer, 1st Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment.
- Commander, Battery C, 3rd Battalion, 319th Airborne Field Artillery Regiment.
- Commander, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 82nd Airborne Division for the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg.
- Personnel distribution officer and human resources commander, Alexandria, Virginia.
- Battalion operations officer, 2nd Battalion, 11th Field Artillery.
- Operations officer, 25th Infantry Division, executive officer.
- Special assistant to the commanding general, United States Army Pacific at Fort Shafter.
Deployments
- Platoon fire direction officer, firing battery platoon leader (Desert Shield/Desert Storm)
- Chief of operations, Multinational Division North, Bosnia-Herzegovina, (Stabilization Force XI), 25th Infantry Division (Light)
- 25th Infantry Division Artillery, Forward Operating Base Salerno, Afghanistan (Operation Enduring Freedom V)
Injury
On the night of May 7, 2007, while returning from a memorial service for two soldiers from his brigade, he lost both his legs and severely injured his right arm to a roadside bomb in Baghdad. He became one of the first military personnel to use a next-generation powered prosthetic knee with technology to make it possible for amputees to walk with confidence and with a more natural gait.[4]
Military awards
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Gadson is also authorized to wear the Combat Action Badge and the Master Parachutist Badge.[5]
Civil awards
He won one of the prestigious Henry Viscardi Achievement Awards for 2017, bestowed by the Viscardi Center to honour extraordinary leaders with disabilities.[6]
Athletics
Gadson played football at West Point between 1985 and 1988, wearing the No. 98 jersey. In 2007, he was present when the New York Giants beat the Washington Redskins at FedExField at the invitation of West Point classmate Mike Sullivan, who was then on the coaching staff of the New York Giants. This win was the beginning of a 10-game road winning streak and came after Gadson had made an inspirational speech to the team. The streak culminated in the Giants winning Super Bowl XLII[7] and in recognition of his contribution, Gadson received a specially minted Super Bowl ring.[8] Gadson has since remained with the team as a motivational speaker.
Acting career
Gadson made his acting debut in Battleship, a 2012 American science fiction naval war film, as Lieutenant Colonel Mick Canales, playing a war veteran who regains his appetite for life when Oahu is threatened by an alien attack. Director Peter Berg, having seen news articles about Gadson, decided to cast him as an army officer trying to recover from the loss of his legs.[9] In 2023, Gadson made a guest appearance on the television series NCIS: Los Angeles, specifically in the second episode of the fourteenth season titled "Of Value".
Photography
Gadson has been an avid photographer for many years. His work has most recently been featured prominently in Coming Home: Journey, Community, Dialog, a public art project based in New York City that seeks to encourage communication between civilians and those who have served in the US military.[10]
Filmography
- Battleship (2012) – Lieutenant Colonel Mick Canales
- The Inspectors (2015–2016) – David Cole (10 episodes)
- NCIS: Los Angeles (2022) - Col. Jackson Ladd (1 episode)
- A Journal for Jordan (2021) (Uncredited)
References
- ^ "Welcome to Fort Belvoir Home Page!". Archived from the original on December 2, 2013. Retrieved November 26, 2013.
- ^ Wallace, Jennifer. "LEADERSHIP SYMPOSIUM: USMC commandant among speakers – The Citadel – Charleston, SC". citadel.edu. Archived from the original on February 5, 2015. Retrieved February 5, 2015.
- ^ "Fort Belvoir Command Group". Fort Belvoir Public Affairs Office. Retrieved June 21, 2014.
- ^ "Lt Col Greg Gadson gets Power Knee". Waronterrornews.typepad.com. May 1, 2009. Retrieved April 16, 2012.
- ^ "COL GREGORY GADSON, USA". HENRY M. JACKSON FOUNDATION CENTER FOR PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS. Archived from the original on December 1, 2017. Retrieved November 20, 2017.
- ^ "2017 Henry Viscardi Achievement Awards Announced". Global Accessibility News. December 6, 2017.
- ^ "Lieutenant colonel Greg Gadson is Giants' inspirational co-captain". NY Daily News. New York. January 21, 2008. Retrieved April 16, 2012.
- ^ Rutherford, John (May 1, 2008). "'Super Bowl ring minted for a true giant'". NBC News. Archived from the original on April 19, 2012. Retrieved July 17, 2015.
- ^ "'Battleship's' real-life soldier Greg Gadson is action tested". Los Angeles Times. May 21, 2012. Retrieved March 16, 2024.
- ^ "Coming Home Journey Community and Dialog".