A day after The Masters, Jupiter’s Ernie Els gives wounded vets a thrill
Tags: Ernie Els, Jose Lambiet's Page2Live, jupiter, Square Grouper, The Masters, wounded warriors
| Tuesday 13 April 2010 3:56 pm
Els, last week at The Masters (AP Photo)
Not all star golfers are like Tiger Woods.
Take Jupiter resident Ernie Els, for example.
Els, 40, who finished a disappointing 18th Sunday at The Masters, was relaxing with a couple friends at the Square Grouper in Jupiter Monday afternoon when he noticed three young men sporting crew cuts and suffering from obvious disabilities getting off a fishing charter.
Josh Schichtl, a veteran of three tours in Iraq who suffered severe facial injuries in a road-side bombing, picks up the story from there.
“We’re walking through this outdoors bar (the Grouper) to catch the van to the hotel and this man (one of the dudes sitting with Els) comes up to us and says Ernie Els would like to say ‘hi,’” Schichtl told Page2Live. “Now, I’m a big golfing fan and I saw him on TV at The Masters, so I never expected anything like that. You know, I’m from Arkansas.
“So we went to the bar, and sure enough, there was Ernie Els. It was amazing. He asked each of us about our experiences in Iraq and shared his experience in the South African army. We ended up sitting down and shot the breeze with him for more than an hour. He kept buying rounds of beer. We had a great talk. He made us feel good.”
For more about Schichtl, look below or click
Schichtl, 27, and his two buddies, including a Marine who lost a leg in Iraq, and their families were brought to Florida for an all-expenses-paid five-day vacation, courtesy of the Jupiter non-profit A Wounded Warrior’s Second Chance.
Schichtl, who’s married and has two children, lost an eye, facial bones and most of his teeth in a double road-side bombing in 2007. He has been undergoing treatment, including eight surgeries, and rehab at Walter Reed Army Medical Center for more than two years.
The fishing, during which he got to fight a shark, and the chance meeting with Els will be in his imaginary highlights reel of his vacation.
“I know Ernie’s South African, but he is very patriotic about America,” Schichtl said.
– Click here for a bird’s eye view of Ernie Els’ breathtaking home at The Bears Club in Jupiter
Great story………….
This is the news I want to read!
Now this is the type of story the Post needs to print more of…..thanks!
i have met other wounded vets and their families at a Wounded Warriors Second Chance event in jupiter/tequesta previously.They were so appreciative of the help and vacation.Talking to the wives,kids,and the guys themselves makes you understand how brave they all are and how decent the average American is.One soldier was a triple amputee.
I felt inadequate in their presence.Ernie is a great addition to our area.
Jose,
There are many fine stories as this that should be shared with the readers by both your post and the newspaper.
It would be nice to see an article about what the community does for the Wounder Warriers in the county.
Thanks.
Finally, a positive story in this column. The Palm Beach Post should be applauded for this kind of ‘gossip’.
If the Post keeps reporting stories like this, they will sell alot more newspapers.Ernie Els appears to be a great guy as do all the people in our county who help wounded soldiers.
As a member of the Wounded Warriors Second Chance Host Committee, I am pleased that Jose has picked up the essence of our group. This is not one person or one entity doing this, this is the community honoring our wounded soldiers and their families. It is the outpouring of our local folks who contribute willing and ask for nothing in return who make this the most worthwhile cause I have participated in in a very long time.Thank you Palm Beach County for caring for our wounded warriors!
When we golf, my buddies and myself always put players names on our scorecards for fun. I always put down that I am Ernie when we play, and this just makes it that much better. Way to go Ernie. Little things like this make a huge difference for people. You know those guys have smiles on their faces every time they tell their stories, which they need.
Mr. Els: You are a class act, indeed!
Awesome story! A class act Mr. Els!
Rock on Ernie!
Too bad tripe like what is Tiger Woods overshadows stories like this. I’m an Els fan now!
And he’s from South Africa, for crying out loud. What a great guy.
What a refreshing story to read after all of the scandalous stuff you hear from the golf world recently . . . you have a new fan, Ernie!
Els sounds like a class act. I’m an American vet with several South African friends, and they’ve all been great.
Ernie Els is a CLASS act!!
Great story!!!! I’d like to read more about these hero veterans in the Palm Beach Post!!!
Ernie, well done! Very classy!
I had the opportunity to meet these soldiers at an event last night. They were so sxcited about meeting Ernie Els. I hope more people will reach out to a Wounded Warrior’s Second Chance and see how they can help.
I, too, am on the Host Committee for Wounded Warrior’s Second Chance and am so thankful to Jose Lambiet, to our communities of Tequesta and Jupiter– both the residents, and businesses–, and especially to Ernie Els for all the kindnesses shown to our heroes and their families! Our Wounded Warriors need us, and so do their families, and we will continue to secure rest and relaxation time for them–time away from the rigors of medical treatments at Walter Reed– as many times a year as we can.
It is gratifying to reading something good, about athletes who are good clean people. We always have the headlines bantered with those who are a disgrace to their teams, country and fans. Keep it up. More like this touch our hearts… Thanks again, Tom“““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““
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