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This Memorial Day weekend, just like the rest of them, hits home for Robert Griffin III – but this one might be a tad more special.
The son of two U.S. Army veterans, the former Washington Commanders quarterback went back to the nation’s capital as part of his longtime partnership with USAA.
Griffin visited USAA’s Poppy Wall of Honor, a powerful tribute recognizing more than 600,000 service members who gave their lives in defense of our country, each represented by a single poppy, at the National Mall.
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Robert Griffin III looks on before the game between the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Cincinnati Bengals at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla., on Dec. 4, 2023. (David Rosenblum/Icon Sportswire)
“It’s really an opportunity to share their stories. They’ve actually enhanced the exhibit even more this year by adding stories of the fallen soldiers, so you can walk the exhibit and you can hear those stories that are given from their family members,” Griffin told Fox News Digital in a recent interview.
“Because in the military community, a lot of times we do feel like maybe the sacrifices aren’t appreciated as much, or maybe we are forgotten at times for the things that we do for this country. These people who are honored by this wall gave the ultimate sacrifice. So it’s not them that are feeling it — it’s their families.
“To hear those stories from the families is truly important and impactful, and all they want is to not be forgotten. So if we can continue to tell their stories and pay homage to them and honor them, it keeps their stories alive.”
Griffin knows that many Americans will take advantage of the long weekend with some poolside barbecues, but he did implore everyone to realize why they are able to do so in the first place.
A wall of more than 600,000 red poppies representing U.S. service members who died in the line of duty since World War I is displayed along the National Mall in Washington, D.C., on May 26, 2024. (Kent Nishimura/Getty Images)
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“I’m not saying it’s not about that. What I’m saying is there’s a reason that we’re able to do that, and it’s because of our service members who gave the ultimate sacrifice,” Griffin said. “I just want to be here with USAA and make that known. It’s okay to have fun, but if you have some time, get in a huddle, take a moment of silence, say a prayer, share the stories if you know someone who was in the military who gave the ultimate sacrifice, so that we can keep those stories alive and truly know the reason for Memorial Day is about them. It’s not about us.”
Being around veterans all his life, Griffin was able to take some lessons from those who served to the gridiron and in life.
“Yeah, it’s not two-pointed at all. It’s very impactful. With my parents, it was always, ‘Whatever you start, you’re going to finish.’ It’s ‘yes, ma’am,’ ‘no, ma’am,’ ‘yes, sir,’ ‘no, sir,’ and the discipline that it takes to get to where you want to be means that you’re going to have to overcome adversity,” he said. “When you talk about the type of mental fortitude you have to have to do something like that — knowing that you may not see your mom again, your dad again, your child, your husband, your wife — it’s truly remarkable, and it just shows you how seriously they take their service and how much they love this country.
Robert Griffin III, former NFL quarterback and ESPN analyst, looks on before the game between the Jacksonville Jaguars and Cincinnati Bengals at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla., on Dec. 4, 2023. (David Rosenblum/Icon Sportswire)
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“If we can apply that to everything that we do in life, this country is going to continue to grow and continue to be great at the level that it has been. To me, that is what the military is. It is the best of us, and these people deserve to be honored.”
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