Lipscomb’s Yellow Ribbon program has blessed a lot of military lives since it began in 2009. The program started off with 20 military veterans and now has reached to over 150. One student, Sam Schoenheit, shared his story, inspiring the lives of many here at Lipscomb.
Schoenheit attended basic training in summer 2003. At the Marine Corps boot camp, he was indoctrinated into the Marine Recon — the Marine Corps’ most elite fighting force.
Schoenheit served two combat tours in Iraq and one in Afghanistan. While conducting operations in Afghanistan, he was wounded on duty when a bullet fragmented into his brain.
“I stayed in the fight for about 45 minutes before I took one,” Schoenheit recalled. “I woke up in Bethesda Naval hospital with a full right side stroke, and that’s when I realized that my journey to recover was going to be a long ways away.”
While unconscious, former President George W. Bush personally awarded Schoenheit the Purple Heart. He was also awarded the Bronze Star Medal for his combat services. Schoneheit’s recovery has been miraculous, and he is continuing to progress.
“My only missing piece is the right hand hasn’t come back yet,” Schoenheit said. “The shoulder movement and stiffness in my forearm … just awkward and clumsy.”
We thank Schoenheit for his services, and we are blessed that he chose to be a Bison.
For more of Schoenheit’s story, watch this video by Monaih Sam.