The Gold Star family of United States Army Major Paul C. Voelke will announce the New York Giants’ first-round draft pick at the 90th annual NFL Draft on April 23.
According to The Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS), Voelke’s surviving spouse, Traci, along with their two sons, Army Andrew and Benjamin , will take the draft stage to announce the first-round pick for their favorite team, the Giants.
“Paul was a huge fan his whole life,” said Traci. “He signed up to get season tickets and finally made the list when we were stationed in Georgia, but couldn’t justify buying because we wouldn’t be able to go. When he was in Afghanistan, Paul had a rug made with the NY Giants logo.”
Paul’s fandom for the Giants began through his stepfather, Richard Griffenkranz, who became a father figure to him after Paul lost his biological father at age six. Griffenkranz served in the Army from February 1966 to January 1968. He completed his training at Fort Hood, Texas, and was stationed in Germany with the First Armored Division.
Known to friends and family as "Griff," Griffenkranz grew up in the Bronx and became a devoted fan after attending games with a neighbor who held season tickets. Over the years, Paul and Griff shared a deep bond through watching Giants football together.
A native of Monroe, New York, Paul graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1998. He served 14 years as an Army infantry officer, completing five deployments to Kosovo, Iraq, and Afghanistan.
“He deployed for the last time in January 2012; the Giants won the Super Bowl that year,” said Tracil. “While we were sad we couldn’t watch it together, we were so happy the Giants won, and Paul got to see it. He died just a few months later.”
On June 22, 2012, while serving in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, Paul sustained fatal injuries from an accident involving a mine-protected vehicle in Afghanistan. He was a highly decorated officer, receiving the Bronze Star Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters and the Meritorious Service Medal.
Traci and Ben Voelke are seen in an undated photo at a TAPS GalaTAPS
“Our dad was a Giants super fan his whole life and passed down that fandom to our family,” said Ben. “It is a privilege to honor our father and represent the New York Giants at the NFL Draft this year.”
The Voelke family has been involved with TAPS - a national nonprofit providing care and resources for those grieving the loss of a military loved one since 2012. Traci is a trained peer mentor supporting other survivors through their grief journey. Meanwhile, her sons attended Good Grief Camp, where they connected with other children of the fallen.
Now living in northern Virginia, Traci is the chief of client services for the Office of the Staff Judge Advocate at Fort Belvoir. A dedicated advocate for military survivors, she recently helped pass a Virginia constitutional amendment to expand financial support for Gold Star spouses.
Andrew is following in his father’s footsteps. He graduated from his university’s ROTC program and commissioned as an Army infantry officer last year. Ben is a sophomore in college in New York, studying political science. He recently interned with the TAPS government and legislative affairs department.
The opportunity to announce a draft pick is part of the NFL’s Salute to Service initiative, a year-long effort to honor, empower, and connect service members, veterans, and their families.
“The NFL Draft is about possibility,” said TAPS President and Founder Bonnie Carroll. “It is about players who have worked their entire lives for this moment. It is about families who stood behind them, believed in them, and carried them here. It is also about something deeper, because behind every name called tonight is a story of sacrifice.”
Reach Julia LeDoux at Julia@connectingvets.com.
