August 7 is Purple Heart Day and a two-time Purple Heart recipient has turned his life-altering injuries into a mission to help his fellow veterans overcome their personal struggles after military service.
Retired Army Lt. Col. Daniel Gade enlisted in the Army in 1992 and graduated from West Point in 1997, serving over 25 years as an Armor officer.
In August 2004, Gade found himself in Ramadi, Iraq. Three months later, he was wounded by a rocket-propelled grenade that hit his tank. Killed in the attack was the 21-year-old soldier who was sitting next to him, Pfc. Dennis Miller.
“When we deployed, he was the training room clerk,” said Gade. “He’d been begging and begging to be assigned to a tank.”
Miller had only been on Gade’s tank for a couple of days when the attack occurred.
“As we were driving back to camp, I could see his wedding ring,” Gade said. “I remember thinking, I knew he was dead and his family didn’t.”
Miller was an only child and Gade had the opportunity to meet his family and visit his gravesite in 2019.
“They just very much, clearly, were still missing him,” he said.
On Jan. 10, 2005, Gade’s Humvee encountered a roadside bomb while en route to a meeting with local tribal leaders. The explosion caused significant injuries to his legs and abdomen, resulting in the loss of his right leg. Gade was evacuated to Baghdad and then to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, where he underwent surgery and recovered.
“I spent about five months as an inpatient at the hospital and another six months as an outpatient,” he said.
While in the hospital, Gade decided to remain in the Army and taught at West Point from 2011 until he retired from the service in 2017. He also worked in the U.S. Department of Labor helping veterans find employment and has taught at American University.
In addition to earning both his master’s and doctorate degrees during his recovery, Gade also got into hand cycling. After transitioning to upright bikes, and found himself participating in numerous triathlons, including a more than 140-mile-long Ironman.
“For the run, I used a racing wheelchair, for the bike I used an upright back and the swim was just normal,” he said. “For me, it was about sort of proving to myself that I was going to be okay.”
Today, Gade serves as an advisory council member at America’s Warrior Partnership, where he focuses on enhancing veterans' lives through the coordination of local services.
“They really do care that their programs are driven by science, driven by data,” he said. “They are also focused on suicide prevention, which is critically important.”
AWP is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year. Its veteran-led team has served more than 60,000 veterans nationwide.
Reach Julia LeDoux at Julia@connectingvets.com.
