Jason Smith, center in the blue shirt, lost both legs in Afghanistan to an improvised explosive device. Smith's hometown is Ringgold, Ga.Recognition is swelling both at home and away for Georgia veteran Jason Smith.
Smith, a graduate of Ringgold High School, was injured in 2012 when he stepped on an improvised explosive device while on patrol in the southern province of Afghanistan. Both his legs were severed and he sustained severe damage to his right arm and hand, severe hearing loss and post traumatic stress disorder.
Northwestern University, in Evanston, Ill., will honor Smith today at its home football game against Northern Illinois.
The university was flying Smith and his fiancee, Lauren Wallace, to the game and putting them up in the team hotel. They'll enjoy a pre-game breakfast and catch the game from the sideline. The team will recognize Smith during a time-out at the beginning of the second half.
Ryan Chenault, Northwestern's assistant athletic director for marketing, says the school has made honoring veterans a priority -- whether they come from the Chicago area or from afar. They honor a different veteran at each home game, he said, and there's always a standing ovation, regardless of the score of the game.
"For us, we have a great opportunity at these games to put a spotlight on these individuals," Chenault said. "It's one of the highlights of what we do at every single home game."
Michael Fitzpatrick, whose son is a long snapper for Northwestern, introduced Smith to the university. Fitzpatrick had built a home for a wounded veteran in Alabama and was looking to help out another soldier. He met Jason Smith through another military couple, Andrew and Tori Smith (no relation).
Last year, the local group Steps to Hope built Andrew and Tori a 3,000-square-foot home in Apison. Andrew Smith, an Army specialist, lost both his legs below the knee in March 2012 after stepping on an improvised explosive device while on his first foot patrol in Afghanistan.
Fitzpatrick said he knew he wanted to do something similar for Jason Smith since their first meeting at an IHOP.
"He and I spoke for two hours, and I knew right then that I wanted to do everything I can to get him a new house," he said. "It started out as just a massive community push in the Ringgold area. We all got together and we decided that we were going to put together a grassroots effort to build this young man a house, as simple as that sounds."
Smith retired from the Army in 2014 and is now studying at Chattanooga State Community College, with plans to receive a degree in physical therapy. He said he's humbled by the recognition, both in Chicago and here at home.
"It's a blessing, that's for sure," he said. "I never expected anything."
Contact staff writer Kevin Hardy at khardy@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6249.