Quite an Honor

Medal of Honor recipient Leroy Petry (second from right) and his son Austin (second from left) joined Champions Tour players Russ Cochran (far left), Mark Calcavecchia (center) and Kenny Perry last week at the Boeing Classic.
Corky Trewin

September 1, 2011

By Phil Stambaugh, PGA TOUR Staff

SNOQUALMIE, Wash.—One of America’s true heroes walked with champions last Sunday afternoon at the Boeing Classic.

Sgt. First Class Leroy Petry, one of only two active-duty service members since Vietnam to receive the Medal of Honor, participated in the Champions Tour’s Honorary Observer program as part of Military Appreciation Day last week. Petry got an up-close look at the Sunday pressure players experience at a professional golf tournament—walking with the final grouping of the day. That group included three of the four 36-hole co-leaders in the tournament: Russ Cochran, Kenny Perry and Mark Calcavecchia, the eventual winner.

That pressure, however, was nothing compared to what he had been through just over three years ago.

On May 26, 2008, near Pakyta, Afghanistan, Petry’s gallantry saved the lives of two members of his Company D, Second Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment. Petry was part of a mission to raid an insurgent compound in broad daylight and pursue a top al-Qaida commander sequestered inside. He was eventually left near a chicken coop with two of his comrades who suddenly were just several feet from a live enemy grenade.

Already shot through both thighs, Petry showed no regard for his own life, quickly making the decision to lunge forward and discard the grenade before the two members of his unit met certain death. He lost his hand when the grenade detonated as he released it, but Petry calmly applied a tourniquet and then radioed for help. His handling of the situation eventually allowed other Rangers to kill the enemy fighters and end the conflict.

On July 12 this year, Petry received the Medal of Honor from President Barack Obama in a White House ceremony.

Just above his prosthetic right hand, Petry wears a covering on his forearm with a small rectangular plaque attached, bearing the names in his Ranger unit who have perished in battle. Among those names is Pat Tillman, the former NFL player who gave up his professional football career to serve his country.

“It’s a living memorial to the guys that have been lost, and Corporal Tillman’s name is on there,” he said. “He was in our unit, but in a different company so I didn’t know him that well. I did see him and talk to him when we were doing our expert infantry training, and he was a great guy.”

Petry grew up in Santa Fe, N.M., and knew he wanted to join the military by the time he was seven. He first learned about golf when he would go with his grandfather to the local course, but he never picked up a club until after he lost the hand in combat and was back in the United States rehabilitating.

“They told me there was an attachment for golf, and I said, ‘Hey, it’s time for me to pick up a new sport.’ I first played during my rehab in San Antonio, and I’ve been playing ever since,” Petry said.

When Petry was introduced to the crowd on the first tee Sunday at TPC Snoqualmie, all three members of the Champions Tour in the group were visibly moved by the reception he received, trying to hold their emotions in check while also maintaining their composure and concentration to focus on the task at hand.

“I was shaken up a bit for sure, “ Calcavecchia said. “Knowing what he went through over there and that he did something extraordinary, I paused for a second. But then I realized that I had to get it together and go hit an important tee shot.”

On the 18th green after his playoff victory over Cochran, Calcavecchia received the tournament trophy and a flight jacket, compliments of Boeing, the event’s title sponsor. However, it was what he received from Petry that might hold the most meaning in the years ahead.

“It's a big coin, and without my glasses I couldn't read what it said around the outside of it. But [Petry] said this is for the fallen warriors over here, and this is for these guys and this is what it means,” Calcavecchia said. “I was kind of in a state of shock that he gave this thing to me. I was like, Oh, my God, this is beautiful, and I just kind of blanked out for a minute. I’m going to contact him soon and let him know how much I appreciated it and him for joining our group last week.”

Even though the 32-year-old Petry has deployed eight times in support of what the U.S. is calling the war on terror, he recently reenlisted for indefinite status because of his love for the Army and his great opportunity to work with the care coalition, a support group for wounded infantrymen.  

“I’m their liaison as a filter, to sort out the wildness and make sense of it all to them. I make sure they are comfortable and taken care of. It gives me a chance to mentor some guys and provide leadership,” he said. “I get to see the resiliency of many of the wounded soldiers bouncing back and getting back to work or driving on with their lives. It’s an amazing effort and it’s very rewarding for me. I want to go back over there, and I’ll work in any role they want me to work in.”

Petry, who is currently at Joint Base Lewis-McChord near Seattle, enjoyed his inside-the-ropes experience at the Boeing Classic.

“I feel thankful that I was offered the chance to come out here today,” Petry said. “I love watching golf, and it was neat to walk with the leaders in the last group.”

He acknowledged that receiving the Medal of Honor has been a life-changing experience.

“It’s given me the opportunity to boast and brag about the service members and how much they sacrifice. Every time I get the chance to talk about the great stuff the men and women of our armed services are doing, it’s a good day.”

The last shall be first. On this particular Sunday in the Pacific Northwest, it was an honor for everyone in attendance to have Sgt. First Class Leroy Petry, an extraordinary individual, fill out the final foursome.