The Duke of Sussex has recently received an honor for some special work he was doing. He may be in the limelight for many reasons, but this one is well worth considering.
The prestigious award to be honored to Prince Harry is for work that he’s done for the benefit of veterans. At the 2024 ESPY Awards, he will be honored with receiving the Pat Tillman Award for Service.
Pat Tillman, who was a U.S. Army Ranger and a former NFL player is honored by having his name attached to this award. The award itself goes beyond what that late NFL player did, it honors all who have a connection with sports and have impacted others in a profound way.
It is because of the efforts that Harry has put into helping the veteran community that offer him this opportunity. He spent a decade serving in the British military, including two tours in Afghanistan. In one of those tours, he served as an Apache helicopter pilot and in the other, a forward air controller.
He continued serving after that by founding The Invictus Games Foundation in 2014. That organization seeks to help wounded, injured, and sick servicemen, both those who are on active duty and veterans. Any physical or invisible injuries they may suffer are assisted by the foundation.
Since it was founded, it has become an international organization. These games bring together competitors from 23 different nations to support the program all year long.
Harry recalls: “Sport was the magic that I witnessed.” After coming back from Afghanistan, he saw how it impacted those who were wounded, sick, and injured. He knew that more support was needed, so he expanded on the Warrior Games model.
After being awarded the Pat Tillman award, he joins an elite group of those who have also one, including Jake Wood and Kirstie Ennis.
Others who have won the award include Canadian boxer, Kim Clavel in 2020, English footballer Marcus Rashford in 2021, Retired US Army Command Sergeant Major, Gretchen Evans in 2022, and the Buffalo Bills Training Staff in 2023.
Prince Harry has a close connection to the Armed Forces. He continues to maintain an official relationship with a number of military units and serves as a Colonel-in-Chief in the Army Air Corps. He was appointed to that position by King Charles III in May.