She's making a pitch for returning veterans

She's making a pitch for returning veterans
Ex-soldier gets ceremonial toss at Fenway

By Maureen Mullen, Globe Correspondent | July 3, 2008

Bruce Rich fondly remembers the mental toughness of the young catcher, an energetic leader who galvanized the Chelmsford High School softball team he coached nearly 20 years ago.

So he wasn't terribly surprised to learn of Michelle Saunders's act of bravery, one in which she pulled a mortally wounded comrade out of a firefight in Iraq, leaving her with two ruptured discs in her back, permanent nerve damage in her right leg, and post-traumatic stress disorder.

"Other than that, I'm in good shape, compared to most that I see every day," said Saunders, a 1992 Chelmsford graduate.

The 34-year-old Saunders now visits wounded servicemen and women daily, including those at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, where she spent 22 months in rehab from her own injuries. It's all part of her current role as director of veterans relations with Hire Heroes USA and Veterans Moving Forward, a subsidiary of Veterans Homestead, programs she helped initiate to assist wounded military personnel reentering the workforce.

On Wednesday afternoon, Saunders will throw out the ceremonial first pitch at Fenway Park before the Red Sox game with the Twins during pregame ceremonies that will include other members of the armed forces.

Season-ticket holders can donate their tickets for that game to servicepeople as part of the Seats for Soldiers program.

"I'm a little jealous," said her 29-year-old brother, Matt, who lives in Arlington. "No, not really. I'm just really proud. . . . I'll be there."

Since her discharge from the Army in 2006 after her injuries sustained in Iraq, Saunders has been doing her best to ensure that wounded veterans like herself value their self-worth. In April, she testified before Congress about the issues servicepeople face as they reenter civilian life.

At the time, she was concerned about her position at the Department of Labor, but said, " 'Look, I need to represent my brothers and sisters that are following behind me, and the only way I can do that is basically speak up and tell the truth about what's going on and what's not going on,' " she said.

In her one hour and 22-minute testimony, she painstakingly listed everything returning veterans are going through. Speeches normally are limited to six minutes.

"There were a lot of things that I was able to articulate that really need to be brought out in the forefront," she said.

Recently, she has helped secure 10 1/2 acres of land through Mount Wachusett Community College, in Gardner, where Veterans Homestead plans to build a facility that will house veterans and their families as they reenter civilian life, supplying them with medical care and vocational training. The group hopes to break ground on the facility soon, pending legislation.

"Oftentimes they get home and even though the benefits are there for them, they can't utilize them, because the reality is they have to put food on the table and put a roof over their heads," she said.

It has been quite a journey since she first enlisted in 1996. Dejected but undeterred after she was turned down by the Marines because she mentioned she had asthma as a child, she walked across the hall and said, "The Army's the next best thing."

"They asked me the same question, and I said, 'Nope, never had [asthma],' and they enlisted me right there."

Upon her graduation from Northeastern in 1999, she transferred to active duty in 1999 and was deployed to the Middle East in 2003.

"I could see her going into the service, I think that we all could," said Chelmsford High athletic director Jack Fletcher, who recalls Saunders as a great athlete, and one of his math students.

"She had a lot of kids that followed her [as a leader]. She was such a positive influence around here."

Her heroic actions of May 1, 2004, in which the 23-truck convoy she was traveling with was ambushed in Al-Amarah along the Iraqi-Iranian border, earned her the Bronze Star.

"I kind of just did my job and was just awarded for valor," said Saunders, the only woman in the convoy.

"I went in to save one of my guys. Unfortunately, he didn't make it. But I think I just did what anyone would have done in the same situation."

The attack marked the first time since her deployment that she had come under significant fire.

Her brother recalls the family learning of the attack and fearing the worst.

"It was difficult at first," said Matt Saunders. "She finally contacted my mother . . . and we pretty much knew that she was OK, but that she was gong to have to go through some pretty extensive rehabilitation."

Rich, now the head football coach at Chelmsford, said, "I didn't know that she was wounded. I'm not at all surprised at the work she's doing now. She was always very helpful to the younger kids in our program. She's a competitor."

The former backstop is now focusing on her pitch at Fenway.

"I've got to start warming up now," said Saunders, who was a first-team All-American catcher three times and two-time captain on her Army team.

"I'd rather hit the backstop than hit the dirt," adding that she hopes that Red Sox captain Jason Varitek is on the receiving end of her throw.

Asked which is more nerve-racking, the thought of throwing out the first pitch at Fenway or testifying before Congress, Saunders didn't hesitate. "Throwing out the first pitch. Are you kidding me? Definitely."

Ellie