Bob Woodruff at Michigan Commencement

Here are some excerpts from Bob Woodruff's commencement address to graduates of the University of Michigan:

SOME OF YOU MAY BE FAMILIAR WITH MY STORY. BASICALLY, I WAS BLOWN UP AND THEN SURVIVED. THAT IS WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO AROUND HERE TO BE INVITED TO GIVE THE GRADUATION SPEECH AT MY ALMA MATER.

WHILE COVERING THE WAR OUTSIDE OF BAGHDAD FOR ABC NEWS, I WAS HIT BY AN IED, AS SO MANY OF OUR SERVICE MEMBERS ARE INJURED EVERY DAY IN THIS WAR.

IN FACT A RECENT REPORT BY THE RAND CORPORATION FOUND THAT MORE THAN 300,000 AMERICAN SOLDIERS HAVE SOME FORM OF A BRAIN INJURY. THAT INCLUDES PHYSICAL INJURIES OR MENTAL STRESS FROM COMBAT. SOME OF THEM HAVE OBVIOUS WOUNDS…OTHERS ARE MORE HIDDEN.

IN YOUR DAY-TO-DAY LIFE AT COLLEGE, YOU PROBABLY DON’T THINK A HECK OF A LOT ABOUT THESE SERVICE MEMBERS, WHO ARE, MOST OF THEM, JUST YOUR AGE. THEY WAKE UP EVERY DAY WONDERING IF THIS IS GOING TO BE THE DAY THEY STUMBLE ON AN IED BURIED IN A PILE OF TRASH, OR ROLL DOWN A ROAD WITH A BOMB DUG INTO THE DIRT.

YOU WILL INHERIT THIS NEXT GENERATION OF WOUNDED AND IT WILL BE UP TO YOU, FOR THE MOST PART, TO HELP THEM AS THEY ASSIMILATE BACK INTO SOCIETY AND TO EXPRESS GRATITUDE AS A SOCIETY FOR THE FACT THAT THEY RAISED THEIR HANDS TO GO TO IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN—SO THAT YOU WOULD NOT HAVE TO.

WHETHER YOU ARE FOR OR AGAINST THIS WAR, I BELIEVE THAT THE VETERANS MUST BE TREATED WITH DIGNITY WHEN THEY RETURN HOME. THIS IS NOT A POLITICAL ISSUE. IT IS SIMPLY THE RIGHT THING TO DO.

...

THERE HAVE BEEN SO MANY AMAZING MOMENTS IN MY LIFE. I HAD A GREAT CHILDHOOD, AMAZING PARENTS AND BROTHERS. I MARRIED A GREAT WOMAN AND PUT HER THROUGH HELL. I HAVE FOUR WONDERFUL KIDS WHO ARE MY LIFE AND I'VE BEEN BLESSED WITH A CAREER THAT LET ME TRAVEL THE WORLD.

BUT I FACED PERHAPS MY GREATEST CHALLENGE WHEN HUNDREDS OF ROCKS AND METAL HIT THE LEFT SIDE OF MY HEAD, WITH THE FORCE OF A BLAST. A 155 MM ROADSIDE BOMB HAD EXPLODED 20 FEET FROM WHERE MY CAMERAMAN AND I WERE STANDING PARTIALLY OUT OF THE TANK.

WHAT HAPPENED AFTER THAT, MY SHATTERED SKULL, A COMA FOR 36 DAYS AND THEN, AS SO MANY OF OUR WOUNDED SERVICE MEMBERS AND THEIR FAMILIES ARE FACING EVERY DAY IN THIS COUNTRY—THE LONG ROAD TO RECOVERY TO REGAIN MYSELF AFTER A BRAIN INJURY.

I LEARNED RECENTLY FROM ONE OF THE SURGEONS WHO HAD BEEN IN THE BATTLEFIELD HOSPITAL—THAT, WRITTEN NEXT TO MY NAME ON MY MEDICAL CHART WAS THE WORD "EXPECTED"—THAT MEANT, "EXPECTED TO DIE."

AND WHEN I DID WAKE UP—IN A DRAMATIC AND HUMOROUS WAY—WHICH YOU CAN READ ABOUT IN OUR BOOK—IN AN INSTANT—JUST OUT IN PAPERBACK—I DIDN'T KNOW THE NAMES OF MY KIDS, IN FACT I HAD FORGOTTEN THAT I HAD TWINS AT ALL.

I CALLED ALL OF MY BROTHERS DAVE, AND I WAS MISSING MANY, MANY WORDS. I LIVED FOR FOUR MONTHS WITH PART OF MY SKULL MISSING AND I BATTLED FATIGUE AND PAIN CONSTANTLY.

WITH THE HELP OF MY FAMILY, FRIENDS, OUR COMMUNITY IN NEW YORK AND IN MY HOME TOWN OF BIRMINGHAM AND A HUGE SUPPORT FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN COMMUNITY, I WAS ABLE TO COME BACK AND CONTINUE AS A FATHER, HUSBAND, AND NOW AS JOURNALIST.

SO THANK YOU FOR THAT—FOR THOSE PRAYERS AND THOUGHTS AND GOOD WILL. IF YOU EVER FOLLOWED OUR STORY—YOU HAVE HELPED ME TO RETURN TO WHAT I LOVE TO DO.

AND SO MY LAST LITTLE NUGGET TODAY IS TO TELL YOU THAT YOU SHOULD NEVER UNDERESTIMATE THE POWER OF THE HUMAN SPIRIT. HUMAN BEINGS ARE INCREDIBLY RESILIENT. THE BODY AND THE MIND CAN DO AMAZING THINGS. PEOPLE CAN FIGHT BACK AGAINST GREAT ODDS AND TRIUMPH. AND WHEN YOU HIT THAT ROUGH PATCH IN YOUR LIFE, AND AT SOME POINT YOU WILL, YOU WILL NEED TO DRAW UPON ALL OF YOUR ARTILLERY.

FAITH, LOVE, FAMILY, FRIENDS, DETERMINATION, MOTIVATION, SHEER DOGGEDNESS—THESE WERE SOME OF THE TOOLS I HAD AT MY DISPOSAL. I WAS LUCKY—AND I WAS ALSO BLESSED.

FAMILY AND FRIENDS ARE THE GREATEST GIFTS IN LIFE. I FOUND THAT OUT WHEN I WAS INJURED AND YOU, MOST LIKELY, WILL ENCOUNTER A TIME WHEN YOU WILL NEED TO LEAN ON OTHERS TO HELP YOU GET BY. IT IS NOT A STRAIGHT LINE. THE FRIENDS YOU MADE HERE AT MICHIGAN WILL MOST LIKELY BE FRIENDS FOR LIFE.

BISHOP DESMOND TUTU HAS A QUOTE THAT SPEAKS TO ME, AND SO I SHARE IT WITH YOU TODAY. HE SAYS, "I AM SORRY TO SAY THAT SUFFERING IS PART AND PARCEL PART OF THE HUMAN EXPERIENCE. AND SO WE CAN CHOOSE TO HAVE IT EMBITTER US—OR ENNOBLE US."

I DON'T THINK THERE IS ANYONE AMONG US WHO WANTS TO BE A BITTER OLD PERSON. I KNOW I DON'T. AND SO I URGE YOU TO TAKE THOSE CHALLENGES AND RISE TO THEM.