Life doesn’t always go according to plan. However, it’s how you respond to adversity that will not only define you but also your future. Danielle Green was a basketball player at Notre Dame garnering lots of attention throughout her prolific collegiate career. As a Soldier, her service would take her to Iraq in 2004. This is where she would end up losing part of her arm following an RPG attack. However, her story didn’t end there. Today, Green continues to give back to the military community and beyond thanks to her resilience.
Danielle Green Is No Stranger to Overcoming Adversity
Enlisting as a military police officer in the U.S. Army in 2002, Danielle Green was deployed in January 2004 to Iraq.
But before serving her country, Green was a star for Notre Dame’s women’s basketball team.
Over 116 career games, Green averaged 9.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game.
Green overcame a lot to become a 5’ 8” guard known for her deadly left hand as a part of the Fighting Irish.
Growing up in South Side Chicago with her grandmother, Green’s mother was unfortunately busy dealing with substance abuse issues.
Needless to say, the change from a Black neighborhood that continues to struggle with crime to a mostly white, prestigious Catholic school was a big one.
However, with the help of Dr. Mickey Franco, a sports psychologist, and the welcoming arms of those on campus, Green was able to find a new home, despite feelings of alienation.
But even though she found a way to fit in, doesn’t mean everything was easy while in college.
Danielle Green spent five years at the program after rupturing her Achilles, derailing her sophomore season.
In 1999, Green earned her psychology degree before returning to Chicago to teach and coach; however, her goals would take her in a new direction.
Military Service
While in grad school, Green decided to join the Army after feeling a call to serve her country.
Rather than use her experience with an ROTC program at her high school and her degree from Notre Dame degree to join the Officer Candidates School, she enlisted instead to work up the ranks.
She joined the 571st Military Police Company and deployed to Iraq. On May 25, 2004, her unit was under attack when an RPG caused her to suffer serious wounds.
Fortunately, she would escape with her life. However, the strike was close enough to make an impact forever.
Not only did she experience severe wounds to her upper left arm and left thigh, but her lower left arm was blown off as a result of the attack.
Evacuated to Germany to the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, her next stop was stateside at the Walter Reed Army Hospital.
It was here that Danielle Green would spend eight months receiving treatment and occupational therapy as she continued to heal from her wounds.
Danielle Green Continues to Inspire the Military Community
Halfway through her stint at Walter Reed, Green had begun transitioning into her new normal.
There was a group of Veterans running through Central Park in New York City for the five-mile Hope and Possibility Run through New York City’s Central Park.
On December 7, 2004, Danielle Green separated from service as a Purple Heart Veteran. She returned to her hometown to finish earning her master’s degree in counseling.
While an employee for Chicago Public Schools and Malcolm X Community College, Green helped kids with sports, dealing with college choices, picking their class schedules, etc.
Since then, Green has continued to help the military community, including Veterans who served in Vietnam.
For her efforts in helping the military community, Green won the 2015 ESPY Pat Tillman Award and has helped the Department of Veterans Affairs near Notre Dame as a therapist at the South Bend Vet Center.
It was here that Green helped Veterans learn how to transition while also providing hope for those fighting their own battles.
More recently, Green has worked as a Warrior Speaks Spokesperson, to help inspire the military community and help others overcome the adversities in their own lives.
Danielle Green is much more than her circumstances, as she continues to prove time and time again.
Not only is she a reminder of what our nation’s heroes must endure, but she is also a great example of perseverance and giving back, no matter what you are facing.
Suggested reads:
- RAAF Base Darwin Houses Marines Collaborating in Australia
- Tales of Bravery: The Journey of a Military Medic in the Vietnam War
- Exploring the Potential Vice Presidents’ Military Service: What Those Who Served With Them Think
Image Source: Tee It Up for the Troops
