Attend the 2022 Four Star Leadership Awards Banquet Featuring Keynote Speaker John Wayne Walding
foGeneral Tommy Franks requests the pleasure of your company at the Four Star Leadership Awards Banquet featuring keynote speaker John Wayne Walding. Please join us to recognize the hard work of our 2022 Four Star Leadership Class as we honor their accomplishments with award scholarships.
2022 Four Star Leadership Awards Banquet Thursday, July 14, 2022 5:45 p.m. | Social Meet & Greet for Sponsors 6:30 p.m. | Dinner & Program Gaylord University Center Oklahoma Christian University 2501 E. Memorial Road, Edmond, Oklahoma 73136 Online tickets will be available through 11 a.m. on July 11. Tickets are $50 each. Business attire is requested *Table sponsorship includes 8 banquet tickets and sponsorship recognition on event materials as well as the opportunity to visit with keynote speaker, SFC (R) John Wayne Walding, in advance of the program during the social meet-and-greet. Ticket purchases may also be completed over the telephone. Please call (580) 726-5900.
Sponsored by:
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About Our Speaker
SFC (R) John Wayne Walding, born on July 4, was raised in Groesbeck, Texas. He spent nearly 12 years in the United States Army, including seven years in the prestigious 3rd Special Forces Group at Ft. Bragg, North Carolina. He has combat deployments to both Iraq and Afghanistan. During his career at 3rd SFG he served on ODA 396/3336 as a Special Forces Communications Sergeant, and at the Sniper Detachment as a Sniper Instructor. On April 6, 2008, John lost his right leg to sniper fire during the battle of Shok Valley. He continued to fight alongside his brothers for four more hours earning him the Sliver Star and Purple Heart. The incredible story of that six-hour fight is detailed in the book No Way Out: A Story of Valor in the Mountains of Afghanistan by Mitch Weiss and Kevin Maurer.
John’s military awards and badges include the Silver Star as well as the Bronze Star, Purple Heart, Combat infantry badge, Airborne, Air Assault and Special Forces tab. Post-injury, John attended Special Forces Sniper School and upon graduation became the first amputee ever to become a Green Beret Sniper. Using a hand crank, he went on to compete in the 2009 Boston Marathon, in which he finished 4th, as well as being a top 10 finisher in the 2010 New York Marathon. He ran the 2018 Dallas Marathon and recently completed one of the hardest marathon routs in the world, the Bataan Death March with a 45 lb. ruck sack. John is the founder of Gallantry Global Logistics and Live To Give. Gallantry is a service-disabled veteran/minority owned freight forwarding and logistics company that specializes in shipments of consequence. Live To Give is a bottled water company that give 50% of their net profits to veterans, first responders and their families. He also travels the country speaking to veterans’ organizations, corporations and the public about leadership, excellence, overcoming adversity using his motto “Lean Forward, Fight Hard.” John strongly believes his biggest accomplishment is marrying his beautiful wife, Amy and having their four wonderful children: Emma 18, Sam 17, Andie 12 and Hannah 8. They reside in Gunter, Texas. |
