I
mmediately after his team’s 52-6
thrashing of the Jacksonville
Jaguars at Ford Field on Sunday,
Nov. 17, Lions head coach Dan
Campbell made his way to midfield
for the customary handshake between
the winning and losing coaches.
However, I’m certain Campbell would
tell you that it was a series of hand-
shakes just prior to the start of game
that he won’t soon forget.
Before the opening kickoff,
Campbell met and shook hands on the
field with four Michigan WWII veter-
ans, among them, 97-year-old Jewish
War Veteran (JWV) Art Fishman of
Oak Park. It was part of the National
Football League’s (NFL) “Salute to
Service” dedication the league cele-
brates each year around Veterans Day.
“Salute to Service represents our
year-round commitment to the mil-
itary community, and we are proud
to recognize and honor our country’s
service members, veterans and their
families,
” said NFL Commissioner
Roger Goodell.
Salute to Service partners with
five charitable organizations that,
according to the NFL, “has raised $73
million to help advance their ongoing
missions to uplift our nation’s military
community through targeted pro-
grams, resources and support.
” Funds
are raised through the sale of the NFL’s
“Salute to Service” gear.
The Bob Woodruff Foundation,
one of the five organizations affiliated
with the NFL, worked with the Detroit
Lions to secure local veterans who
would be honored at the game.
Woodruff, formerly of Detroit,
is the ABC reporter who suffered
a life-threatening traumatic brain
injury in 2006 while reporting on the
transfer of power between the U.S.
and Iraqi security forces. His recovery
and return to work at ABC have been
nothing short of miraculous.
The care the Woodruff family
received during Bob’s journey back to
good health and the military families
they encountered with similar stories
are what inspired the creation of the
foundation.
According to its website, “The
Woodruff family resolved to raise
awareness about the tough challeng-
es veterans and military families are
facing and invest in solutions to help
support them in the next chapter of
their lives.
”
Dave Woodruff, Bob’s brother and
co-founder and chief revenue officer
of the organization, lives in the Detroit
area. It was through a series of his
local contacts that the four WWII
veterans were picked to appear at the
Lions game.
Art Fishman came to be among
those honored by way of his affiliation
through his tireless work on behalf of
the Michigan WWII Legacy Memorial
in Royal Oak’s Memorial Park. He
OUR COMMUNITY
12 | DECEMBER 5 • 2024 J
N
Art Fishman
honored at
Ford Field.
ALAN MUSKOVITZ
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Heart of a
“YOU DON’T THINK SOMETHING
LIKE THIS WILL EVER HAPPEN TO YOU...
I TRIED TO ABSORB EVERY MOMENT.
A REAL HIGHLIGHT OF MY LIFE.”
— ART FISHMAN
Art Fishman shared
a moment with Lions
coach Dan Campbell
before the game.
BRAD ZIEGLER