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