By Spc. Devon Bistarkey
Photo by Staff Sgt. James Pernol
When Wesley College student athlete and Delaware National Guard soldier Spc. Jason Berry apart of the 150th Engineer Detachment received orders for Afghanistan last year his lacrosse team planned something special during his deployment.
To show their support for the junior midfielder who would spend the entire 2014 lacrosse season overseas; the team came together along with the coaching staff and designed a patriotic warm-up jersey. The team reached out to Berry’s father and veteran, Col. Michael Berry, DEARNG land component commander, to help with the design and use of the Delaware National Guard emblem.
“It was incredible to have a group of young 20 year-olds take an interest while one of their teammates was overseas,” said Col. Berry.
In his absence, Berry’s team wore a digital-camouflage shooting jersey with the Delaware National Guard griffin, his unit name, and number in red, white and blue stars and strips, along with the Wesley College Wolverines logo for the first half-hour before every game of the season.
The surprise came when, after the Wolverines first game when pictures of the entire team in their warm-up jerseys were posted online with captions and comments expressing their pride, flooded Berry’s Facebook page half way around the world.
“I had no idea,” said Berry, “It felt pretty great having their support while I was gone.”
A care package from home included a group picture of his teammates in their commemorative jerseys along with one of his very own. Unable to travel overseas with any lacrosse gear and without the opportunity to play Berry wore the custom jersey each game to return the support his team showed him.
“They sent it to me and I would wear it on games days, but since it was night time in Afghanistan when they played, I slept in it” said Berry.
Support from his team started before Berry left for deployment as teammate and Iraqi veteran Josh Ladd acted as a mentor to Berry giving him tips before and during his deployment; in what Col. Berry explained as the act of one veteran taking care of another.
Lacrosse has found a special place for some of the soldiers in the Delaware National Guard that now play on an intermural team and continue to represent the states national guard units at home and abroad.
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