Libertyville man gives Bowl tickets to Iraq vet
LIBERTYVILLE -- Purple Heart veteran Bryan Anderson of Rolling Meadows, who lost three limbs in Iraq, will be going to the Super Bowl courtesy of a Libertyville businessman.
While a lot of Bears Super Bowl ticket holders are testing the market to see how many thousands they can make on the hottest contest of the year, Brad Buell, president of Buell Insurance, is donating tickets so Anderson can see the game.
(Richard A. Chapman/Sun-Times/AP)
(Richard A. Chapman/Sun-Times)
Buell, a Bears season tickets holder, said he will discuss the issue in detail later this week, but confirmed the donation Tuesday.
Anderson, an Army sergeant who lost both legs and part of an arm in Iraq, was featured in a recent Esquire magazine cover story and is also involved in efforts to establish a memorial in Washington for disabled veterans.
U.S. Rep. Mark Kirk, R-Highland Park, who is sponsoring bipartisan legislation to create the memorial, hosted Anderson recently in Washington for events that included the State of the Union Address.
"Bryan Anderson is the ambassador for a new generation," Kirk said Tuesday. "He's a 21st century young man who served his country with distinction and suffered a horrible injury overseas, but whose spirit is completely focused on construction of this new disabled veterans monument."
Kirk was happy to hear that Anderson will be able to attend the Super Bowl. "He's a Fremd (Palatine) High School graduate, so it should be in his genetic makeup to support the Bears," Kirk said.
Kirk noted that actor Gary Sinise, a former Highland Park resident who, like Anderson, is serving as a spokesman for the proposed monument, will also attend the Super Bowl in Miami. Kirk said he hopes to help the two hook up at the game.
Last week, Kirk introduced the American Veterans Disabled for Life Commemorative Coin Act, House Resolution 634. The legislation seeks to recognize the sacrifices made by more than 3 million disabled veterans by building a memorial for them in Washington.
Supporters hope to raise the estimated $65 million needed to construct the monument in part through the minting of commemorative silver dollars that will be sold with a surcharge toward the cause.