Iraq and Back to JMU
Walking across the stage at James Madison University’s
commencement 20 years ago, Justin Constantine (’92) could not anticipate this
moment, the moment he took the stage as the keynote speaker for JMU’s 2012
December commencement. Constantine, now
a lieutenant colonel (select) in the U.S. Marine Corp Reserves, shared his
story of being wounded in Iraq, his faith in young people and his passion for
service at the Dec. 15 ceremony for nearly 800 undergraduate and graduate
students.
As a Marine reservist Constantine volunteered for deployment
to Iraq in 2006. While on a routine
combat patrol on October 18, 2006, Constantine was hit by a sniper’s bullet in
the side of his head behind his left ear.
His catastrophic injury and inspirational recovery has led Constantine
to serve and represent wounded veterans.
“It is so
refreshing to see JMU shining the spotlight on wounded warriors and I consider
myself here today as a representative of that community.”
Constantine’s message to the graduates focused on the
opportunities that lie ahead for the Class of 2012. “You are
in such an exciting time and place right now and all of us who have walked in
your shoes know that. The world is wide
open right now for you and I mean it when I say you can do anything you want,”
he said.
“Without
a doubt, the highlight of my career has been the time I spent in Iraq,” he
said. “Not too many lawyers get to lead Marines
in a combat environment and I learned a lot about myself during that time.” He also learned about working with young
people the same age as the average JMU graduate. He owes his life to the courageous actions of
two young Marines who treated him in the field and transported him to safety,
both disregarding their own safety to do so.
Constantine
used the example of these young Marines to challenge the Class of 2012. “Opportunities for you to contribute to
society and to help your fellow man, and woman, exist around every corner,” he
said. “JMU has a strong tradition of
public service. I believe everyone owes
a duty of service to our country. Mine
was through the military and my wife’s is through her amazing work as a
teacher, but there are hundreds of other ways.
I hope each one of you finds your way too.”
In his introduction President Jonathan R. Alger said, “What
happened just six weeks into his deployment would not only change Justin’s life
forever, but also change the lives of many wounded soldiers with whom he has
worked since—and inspire countless others who have heard his story over the
past six years.”
In the area of service, Constantine leads by example. He is committed to bettering the lives of
fellow veterans through his work with the Wounded Warrior Project. In 2011 he received the WWP’s George
C. Lang Award for remarkable courage and service to his fellow warriors. He has also been recognized by the
Commonwealth of Virginia and the Give an Hour Foundation and is a member of the
Department of Defense Recovering Warrior Task Force.
He
is the recipient of the Purple Heart, Combat Action Ribbon and the Navy-Marine
Corps Commendation Medal. Constantine is
a practicing attorney with the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s National
Security Law Branch and he also shares his inspirational lessons of recovery as
a motivational speaker.
Finance major Stephen Gianfortoni (’12) said he will take
away several lessons from Constantine’s inspirational words today. “Set out to do what you want to do and
remember that you have options. Always
be prepared for the unexpected and use those opportunities to your advantage
and take what you have and use that to serve others.”
Constantine wrapped up his address by encouraging the graduates to use
their time wisely and to find someone to share their life with. “I
know that life can be very difficult and we all face challenges. But take it from me—life is also sweet, precious and something we should
treasure, not just get through.”
To view the 2012 December Commencement webcast: http://www.jmu.edu/commencement/streaming.shtml
To learn more about Justin Constantine
(’92): http://www.jmu.edu/bethechange/stories/constantineIraqAndBack.shtml
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December 15, 2012
