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[BigBanda]

Another reason I respect Rich Franklin for being the humble and classy guy he is....

Source: Rich Franklin reflects on recent visits with wounded soldiers | MMAjunkie.com

UFC middleweight star Rich "Ace" Franklin has long been an adamant supporter of the troops serving in the U.S. military.

And while professional athletes from all sports often schedule PR-friendly visits to various military outposts, Franklin recently visited two military hospitals in the Washington, D.C. area completely on his own accord.

Franklin posted briefly about his experience on Rich Franklin.com (www.richfranklin.com) in an edition of his column "The Franklin Equation" entitled "Toughness Has a Gold Standard."

MMAjunkie.com (UFC blog for UFC news, UFC rumors, fighter interviews and event previews/recaps | MMAjunkie.com) recently spoke with Franklin about the trip, which included a stop at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center late last month.

"We were primarily dealing with soldiers that had been hit by IEDs (improvised explosive devices)," Franklin said. "You hear about that stuff on the news, and you hear about it and you know it's real, but actually going to the hospital and seeing what's happening to these guys, it really lets you know that there are guys out there that are putting their life on the line doing the things that they have to do for this country."

Franklin said he maintains a strong connection to those serving in our military because he nearly served alongside them.

"There was a part of me that always wanted to go into the military," Franklin said. "I was at one point in time thinking about flying planes and was considering going to aviation school and all. But I didn't, and there's always been a part of me that says, 'Perhaps, I should have gone in the military.' And since I didn't, I feel like maybe I didn't do part of my duty. And with those guys out there on a daily basis, that are doing their civic duty that perhaps I felt like I should have contributed to, this is my way of giving back to them. Going to the various bases, visiting the wards and putting on seminars for guys, it's a way to give back to the military."

In his column, Franklin mentioned the personal motivation he received when witnessing the strength and determination of the wounded soldiers encountered during these trips.

Franklin echoed those sentiments when discussing the visit.

"The most surprising thing to me about the whole visit was not the reception that I got, but the morale between the hospital and these guys," Franklin said. "A lot of these guys are in good spirits considering that they'd lost a limb. There were guys that I'd see that had lost several limbs, and a gentleman that would never be able to walk again -- a gentleman that had to learn how to walk two or three times from all the surgeries that he's had.

"When you walk into a room, and you can see people that are in these kinds of situations with a positive attitude, it really makes you think about the kind of troubles that you have in life. When you feel like you're down on your luck, and times are hard, you think about that kind of stuff and you say, 'You know what, life is not as bad as I make it.'"

And while Franklin knows not everyone has the star power to walk in to the room and change a soldier's spirits, he believes all of us have the ability to brighten someone's day.

"When I see somebody in an airport, when I'm traveling, in uniform, I walk up to them and I just say, 'Hey – you know what? I want to say thank you for the service you do for this country,'" Franklin said. "Regardless of whether you agree with the war or not, the people that are over there are making sacrifices on a daily basis doing what they do. I know there are probably some guys over there in Iraq that sit there on a daily basis after they've been there for seven or eight months thinking to themselves, 'Why the heck am I here?' And I know their morale has dipped down.

"I just say, 'Thanks for the service you do for this country; I really appreciate it.' I've said that to guys before, and you see a smile come across their face. They know that what they're doing really does make a difference."

John Morgan is the Lead Staff Reporter for MMAjunkie.com.

[RENCE118]

Big ups 2 Rich Franklin ,,pure class always felt that way about the guy,,good 2 see him taking time out 2 show love 2 our heroes in the armed forces that were wounded defending our country

[ninjastix]

Clearly a very kind and humble gesture by Franklin. I don't know if it makes me like Franklin more than I already do but I definitely feel motivated to do some contributing on my part to assist our veterans...

[BUKKAKALYPSE]

Props to ACE..class act 24/7..its just to bad that these soldiers were sent into battle in the first place

[BigBanda]

Originally Posted by BUKKAKALYPSE

Props to ACE..class act 24/7..its just to bad that these soldiers were sent into battle in the first place




defending it from....?

wtf are you talking about? I sure hope your not trying to bring politics into this thread. Show some respect and take that crap elsewhere like to the politics forum.

[RENCE118]

i refuse to disrespect this thread ,,and argue about politics ,,this isnt the forum for that

[BUKKAKALYPSE]

Sorry guys i didn't mean to offend anyone. I retract the "defending it from...?" comment. So again my apologies. I'm sure we can all agree that it is/was a shame they were sent into war in the first place though?.

[valheruking]

Indeed, keep the politics to a minimum outside that section, it rarely ends in good relations between posters lol

[BigBanda]

Originally Posted by valheruking

Indeed, keep the politics to a minimum outside that section, it rarely ends in good relations between posters lol

Indeed... annoys me when people just dont give respect for soldiers, especially wounded ones, when they are in fact defenders of our country. Take your views on war and throw them out the window. This has nothing to do with if you agree with war or not. Anyways, its all good... he apologized.

[BUKKAKALYPSE]

Originally Posted by BigBanda

Indeed... annoys me when people just dont give respect for soldiers, especially wounded ones, when they are in fact defenders of our country.

Sorry dude i didn't mean to be annoying or offensive. I do respect the soldiers of America. they ARE heros..just trying to say war is never a good thing though.