Veteran, Elite Athlete, and Advocate Set to Speak at East Stroudsburg University

Earl Granville running a marathon and carrying a girl on his shoulder

Posted by: Elizabeth Richardson on September 19, 2019, No Comments

East Stroudsburg University will welcome Staff Sergeant Earl Granville (Ret.) to campus on Tuesday, September 24, 2019. Granville’s presentation “Living Through Adversity: Life After Combat and Loss” will be given in Abeloff Center for the Performing Arts at 7 p.m. and is open to ESU students and the public at no cost.

During his presentation, Granville will share his experiences as an infantryman in Iraq and Afghanistan, adjusting to the loss of his leg due to a roadside bomb, the loss of fellow comrades in combat, the loss of a family member to suicide, and adjusting to civilian life after leaving active duty. He will emphasize the importance of counseling in battling adversity and in developing resilience.

Granville is a nine-year veteran of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard as an infantryman. During his time in service, Granville served in support of Operation Joint Forge in Bosnia, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. In the summer of 2008 while on a patrol in Zormat, Afghanistan, his vehicle was hit by a roadside bomb. As a result, his comrades, Specialist Derek Holland of Wind Gap, Pa. and Major Scott Hagerty of Stillwater, Okla., were killed in action and Granville’s left leg, through his knee, was amputated.

Granville adapted to his injury by competing in sports such as snowboarding, ice sled hockey, GoRuck endurance challenges and Spartan Races. He ran the 2017 Boston Marathon and the 2017 NYC Marathon with Achilles Freedom Team. He is a finisher of the 2016, 2017, and 2018 Bataan Memorial Death March, and has completed the Spartan Agoge, a 60-hour endurance event. Granville is a team member for Operation Enduring Warrior, a veteran owned and run non-profit, and is the president of partnerships of Oscar Mike, a veteran found apparel line. The mission of both Operation Enduring Warrior and Oscar Mike is to keep disabled veterans living an active lifestyle.

When he is not competing, Granville speaks about the importance of finding help in battling mental adversity.

Granville has been featured on the TV series Spartan Ultimate Team Challenge on NBC. His awards, recognitions and accolades include the JCI TOYA Award for Personal Improvement and/or Accomplishment under the Class of 2017, the 2017 Award for Service under the organization Operation Valor for his public speaking and volunteer time with Operation Enduring Warrior and Oscar Mike, the 2018 Outstanding Veteran Volunteer Award by the Daughters of the American Revolution, and the 2018 recipient of the US Attorney General Award for Outstanding Volunteer. He voices Brandon on the comedy animated series Discharged, which focuses on the struggles veterans face when they leave active duty and transition into a civilian lifestyle.

He medically retired from the army holding the rank of Staff Sergeant and earned military awards including the Combat Infantryman Badge, Bronze Star and Purple Heart. He is currently at student at The University of Scranton studying counseling and human services.

Granville’s presentation at ESU will be followed by a question and answer session. The event is sponsored by the department of Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS). For more information contact Linda Van Meter, Ph.D., director of CAPS at 570-422-3277 or email lvanmeter@esu.edu.