U.S. Army Green Beret SFC Richard Stayskal.
By NANETTE LoBIONDO GALLOWAY
LONGPORT – American Legion Post 469 has announced the recipient of its ninth annual Wounded Warrior Week honor, which provides a weeklong all expenses paid vacation at a Longport residence to an injured soldier and his or her family.
The legion coordinates with military authorities to identify a candidate from among the thousands of military veterans who have been injured in combat while serving overseas.
This year, U.S. Army Green Beret, SFC Richard Stayskal, who is also a former member of the U.S. Marine Corps, and his family will spend the week of Sept. 15 in Longport.
Born in San Jose, California, Stayskal joined the Marine Corps in 2001. In 2004, while deployed in the Al Anbar Province in Iraq and serving as a machine gunner and scout sniper, he was seriously injured by insurgent sniper fire. The gunshot broke his left arm, passed through his lung, fractured his ribs but missed vital organs. The injury left him with a damaged lung, continuing nerve pain, restricted movement and other limitations, including lack of strength and post-traumatic stress disorder.
Following recovery, he was honorably discharged from the Marine Corps in 2004, but it was not long before he pursued additional service as a Green Beret. He re-enlisted in the U.S. Army in 2006 and despite lingering nerve pain, was able to achieve his goal to become a Green Beret working as a Special Forces weapons sergeant.
Over his military career, Stayskal has held numerous positions, including infantry rifleman, team leader and Special Forces senior sniper instructor. His deployments include Special Operations Central Command, Command Africa and Command Europe. In addition to receiving a Purple Heart and commendation and meritorious service medals, he has been awarded a Bronze Star.
Stayskal’s health issues intensified when he was diagnosed with stage 3a lung cancer in 2017. He underwent radiation and chemotherapy, followed by surgery to remove the tumor and portions of his right lung. Believing he was cancer-free, he continued with his normal routine until 2018, when after developing flu-like symptoms, he was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. The diagnosis was terminal and he began an intensive regimen of treatments and therapy. In 2019, he was entered into a clinical trial at the Moffit Cancer Center in Florida, where he is undergoing immunotherapy.
So far, the treatments are going well, but they leave him drained and ill for up to 10 days after treatment.
Richard Stayskal with his wife Megan and daughers Addisyn, 13, and Carly, 11.
His wife Megan and their two daughters, Addisyn, 13, and Carly, 11, will accompany him on the vacation.
The American Legion is currently planning activities for the week-long vacation, which will include dinners at area restaurants and a special military-like ceremony and reception.
More information about the event will be announced in early September.
For more information about the American Legion Post 469 Wounded Warrior Week celebration, contact Post Commander Larry Pacentrilli at lapace@comcast.net
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