October 29 Update on Shawn

Army Staff Sergeant Shawn Walton, a grandson of the late Tom Galey of Lubbock, Texas, continues his slow recovery from wounds he received in Iraq. He is hospitalized again at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio.

His aunt, Sheila Lee, tells us that he has been in and out of the hospital, he has staph infection of the bone in his left arm, had a recent bout with pneumonia, and has had a couple of more surgeries on his left arm.

He is walking some.....his spirits are good........and he frequently expresses that he is thankful to be home, alive, and with whatever use of his limbs he has. We hope you'll keep Shawn and his young family -- as well as his mother, Teresa -- in your thoughts and prayers.

Keeping Your Eye on the Ball!

Like many guys growing up in small rural communities in the 1950s, I fancied myself a pretty good athlete. That perception was moderated quite a bit when I joined the Navy and started occasionally playing sports with kids from all over the country. I started to feel….well…..average!

It’s been a lot of fun watching Galey kids excel in sports. I suspect several of the Lubbock Galeys were good athletes, and now we’re seeing the prowess of Chance Galey, son of Gary Gene and Kim, grandson of Gary and Zoleta, and great grandson of Tom (the guy on the horse at the top of this blog) and Eva Galey. That’s Chance and his cousin, Kelsey Galey, in the photograph above.

Chance is the standout center on perhaps the best football team ever fielded by Chadron State College. Even without their star running back, Harlon Hill award-winner Danny Woodhead, the Eagles were able to handily defeat arch-rival NU-Kearney last week on national television, 28-16.

In his second year of starting for the Eagles, Chance has demonstrated great talent as an athlete. But what makes his success on the field even sweeter is the fact that Chance is a top-notch student. This week, he added another accolade to the list. He was named to the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference All-Conference Academic First Team. No other school had more than four players named to the first team. CSC had 13! That’s quite an achievement.

Long after the recognition and applause for his sports career, Chance’s accomplishments in the classroom will stand him in good stead.

Of course, I’m biased, but Chance Galey is also simply a really good kid. Or should I say “young man.” That, he certainly is. His parents, grandparents, and all of his family are justifiably proud of him. Well done, Chance!

Now, sports fans, keep your eye on the Galey family in Riverton!

Update on Shawn

Wounded in Iraq, Shawn Walton continues his slow recovery from massive injuries to his arm and leg. Last week, we learned that shawn has been released from the hospital, but he is undergoing extensive physical therapy at Fort Sam Houston in Texas. The good news is that -- with assistance and a cane -- he is walking a little. He is still enduring much pain, we are told, and we hope you'll join us in continuing prayer for Shawn and his family. If you'd like to send him a note or card, his address is:

SGT Shawn Walton
3625 George C. Beach BLVD
Room 431
Fort Sam Houston, TX 79234