Sep 14, 2009
Cousins Who Serve
First Lieutenant Christopher Young has never needed to write a letter to the parents of one of his Marines, explaining why their son won't be coming home from Afghanistan. And that's why the former NC State football player from Raleigh was recently awarded the Bronze Star for bravery – protecting his platoon during a hellacious month in Afghanistan's southern Helmand Province. Some of the support Young received while in the field came from a squadron of Cobra attack helicopters – just like the one his cousin, Captain Drew Wimsatt, was flying over the region. Wimsatt, a defensive end for the Wolfpack from 2000-02, has completed several tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, and recently sent NC State head football coach Tom O'Brien, a former Marine officer, a flag that Wimsatt kept in the cockpit of his helicopter.