Martha Raddatz is renowned for her coverage of foreign affairs and the U.S. military.
The ABC News chief global affairs correspondent was honored for that work today at the Salute to Service luncheon, presented by Variety, National Geographic, and hosted by CBS Evening News anchor Jeff Glor at Cipriani in Manhattan.
Glor anchored the CBS Evening News last night from California, scene of the tragic mudslides, but came back to New York in time to host this event.
“It has been my greatest privilege to cover the U.S. military and to be part of the Bob Woodruff Foundation,” Raddatz stated in her acceptance remarks. “It is not without risk for ABC News to send people to cover wars, but they send me again and again…So I thank my ABC colleagues for doing that and for supporting this and for understanding how important it is.”
Raddatz continued: “I know that we treat our veterans with respect but we also cannot forget them. The wounded that we have at Stand Up for Heroes every year have been wounded for a long, long time and they always will be. Those wounds do not go away. As physical wounds don’t go away, emotional wounds don’t go away and psychological wounds don’t go away.”
In addition to her work at ABC News, in 2007, Raddatz published The Long Road Home, which Nat Geo adapted for a scripted limited series last year.
Each of the Salute to Service honorees are well-known for their work with veterans. In addition to Raddatz, the honorees included a duo of high-profile comedians: Caroline Hirsch, who is co-founder of Stand Up for Heroes, and is a Bob Woodruff Foundation board member; and Rob Riggle, the famed actor/comedian who just so happens to be a retired Marine Corps reserve officer.
Wes Moore, author, CEO of the Robin Hood Foundation, army combat veteran, and creator of monthly Future City” Radio Series Powered by Prudential on Baltimore’s NPR news station WYPR, was also honored, as was Mikal Vega, technical director of NBC’s The Brave, who spent 22 years as a Navy SEAL and is a retired and retired Naval Special Warfare operator.
So happy to be part of Salute to Service event. With honoree and Army combat vet Wes Moore. pic.twitter.com/mf6azdkZiD
— Jeff Glor (@jeffglor) January 11, 2018