09/21/2026
Met Earl a couple times over the years. Always great to hear him speak and inspire. 🇺🇸
BIG NEWS!
Award-winning Combat Veteran to Keynote “Evening of Gratitude” benefitting Veterans Outreach of PA Nov. 5
Scranton Native Earl Granville, Wounded in Combat and Mourning the Loss of His Twin Brother, Has Emerged as a Nationally Renowned Inspirational Speaker Who Inspires Resilience
HARRISBURG (Sept. 21, 2026) Earl Granville and his twin brother Joe were only two weeks into basic training at Fort Bragg when 9-11 sent shock waves through the world. Earl went on to serve nine years in the Army National Guard, with deployments to Iraq, Afghanistan and Bosnia. In 2008, tragedy struck when he lost his leg to a roadside bomb in Afghanistan.
He also lost his teammates Major Scott Hagerty of Stillwater, Oklahoma and Specialist Derek Holland of Wind Gap, Pennsylvania that day.
Just two years later, in yet another searing loss, his twin brother took his own life while on active duty.
Earl Granville has been able to rise above adversity, now speaking nationwide to share his story and the tools he utilized to battle trauma and to build and maintain a reservoir of inner strength. His three “P’s” –purpose, passion and being part of something bigger than ourselves--model the tenets used in the therapeutic community model at VOPA.
Granville has been honored frequently for his extraordinary volunteerism, character and service, including being saluted by the Philadelphia Eagles as a 2017 "Hometown Hero" and receiving a customized home from the national organization “Homes for our Troops.”
A recipient of a Bronze Star and Purple Heart, Granville will headline the first gala hosted by the local nonprofit Veterans Outreach of PA, entitled “An Evening of Gratitude: Answering the Call to End Veteran Homelessness,” which will be held Thursday, Nov. 5 at the Willows at Ashcombe Mansion.
With the help of the community, VOPA built a tiny home community and community center along the Susquehanna River in south Harrisburg, which opened in the summer of 2024 to provide unsheltered veterans with safe, private housing and a comprehensive network of support, at no cost to the veterans.
The Evening of Gratitude will also include a silent auction, plated dinner, and a tribute to many veterans with local links, along with testimonials about veterans who have successfully turned their lives around at Veterans Grove.
The evening’s exclusive sponsor is Langan Financial Group, based in Camp Hill, PA, and emcee is news anchor Valerie Pritchett of ABC 27 news.
To purchase tickets, please visit www.veteransoutreachofpa.org/an-evening-of-gratitude. Sponsorships and auction items will also be gratefully accepted through Oct. 15.
To read more about Earl Granville’s remarkable life, please visit www.earlgranville.org.
The Nov. 5 event begins at 6 pm and lasts until 9 pm. The community is welcome.
