Last year, I set out to honor my father with the Green Beret Rifle Project.
After a successful hunt, that rifle was donated to the Green Beret Foundation to help raise money, and it did. But what happened next turned this into so much more than just a fundraiser. It became an incredible story of sons honoring fathers… and ultimately, fathers honoring their sons.
The rifle was won by Lisa Schnitzer, sister of Tom Lazzaro. Tom lost his son, U.S. Army Green Beret Sgt. Tommy Lazzaro, in a tragic hunting accident on December 22, 2024.
Lisa, together with the rest of her family, quietly pooled their money to buy the rifle, with one goal in mind: to gift it to Tommy’s father, Tom, on Father’s Day, 2025.
But the real meaning of this rifle… the story of Tommy… the heartbreak, the pride, and the hope moving forward… those words belong to Tom.
With his permission, I invite you to read his reflections, the story of his son, that day, and what this rifle now means to both him and his grandson, Tommy’s son.
— Jay Pinsky
Tom, left, and his son, Sgt. Tommy Lazzaro during their time in the U.S. Army. Photo credit – Tom Lazzaro
By Tom Lazzaro
It’s an incredible honor to own this beautiful testament to Jay’s father.
I’m a combat veteran myself, served with 1/75 Ranger Battalion and jumped into Grenada. I’d like to share a little bit about my son, Tommy.
Tommy grew up with the Ranger Creed sitting on his dresser. I tried hard to instill that mindset in him, and I believe it stuck. Whether it was football, the Army, or eventually becoming a Green Beret, he always gave everything to be the very best.
Football was a foundation for him, being part of a team taught him everything. He was a two-time state champion quarterback in high school and played at Central Michigan University. In his senior year, he helped take CMU to the MAC Championship.
Tommy loved to hunt and fish, though football took priority for a long time. But in the spring of 2018, I asked him what he wanted to do for spring break, and he told me, “Dad, we never hunt anymore. I want to go hunting.”
We went on a night hog hunt in Texas. I’ll send pictures. I had no idea that would be the last time I’d hunt with my son.
After graduating in December 2019, Tommy landed a sales job in Denver. We were proud to have him home. But then COVID hit, and he was stuck on Zoom calls all day. He couldn’t believe people were celebrating sales calls like they’d just scored a touchdown. After a few months of that, he came to me and said:
“Dad, I can’t do this. I’ve gotta be with the boys.”
I made him do his homework on OCS versus enlisting. He came back saying:
“I want to be a door kicker and I don’t want to wait as long as you did to get to Ranger Battalion.”
That’s when he found out about the 18X contract. Thirty-thousand-dollar signing bonus. That sealed the deal.
His poor mother thought she was done with Pepto-Bismol after football. Now here we go again. I loved every minute of it she struggled with it.
COVID made everything slower. I think he went through the longest Basic Training in Army history. I couldn’t even attend his graduation.
Next was Airborne School. Again, I couldn’t be there. But one of my Ranger buddies had a connection, MG Hodne came down to pin Tommy’s wings on for me. You can imagine, having a general at Airborne School had all the Blackhats twisted in knots. I loved it!
Tommy went on to Fort Bragg, crushed Selection, then all the skills training, Spanish language school, and finally earned his spot with 7th Special Forces Group in Destin, Florida. He loved the job, even when the Army threw curveballs like they always do. His words were:
“Dad, I can’t believe I get paid to do what I do, play with guns and jump out of airplanes.”
In early 2024, he moved to Destin with 2nd Battalion, 7th Group. He deployed to South America, came home in May, and later joined a HALO team. He was waiting to attend HALO School when a Ranger School slot opened.
He jumped at the chance, wanted to be Honor Grad and show me up because I finished third in my Ranger class.
He asked us to come to Destin so he could train and prepare. He was determined.
But on December 22nd, when we arrived, we got the call no parent wants. Tommy was killed in a hunting accident on Eglin Air Force Base.
We found out later they were expecting a child.
We’ve now moved to Destin to support our daughter-in-law and Tommy’s son. That wasn’t our plan, but I believe it was God’s. The Green Beret community, what an incredible, supportive family they’ve been. We’re blessed to have them in our lives.
I am blown away by the beautiful gift my family gave me. I can’t thank my sister enough for leading the charge. Jay, my promise to you is this: I will teach Tommy’s son how to shoot and one day, I’ll pass this gift down to him.
This has been brutal, but I’m blessed. A beautiful family, unwavering support.
At Tommy’s Celebration of Life, I said:
“As hard as this is, I have to remember, I got 27 incredible years with a son who made me proud every single day. He loved his family, his country, and being a Green Beret. What a blessing.”
Thank you for letting me share his story. I miss him every day.
The Green Beret Foundation Tribute rifle
To learn more about Tommy Lazzaro visit - https://tommylazzarofoundation.org
