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• Saturday, January 31, 2026

  Giants Quarterback Surprises Legionnaire with Trip to Super Bowl

  
  New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart has announced a once-in-a-lifetime surprise for a decorated Navy veteran and lifelong NFL fan from Schoharie County. Dart said he was gifting Past Department of New York Commander Gary Schacher a trip to San Francisco to attend Super Bowl LX on Feb. 8, including an in-person meeting with Dart and other current and former NFL stars before the game. Schacher is a community leader in Cobleskill who served in the Navy and Naval Reserves for 26 years before retiring  as an E-7 Gunner’s Mate Chief Petty Officer (GMC).

  In a statement Dart said,

  As I reflect on my first season, I’m most appreciative of the connections I’ve made with the fans and the local community who show up for us every single day. To show my appreciation, I’m grateful to work with USAA and The American Legion to recognize a deserving military veteran and NFL fan, GMC Gary Schacher with a trip to the Super Bowl! Coming from a military family myself, it’s important for me to honor those who served because we wouldn’t have the chance to do what we love on Sundays without the sacrifices made by heroes like Gary.

  “I’m still in shock, and it’s been over a week,’’ Schacher told The New York Post over the phone Friday (Jan. 29). “It was extremely surprising.’’

  He said he got a call from American Legion national headquarters asking him if he was available the following morning to go on a Zoom call to work on some logistics for next year’s Army-Navy game, which will be played at MetLife Stadium.

  “So I get on the call and they talk a little bit about the Army-Navy game and they say, ‘You know, the Army-Navy game is like the Super Bowl of college football,’ ’’ Schacher recalled.

  “Then they said, ‘Well, you’re going to the Super Bowl.’”

  Schacher said the last line went right over his head.

  “I didn’t catch it at first,’’ he said. “And finally, they said, ‘No, you’re really going to the Super Bowl. You’ve been selected because of your accomplishments, what you’ve done in the military, the Legion and your community. You’re more than deserving of this.’”

  The veteran recognition is part of a partnership between Dart, USAA, the NFL’s Official Salute to Service Partner, and The American Legion, recognizing military veterans across the country. USAA is coordinating similar experiences with other NFL players around the league.

  Schacher served in the U.S. Navy and Navy Reserves for 26 years (1980–2006), achieving the rank of E7 Chief Petty Officer. His military career included service with the Fleet and Seabees, where he held roles as a Gunner’s Mate and Small Arms Instructor.

  Highlights of his service include commissioning the USS Clifton Sprague (FFG-16) in 1981, assignments at multiple bases across the United States, and overseas deployments to Fallujah, Iraq, and Rota, Spain.

  As a reservist, Schacher served with a Weapons Station Unit and a Mobile Inshore Undersea Warfare Unit, before transferring to the Navy Seabees in 1990. He was recalled to active duty in 2003 and 2004 for Operation Iraqi Freedom, serving in Fallujah, and retired from the Navy in 2006.

  His honors include:

  – Four Navy Commendation Medals
  – Three Navy Achievement Medals
  – Navy Expert Pistol Navy Expert Rifle Medal
  – Multiple campaign, service, and unit awards
  – New York Conspicuous Service Star
  – New York Medal for Merit

  In 2017, Schacher was inducted into the New York State Senate Veterans Hall of Fame.

  Beyond his military service, Schacher has spent decades serving veterans and communities across New York State.

  He has been a member of The American Legion for more than 26 years, serving in leadership roles from the post level to the department level. From 2018–2019, he became the first Iraq War veteran to serve as commander of The American Legion Department of New York.