As the Panthers celebrate military heroes this weekend for the Salute to Service game, a loyal fan in the team’s own backyard specializes in a life of leadership and service. 

Joseph Hsu, MD, an orthopedic surgeon, vice-chair of quality at Atrium Health Musculoskeletal Institute and a veteran himself, uses his training and skills to help numerous veterans recover from their injuries.

Among Dr. Hsu’s patients is Ben Breckheimer, an Army veteran who in 2009 suffered a debilitating injury in Afghanistan that led to multiple limb salvage surgeries, among other procedures. But the Purple Heart recipient didn’t let injuries stop him from becoming a renowned mountaineer who has climbed all but one peak in the fabled “Seven Summits.”

Another patient is Ryan Hendrickson, a Green Beret who, in 2010, stepped on a mine in Afghanistan and subsequently underwent 28 surgeries to save his right