Roger Staubach, whose strong upbringing and work ethic provided the building blocks for an All-America football career at the U.S. Naval Academy as well as fortifying outstanding careers in both business and pro football, once stated that “there are no traffic jams along the extra mile.”

The strong character trait of doing more than what’s expected was built into him as part of the solid training he received at Annapolis.

Joe Chenelly, a Marine veteran, is another good recent example. A native of upstate New York, he enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps in March 1998, serving with the 1st Marine Division. During his military service he was a combat veteran of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom, having served in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, Kuwait, East Timor and the Horn of Africa.

After ending his military service, he became a veterans advocate, a journalist, and a political adviser, covering military and veterans matters on staff with Leatherneck magazine, the Military Times newspapers, USA Today and Gannett News.

He served as AMVETS’ national communications director in 2005-2007, and for eight years as assistant national director for communications for the Disabled American Veterans in Washington, D.C., leading grassroots efforts through social networking and new media.

In 2013 Chenelly was named one of the 100 “most influential journalists covering armed violence” by Action on Armed Violence.

Two weeks ago, Lee Zeldin, the Republican and conservative nominee for New York governor, was nearing the end of his speech in front of a VFW Post in Fairport, New York, east of Rochester, when a man in a ball cap - later identified as 43-year-old David G. Jakubonis, of Fairport - pulled himself on stage.

It wasn’t clear whether he just wanted a closer look, a handshake or a hug. But when he brandished a two-pronged blade and tried to raise it toward Zeldin’s face, Chenelly knew the intent was hostile and sprang into action.

A former high school wrestler, Chenelly tackled Jakubonis to the ground and disarmed him, ending the threat. Since there was no police presence at the rally, Chenelly made impromptu handcuffs by looping together zip ties that were on hand to hang a banner and tied the man’s hands behind his back.

While being restrained, Jakubonis said that he had served in Iraq.

Realizing that the assailant wasn’t in his right state of mind and that he “was in a bad place,” Chenelly transitioned from attack mode to veterans affairs advocate, telling Jakubonis: “You know, we’re going to get through whatever you’ve done here tonight.”

Jakubonis, who faces up to 10 years in prison for assaulting a member of Congress using a dangerous weapon, reportedly told police he had been drinking all day and had no idea who the congressman was when he attacked him on stage.

It was later revealed that Jakubonis, a graduate of the Rochester Institute of Technology, earned up to a dozen medals during his service career, including a Bronze Star, Army Commendation and two Army Achievement medals.

He experienced a “rapid decline” in his mental health in the wake of the death of his wife and medical discharge from the Army in 2012.

Chenelly said the AMVETS are concerned about the assailant’s personal safety and vowed to connect him with resources available to former service members.

Chenelly revives our faith in the adage that going the extra mile still resides inside many of our war veterans.

By Jim Zbick | tneditor@tnonline.com

The foregoing opinions do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editorial Board or Times News LLC.