The Unsung Heroes Amongst Us

Do you know someone you would consider a patriot?  Who is the first person who comes to mind?  Is your hero wearing a uniform?

Patriots are defined as those who love, support, and defend their country and its interests with devotion.

Over the years, as I have worked with Military Missions, I have learned that patriots can be found in the most obscure places.  Many of them wear uniforms, and many of them do not.  I’ve had the privilege of meeting a number of unsung heroes and patriots, and I have a feeling there are many more I may never meet because most of those who love, support and defend their country’s interests with devotion don’t want any attention for themselves.  They just want to make a difference in the lives of others and they want to ensure that our nation will be here for their great great grandchildren’s children.

Most of us are just average American citizens who are busy taking care of our families and working to make ends meet.  We have a small circle of friends and our largest audience might be the number of friends we have on Facebook.  We don’t see ourselves as being in a position to make a difference, but I’m here to tell you each one of us can make a difference.  You might do something that seems very small, but it can have a big impact and make a big difference in the lives of others.

I want to share the story of one whom I consider to be a patriot.  This person doesn’t know I’m going to share her story, but it’s just too good to keep to myself.

Donna joined the National Guard when she was 18 years old.  She served for 6 years.  A few months ago, she heard about our organization, Military Missions Inc., so she decided to go online and check out our website.  Our project, Raising the Flag, caught her interest. This project was created to raise awareness for our troops who defend our flag and what our flag really symbolizes.  She went to several schools in her area to see if she could generate some interest.  She didn’t hear back from any of them, but that did not discourage her.

Feeling it was important for the students to understand the importance of being an American, Donna decided to drop off a book, The Constitution, to some of the schools.  During the time she was making her school visits, she discovered that some of our schools do not even say the Pledge of Allegiance.  She even found that one school has not given their students the privilege of saying the pledge for fourteen years!

Needless to say, it was very concerning to see the schools’ lack of interest in our nation’s flag and Donna decided that it would be a great idea to find a way to bring attention to our flag’s importance.

Donna went to a school where she knew she could find some patriotic folks.  She asked her daughter’s first grade teacher if the class could make some flags with the children’s hand prints. The teacher loved the idea! The other first grade teachers liked the idea and wanted their classes to make a flag as well. Other classes heard about the idea so Donna, one of her daughters, and a friend all got busy on the project.

Next, Donna contacted us at Military Missions and told us what they were doing.  She wanted to see if we could help her to send the flags made by the children to our deployed troops.  We agreed that this was a great idea as we are always looking for unique things to include in our care packages.  We want our boxes to express our gratitude and support for the sacrifice and service of our troops.  We know the soldiers love the candy, snacks, and socks that we send out, but we also know that the most important part of the package is the sentiment in the cards, letters, and artwork. We knew these flags would really make a difference and put a smile on the faces of those who received them.

In June, we sent these flags to our deployed troops.  We have already received two responses which we are shared below. Once you read the letters from our deployed troops you will see why Donna is motivated to continue this project.  She is looking for groups of people to help her to make more flags.  She has already made one for the Veteran’s nursing home in Wilmore, Kentucky, and she plans to make more flags which can be sent over in our care packages.

Don’t be surprised if you find yourself in a group that is suddenly dipping their hands in red, white, and blue paint.  Donna has a list of groups she plans to contact. If you are on her list, you will not be able to say no.

When I first asked Donna which group of people was heading up this project, I expected her to tell me it was a service project for a club or organization, but here is what she said, “ We are not a group. We are just a family that has been blessed by God Almighty and we want to make a difference in this world.”

Donna took her passion for our nation and she found a way to serve. She helped to teach the importance of our flag, our nation, and the sacrifice and service given by our military each and every day.  As it turns out, the teachers and students who made these flags are from Anne Mason Elementary in Scott County.  The teachers thought the project was a great thing to do, and you will be happy to know that in this school, they do say the Pledge of Allegiance.  I wasn’t surprised when I heard the name of the school mentioned because this school has made cards for our care packages on several occasions in the past.

Donna got the idea for this project because she wanted to help us with our Raising the Flag project.  When she couldn’t get any of the local schools on board, she could have given up, but instead, she came up with another idea that could accomplish the same goal and then she worked to make the idea a reality.  We often work with groups and individuals who have innovative ideas that will support our troops and veterans.  If you have a project idea, don’t keep it to yourself.  Contact us and we will help you find a way to make your dream come true.  We can all serve our nation and we don’t have to wear a uniform to get the job done.

Dear Class,

My name is Staff Sergeant Lopez and I speak for all the Medical Specialists in The 4th Sustainment Brigade when I say your wonderful “hand” made flag makes each and every one of us proud to serve and protect the USA.

Thank you for your support and for the picture, it really got the soldiers motivated to see children supporting the troops. I want to let you know that we will take a photo of all the soldiers in front of the flag very soon. The reason it’s taking so long is because we want to make sure we capture everyone that works in the platoon in the photo so you know who your supporting.

Right now we are dealing with 120 degree weather and sand storms every other day here in Iraq. It’s rough working conditions but we’re trained and proficient in our medical skills so the elements have no chance in stopping us from rendering care. All the soldiers in the platoon wish it was like the good old United States of America but we are making sure we keep the peace over here so all the citizens of Iraq can have the same freedoms we enjoy.

Thank you again for all your support and enjoy your summer in the USA.

Very Respectfully,

SSG Lopez

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Hello!

I received all 4 packages and distributed everything out to the guys and the outposts. They loved the Carmel corn! You should start receiving thank you notes, emails, and Facebook messages from the guys out here when they can.

We are going to take the Flag the kids made out on an Operation and certify that it was carried into Combat and then take a picture with the team and send it back…it was a great morale booster.

Thank you for everything….the guys smiles is all the payment we can give back right now…and they were million dollar smiles.

Very Respectfully,

Chief