Presidents Update fro - Freedom Alliance Scholarship Fund

a Freedom Alliance publication
Freedom Alliance
5 October 2011
www.freedomalliance.org
President’s Update
From the President
Last week, I stood on stage with
Cheyenne Yost in front of thousands,
as she accepted The Freedom Alliance Award from the Stephen Siller
Foundation. We were in the shadows
of Ground Zero, surrounded by New
York City firefighters, police officers,
severely injured military heroes and
Mayor Rudolph Guliani and other celebrities. Cheyenne was nervous, but
she summoned the courage to say a
few words and accept the award that
honored her father – MSG Anthony
Yost who lost his life in Mosul, Iraq on
November 19, 2005.
Cheyenne just began her freshman
year at Michigan State University
with a scholarship from Freedom Alliance. When we award a scholarship
to the son or daughter of a hero, it is
just the first step in what we hope will
be a long and meaningful relationship
with that young man or woman. As
the story to the right illustrates, we
strive to show our scholarship recipients just how much Americans appreciate the sacrifice they are making.
We introduce them to other heroes,
help them to share their parents’
heroics with communities all across
this country. We introduce them to
other students who share similar
experiences.
A Freedom Alliance scholarship serves
more than one purpose. As a practical
matter, it is a payment toward their
college expenses. It is also an invitation to begin a friendship with our
team of patriotic professionals and
the generous supporters who make
our efforts possible.
-Tom Kilgannon
President, Freedom Alliance
Tunnel to Tower Event Honors Heroes
At the 2011 Tunnel to Towers
Run in New York City, Freedom
Alliance Scholarship recipient
Cheyenne Yost was honored for
her father’s sacrifice in the War on
Terror. At a VIP reception hosted
by the Stephen Siller Foundation,
Cheyenne was introduced to many
celebrities including Gary Sinise
and Dennis Miller; but Cheyenne
showed the most reverence when
meeting a Marine who displayed
on his uniform an octogonal ribbon
comprised of 13 white stars on a
blue field: Sergeant Dakota Meyer.
Freedom Alliance treated Cheyenne and her mother Rhonda to a
memorable time in the Big Apple
complete with a private tour of
Cheyenne meets Medal of Honor recipient Marine
Sergeant Dakota Meyer.
Manhattan and fine dining. Cheyenne said, “I am so thankful that
you chose me to come to this event,
but it is bittersweet because I know
that without my father’s sacrifice
this wouldn’t have been possible.
But because of you and Freedom
Alliance it feels like my father is
still looking out for me and taking
care of me.”
From the Worst of Times, to the Best of Times
After attending a Poppy’s Wish
Heroes Vacation in Tampa, FL, in
March, Specialist Mike volunteered
to help Freedom Alliance whenever
the opportunity arose. Last month,
Mike answered the call to round
up some troops from Brooke Army
Medical Center to be hosted at
Scorpion Ranch in Harper, TX, for
an exotic animal hunt.
Two of the troops from BAMC
were Mike’s fellow Soldiers Josh
and Kyle. All three of them suffered gunshot wounds in the same
attack in September 2010 when
an Iraqi insurgent infiltrated their
perimeter while the squad slept.
After going through this traumatic
experience
together,
from hospitals in Germany to San
Antonio, they have become best
friends. Provided by ranch owners
Einar Johnson and Jim Combs, the
hunt was the perfect environment
to enjoy each other’s company.
Josh said, “This is by far the best
event I’ve attended since coming to
the Warrior Transition Unit.”
Injured troops from Brooke Army Medical Center
enjoy a day of hunting at Scorpion Ranch in Texas.
a Freedom Alliance publication
“You Brightened My Day”
Susie Adams, one of the first
families to go on a Heroes Vacation
to Panama City, FL, was sitting in
the hospital next to her youngest
boy as they tried to figure out how
to fix drainage into his ears and the
numbness in his face. While she
was waiting, Susie answered a call
from Freedom Alliance’s Alicia
Behm, and said, “You brightened
my day.”
Alicia and Susie shared memories
of their week together in Panama
City. Able to escape the drab hospital environment for memories of
Florida, the conversation brought
on laughs and smiles.
She informed Alicia that her
The Adams attended a Heroes Vacation in Panama
City, FL in 2008.
husband Scott, an Army Soldier
who was badly burned in 2007
after an anti-tank mine detonated
under his vehicle, is now medically retired and decided after his
trip with Freedom Alliance to help
others in situations like him. Scott
now works for a military charity.
Navy Wife Wins David Evangelista Makeover
Last week, Freedom Alliance’s Jen
Ohman was asked to help spread
the word about a makeover contest
by famous hair and makeup artist,
David Evangelista. She sent the
information to a number of military
Commands as well as individual
service members Freedom Alliance has worked with in the past.
It turns out that one of our 2009
“Presents for Patriots” Christmas
family members won the grand
prize, Michelle Pritchard. Michelle
is a Navy spouse with four children, two of them with autism, and
The Pritchard family received gifts in 2009 from
Freedom Alliance’s Presents for Patriots project.
the founder of a military special
needs group. She will fly with her
husband to St. Augustine, FL, for a
three-day stay at a high end resort.
While there, David will give her a
Academy Alumni
From the
mother of
Cadet Matthew Votypka: “I am so
glad that he
was able to
attend and
experience
so much at
your camp. Cadet Votypka proclaims the
MLA as his best experience.
Out of all
the leadership programs Matthew has attended, he found your
camp the most rewarding, most
professional and where he was
able to enhance his leadership
capabilities the most. Thank you
for all that you have done for my
son!”
full makeover and she will be his
hair model as he debuts his new
line of hair care on Home Shopping
Network for the first time.
“You have no idea how much I
needed this. Sean and I haven’t
been away together in I don’t know
how long and with the stress we
have been through for nearly four
years straight, this is like a gift
from heaven. I am on cloud nine!”
said Michelle.
Congrats to Michelle from all of us
at Freedom Alliance.
From the Mother of MLA Cadet Christian Riddle
“The MLA provided a fantastic
experience for Christian this past
summer. He met and bonded with
like-minded young men and women
and established friendships that are
continuing at a distance through
Facebook. Interacting with the staff
gave him a glimpse of a commu-
nity of which he is now even more
eager to become a part. Your Instructors made a significant impact
on Christian, by demonstrating
strength and character, and also
by expressing a genuine interest in
his aspirations as well as who he is
as an individual.
It’s a testament to the program
when an hour after leaving Ft
Pickett Christian said he wished
he could stay longer, and 3 months
later he is still eager to return.
Thank you for your positive impact
on our youth and your service to
our country.”
a Freedom Alliance publication
Down Under Note
Freedom Alliance Scholarship recipient Kathyrn Maguire, whose
father was killed in a tragic helicopter crash, wrote a thank you
note to Program Officer Marisa
Gerdano, postmarked from
Australia (where she’s studying
abroad): “Dear Marisa, I wanted
to thank you and the rest of the
kind people at Freedom Alliance
for your generosity. It means so
much to know that there are people who care and want to help me
succeed. Thank you again and
take care.”
JROTC Makes MLA #1 Choice for their Cadets
Cadet Brian Alonso attended the
MLA in 2010 as one of two Old
Bridge High School Air Force
JROTC cadets. His conduct and
maturity set the bar high and did
great credit upon himself as well
as his unit. In 2011, nine of Cadet
Alonso’s fellow students returned
to the MLA to carry on his legacy
of excellence. All graduated ready
to follow Brian’s example and
bring their lessons learned back to
their fellow cadets and classmates.
In requesting a college letter of recommendation from the Academy
Director, Alonso said that he and
Cadet Alonso and others of Old Bridge Air Force
JROTC make the MLA their priority for summer.
fellow alumni cadet Jonathan
Hogan, “continue using our leadership skills that we obtained from
the Academy. It was a great honor
attending such an amazing leadership program!”
Disguised Introductions
Marines and their families look through Halloween
costumes donated by Freedom Alliance.
Freedom Alliance sponsored a
Halloween costume giveaway at
the 11th Marines Regiment located
on Camp Pendleton. The new
costumes donated by Freedom
Alliance help alleviate the expenses
associated with families’ Trick-or-
Treating. And while the event was
successful, there was one unintended surprise.
As our Western Region staff
member Jennifer Ohman made
her rounds to visit the Marines
we work with, she stopped by the
office of one of the Family Readiness Officers (FRO). There sitting
next to the FRO was a Marine
new to the command. He was an
injured Marine who received a
traumatic brain injury from an IED
and was recently released from
treatment. This fine young man
was assigned to work as a Deputy
Family Readiness Officer in one
of the 11th Marines Battalions and
our organization was the first one
he came in contact with. The FRO
introduced him to Jennifer and
said, “This is Jennifer Ohman and
she works for Freedom Alliance.
Freedom Alliance is an amazing
support system for our regiment and the military in general - and
even our injured vets, too. They
have provided a lot of support for
us and is an important organization
for you to know about.”
He smiled and shook her hand and
said, “Thank you ma’am, I look
forward to working with Freedom
Alliance.”
Much More than Car Repairs
Freedom Alliance received the
following letter of appreciation
from Army Specialist Mark of Fort
Campbell, KY, who was awarded
a grant from Freedom Alliance to
help with his vehicle repairs:
“Dear Thomas Kilgannon,
I would like to thank you, Lt. Colo-
nel Oliver North, USMC (Ret.),
and Mr. Zito (SF Giants), and
any others who were involved in
making this happen for my family
and I. We were in desperate need
of assistance, and when all of you
stepped up to help us, we greatly
appreciated it. It
is heartwarming, knowing there
are people in this world like those
that are mentioned here, and to
the countless others who help you
operate such a wonderful organization. God bless you all!”
a Freedom Alliance publication
Grant for Walter Reed Patient’s Family
Army Specialist Jeffrey was
injured on 23 September 2010 in
Fallujah, Iraq, when he was shot
twice by a fellow soldier, one to
the head and one in the leg. The
bullet grazed his head but did not
penetrate his skull, leaving him
with TBI. He is also missing four
inches of his lower left tibia as a
result of the attack. In spite of the
horrors he has endured, Jeffrey
remains upbeat and positive - probably because he has the support of
a loving family who has never left
his side since his arrival at Walter
Reed National Military Medical
Center in Bethesda, MD.
Army Soldier Jeffrey is recuperating at Walter Reed
National Military Medical Center.
While visiting another patient at
Bethesda, Freedom Alliance staff
met Jeffrey’s mother, who recently
was let go from her job. Freedom
Alliance and Strikeouts for Troops
gave Jeffrey’s family a grant to
help pay their expenses while
Jeffrey recuperates at the hospital.
Cadet Sets the Example at CFA 5k Race
When MLA Director Tim Strickler invited alumni cadets local to
the Northern VA area to run in the
Chick-Fil-A 5k for Freedom Alliance on 10 September, Alumni
Cadet Christopher Bonilla (2011)
answered the call with proper bearing, “Cadet Bonilla will definitely
be there!” Joined by his mother
Astrid, Cadet Bonilla was a fine
representative of the Academy,
running the 5k in 21mins 15secs
coming in first place in his overall
age group. Cadet Bonilla also was
the first Freedom Alliance runner to
complete the race, leaving behind
Director Strickler who finished the
race less than a minute later. “My
experience at the MLA summer
camp was unforgettable. When
I heard about the 5K benefitting
Freedom Alliance, I immediately
signed up, knowing I would be
helping to get the word out about
such a great organization and to
encourage future cadets to become
interested.”
Cadet Bonilla is currently in his
senior year of high school and has
his sights set on enlisting into the
Pictured Below
Vice President Dick Cheney
dined with SSgt Dave Lyon,
USMC, his aide dog Stanley, and
Freedom Alliance supporter Bob
Hamer. SSgt Lyon, of 1st EOD,
lost both legs in Afghanistan,
and is currently assigned to the
Wounded Warrior Battalion at
Balboa Naval Medical Center.
He had five combat deployments
prior this injury.
Team Freedom Alliance at the Chick-fil-A 5k in
Sterling, VA. Cadet Bonilla is 2nd from right.
Maryland National Guard. “I was
truly inspired by the MLA. I have
a new respect for those who serve
and am even more confident in my
decision to join the military.”
Camp Lejeune Corpsman Helped By FA Grant
In May 2009, Navy Hospital
Corpsman Jeremiah was on overnight watch on a two-story mud
hut overlooking a Taliban stronghold, when a 107mm rocket was
fired at his position. He made
sure his junior Marines were off
of the roof before going back for
his radio when the rocket hit his
right leg, knocking him off the
roof. Jeremiah struck a wall on
the way down, injuring his head
(giving him a grade 2 concussion) and the rocket itself caused a
tibular-fibular fracture of his right
lower leg. Freedom Alliance and
Strikeouts for Troops recently gave
him a grant to help pay for a much
needed desktop computer for his
family.
Jeremiah with his wife, Carissa and baby girl Cora.
“Doc” has attended several Freedom Alliance events.
a Freedom Alliance publication
“For Those I Love, I Will Sacrifice.”
Army PFC Kyle, of the 4th Squadron, 4th Cavalry Infantry Regiment, 1st Heavy Combat Brigade,
from Fort Riley, Kansas, was hit by
an IED while on foot patrol outside
Haji Ramuddin, Afghanistan. The
blast left him a triple amputee and
missing the fingers on the hand
that remains. Despite the various
surgeries and skin grafts they have
performed, Kyle’s doctors are
doing their best to preserve his
inspirational tattoo, which reads,
“For those I love I will sacrifice.”
This photo was taken just minutes
after the blast, aboard a medevac
helicopter, as Army medics tended
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Stars and Stripes photo by Laura Rauch. Click here
for online story found in TIME.
Care Packages
Shipped
This Year:
to Kyle’s wounds. Kyle just
turned 20 years old. Freedom
Alliance and Strikeouts for Troops
responded quickly with a grant
for emergency lodging for Kyle’s
family while they are at his bedside
at BAMC in San Antonio, Texas.
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October EVENTS
1 OCT: Jacksonville 1/2 Marathon
3-10 OCT: Heroes Vacation - New
Smyrna, FL
13 OCT: Navy Birthday
16 OCT: 454th TC USAR Family Day
22-29 OCT: Freedom Cruise
26 OCT: Fort Carson WTU Troop
Appreciation Dinner
November EVENTS
December EVENTS
2 NOV: Naval Air Weapons Station
China Lake Troop Appreciation
Dinner
UPDATE - 1 DEC: Lemoore Naval Air
Station Troop Appreciation Dinner
6-13 NOV: Heroes Vacation - New
Smyrna, FL
9 NOV: Sports Courts donated to
Charlie Norwood VA
10 NOV: Marine Corps Birthday
11 NOV: Veteran’s Day Deer Hunt
7 DEC: Fort Sill Troop Appreciation
Dinner
8-11 DEC: Army Navy Weekend
25 DEC: Presents for Patriots,
Christmas Day