American Hero Award Winner, Recap
When we were in the planning stages of the American Hero Award, we decided it would be perfect to have our theme be “Honor Your Hero.” We called on visitors to the site to honor their heroes by nominating them for the award. Nominations came flooding in and with each story we read, we knew our task of choosing ten finalists would be a difficult one. Not only were the nominees’ stories inspiring, but so was the support and pride shown by those who had nominated them. Some soldiers were nominated by friends and families, others by people they had never met in person.
After a lot of reading, thought and discussion, we selected our ten finalists. Our staff can’t express enough how hard this part was. In the end, we chose ten Veterans whose stories, deeds, and courage stood out to us. Here is a quick recap of our finalists:
• Gregory Anton – an Iraq Veteran raising a family, working full time, and completing college
• Daniel Ashe – an Iraq Veteran who now cares for his young children while his wife is away at basic training
• Steve Clark – an Iraq Veteran who has spearheaded grassroots efforts to arrange a “Small Town Send-Off” for troops and sends 15-20 packages a month to the troops
• CJ Grisham – an Iraq Veteran who runs the blog “A Soldier’s Perspective” as well as the site “They Have Names,” which is devoted to honoring fallen soldiers
• Brian Horn – an Iraq Veteran who started the site “Any Solider.com,” which has provided support for nearly 1 million troops in 4 years
• Todd Parisi – an Iraq Veteran who is the youngest Sniper Instructor in the history of the Marine Corps and has been awarded the Bronze Star Medal for meritorious service to the Marine Corps and country.
• Brandon Rork – an Iraq Veteran who disarmed an attempted suicide bomber planning to detonate a dump truck filled with enough explosives to blow up his entire base
• Eddie Ryan – an Iraq Veteran who survived two gunshot wounds to the head and continues to defy the odds with his amazing recovery
• Steve Stephens – an Iraq Veteran who founded “Soldiers Helping those in Need,” who, along with Blankets.com, provided Iraqis with over 3,000 blankets
• Richard Tibbetts, Jr. – an Iraq Veteran with more than 25 years of military service to the United States through the Marine Corps
It’s clear that we had ten remarkable finalists on our hands and each was awarded a finalist prize of $500. There have been few personal or professional situations that can compare to the wonderful experience we had contacting the soldier’s and those who had nominated them.
Individuals who submitted nominations were thrilled to hear their heroes were being honored and each were ready to heap more praise on their nominees. Even though they were not receiving a prize, it was clear that having the Veterans they knew recognized was a prize in and of itself. As for the Veterans themselves, their stories were touching and their gratitude and humility was the most genuine we’ve ever witnessed.
These men, many who had no idea they had been nominated, expressed surprise that they had been chosen. One even called our offices to see if it was a joke. No, we assured him, no joke. Each of them deserves this prize more than they will know and we hope this inspires others to honor their heroes.
As wonderful as all of our finalists are, only one could be named the VA Mortgage Center.com American Hero. Visitors to the site voted once per day online from December 21, 2007 – January 11, 2008. We are proud to announce the $5,000 winner as…
Brian Horn
Founder of AnySoldier.com
Congratulations to Brian and all of our finalists! Thank you to all who participated.
CJ
January 14th, 2008 at 8:32 pmThank goodness that is over with. The pressure and stress was too much. My utmost congratulations to Brian. Truly deserved, my friend. My full congratulations can be found publicly at A Soldier’s Perspective.
Shelly
January 15th, 2008 at 9:43 pmCongratulations Brian from an Anysoldier fan!!
And a HUGE hug and thanks to all the heros submitted, nominated, voted for…. we are the real winners for having men and women like you among us!
Shelly
Sarah
January 15th, 2008 at 10:58 pmCongratulations to all our American Heroes… each and every one of you who serves our country! And special thanks to Brian- because of his idea we have a way to tell them “Thanks” personally!
Barbara
January 16th, 2008 at 9:04 amCongratulations to all our American Heroes on being nominated and being a finalist. THANK YOU for your service to our country. You and your service are appreciated. Wouldn’t be what we are without you. FREE.
Congratulations Brian!! Such a wonderful thing to happen for you. Thank you for caring about your fellow Armed Forces members needs for support and creating a way for us back home to be able to show them love and support.
Barbara
on-my-mind
January 17th, 2008 at 1:16 pmCongratulations Brian! “Thank you!” to you and to the other contestants for all that you veterans have done for our Soldiers, Marines, Sailors, Airmen, and Coast Guardsmen, and for all that you have done for our great country. We love you!
Anita
January 17th, 2008 at 3:11 pmThanks VA Mortgage Center for the opportunity to honor all these heroes who represent so many more still out there serving their country in so many ways, and those that continue serving after they come home.
Congratulations Brian and AS, you’ve given so many of us a way to show our appreciation, respect, and yes, love to our men and women in uniform sacrificing so much for us and our great country. We can never say THANK YOU adequately or often enough, but you let us try.
Anita
NightCrewSports.com
January 18th, 2008 at 9:45 pmBrian,
Congrats from all the guys at NightCrewSports.com We are proud of you!
~OhioCollectibles & The members Night Crew Sports
Karen
January 20th, 2008 at 6:57 amCongrats to the winners! They are recognized in the name and spirit of all who have served and those who continue to serve . God Bless. An Army Mom from RI
Linda Patterson
January 20th, 2008 at 5:38 pmCongratulations Brian! Your hard work and caring spirit have afforded so many of us the opportunity to give the kind of love and support to so many whom otherwise would not have received it. I have, thanks to your project met so many amazing and caring soldiers, some who will remain friends for life.
To all the other nominees thanks for keeping our military in the public eye, we need to know about all the untold stories. Thank you all for your service and dedication to America and our military.
God Bless you all.
A Supporter Forever and Blue Star Mother (two times, son in the Navy and daughter Navy Veteran)
Linda Patterson (The Angel Lady)
Lancaster, California
sgtusmc
February 2nd, 2008 at 3:36 pmTBI Veteran 2-02-02
Written by Peter Macdonald 465 Packersfalls rd Lee NH 03824 603-659-6217
A sad story of a child leaving high school in 1970 at 17 to become a U.S. Marine and go off to a conflict. A four year tour with 31 months overseas, 8 convoys as American Advisor delivering surplus supplies to friendly camps in Thailand, Laos and Cambodia and three disabling injuries, two were received during separate combat support missions. This now 100% disabled Veteran returns to New Hampshire with total amnesia from a traumatic brain injury received during his tour. How does one understand family, friends, and a life where commands and orders do not guide your life? Is it possible to live where killing is the norm, then be dropped into a civilized society and survive? I so much wanted to see what other Marines would describe as “Back in the World” that I slide into drugs, alcohol and college. Finely one day I started volunteering helping others to relieve my guilt of coming back alive. Volunteering made me realize that maybe helping others would eventually stop the need for war. Volunteering at the least allowed me to say thank you to those that never came home.
I learned to believe so much in the American system of government that getting involved became a passion. I volunteered on zoning board, and many others. I ran for elected local and state office. I volunteered in the court system, police projects, schools, hospitals and many more learning and reassuring my self I will some day be like others. Helping even strangers on the street, or in the communities with domestic problems, housing or other difficulties in every day life is an every day event for me.
I was raised in Alton NH but to this day I do not remember any part of life there. I do not look disabled which places doubt in others minds. I have accepted the fact that I must struggle every day to attempt to understand situations around me. I realize that from the day that I set foot back in the “world” that I was different from others because I had no emotions toward others. Not in the fact that I could not feel love and affection but that I could kill or accept other’s pain with out it interfering with my ability to complete my mission. I under stood that I did not belong in a civilized society. I moved out of Alton because people knew me and I had no idea whom they were. People in Alton could not accept this once wild child now had a broken back and lose of hearing which I hide for fear of being rejected.
I learned while in the Marine Corps that I was giving my life for the Constitution of the United Sates and equal treatment of the law to all. A Madbury NH family called my house in Lee NH to ask for help in 1999. They had a zoning issue and had read my letters to the editor in the newspapers. This family was so desperate because the local selectmen were using their lively hood “Family business” as a means to seek revenge against this family. This fact turned out to be true. In helping them, Judge Peter Fauver committed 29 or more Constitutional crimes to inflict pain and suffering on this family. I to this day have not stopped helping this family. The newspapers censor the facts in direct violation or our Constitution. The courts and government have inflicted so much pain and suffering on my family, people wonder why I do not stop helping people that were strangers to me. I learned to allow the courts and government to inflict pain and suffering on any one individual can not be tolerated. It does not matter that the people of the United States of America have been deceived by false facts printed in the news to harm my character in the public eye. I learned in the Marine Corps that we the people must correct the wrongs of government as a means to keep our nation strong.
The director of the NH VA medical care Mark Levenston stopped my VA medical in an effort to aid the NH government officials and judges to stop my free speech. My biggest conflict to understanding life back here in the world is accepting the atrocious acts that I committed as a U.S. Marine. It is not the fact that I did, what I did. It is that I do not feel guilty for killing a child while in the “Bush” to retrieve my weapon and escape. I have no memory of any good while I served. I remember the hot lonely nights waiting hour after hour for mission to begin. I remember riding on convoy where no one else spoke American and I knew that tomorrow would not be here. I remember hoping to live long enough to see what “Back in the World” was like.
I have so far lived a great life. NH has taken my freedom, and much more to prevent me from exposing wrongs in government that need to be corrected. The news media censors a 100% disabled U.S. Marines words to aid the criminal actions of a few trusted government officials and judges. I can not under stand how the news or any other United States citizen can allow medical care to be used to shut up a 100% disabled Veteran. The news highlights the politicians claims during election time to the need to place more help to the returning Veterans. I know to this day there are WWII veterans alive that are still asking for help with their service connected disabilities. These are the children that went off to fight for our Constitution. Mark Levenston, Judge Fauver NH governor Lynch and many others committed crimes against the peace and dignity of the United States. The NH Government, courts and news media with the help of the VA have knowingly harmed a disabled Veteran for self gain. Worse is that our courts, government and news media do this to many returning Veterans. Now do you under stand why this is a Sad Story. Go to ww.veteranstoday.com and read this and many more sad stories.
Peter Macdonald Sgt USMC Semper Fi