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Operation Honor Our Heroes - A Completely Legitimate, Texas-Based, Non-Profit Charity Supporting Families of Soldiers Killed in Action


DonRocks

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Some people may have heard me mention Operation Honor Our Heroes in the past. It is an Austin, Texas-based non-profit which honors soldiers that have been killed in overseas conflicts, providing an enormous amount of comfort for the grieving, surviving family members and friends. 

I have personally vetted this charity more than you can possibly imagine, and (pay attention closely here) 100% - ONE HUNDRED PERCENT - of all donations go directly towards operations. There is no marketing expense, and there are no salaries - everything above-and-beyond direct operations expenses is paid out-of-pocket by Dr. Nancy Glass, founder and Executive Director. Everything. 

My personal assistant, Christi-Ana Crews is the President of the organization. Christi-Ana (who went to college in Austin) lost her boyfriend, a Marine, and devoted all her remaining energies to this charity (it's the equivalent of if I had devoted all my energies to Ovarian Cancer). I have now worked with Christi-Ana for over two years, and I trust her completely, without reservation. She is one of the finest people I know.

Christi-Ana (who is over at my house right now) just told me that Operation Honor Our Heroes has been approved for the Memorial Day Weekend activities on the National Mall (she is positively beaming that they got approved so early; generally, she gets a few weeks notice, and is forced to cobble something together). They received permit approval for this display in 2014 and 2015, but were unable to put it on due to excessively short time constraints.

Note also that the website is merely a stub ("It's the last of our worries," Christi-Ana said to me. "Our Facebook page is current, but our website isn't.")

"Guess where our site is?" she just said to me.

Looking down the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, with the Vietnam Memorial on the left, and the Korean Memorial on the right, Operation Honor Our Heroes has *the entire space between the Lincoln Memorial and the Korean War Memorial - the display will take up over 7,000 square feet. They will be planting flags that are one-square-foot apart, with one flag representing one fallen soldier - approximately 7,000 flags total. The exact number of flags represents the number of fallen servicemen in Afghanistan and Iraq, but that's just the number. However, the display as a whole represents and honors *all fallen American servicemen from all conflicts*. Every single flag will have a card on it, along with a picture, killed-in-action date, and the soldiers' hometown. 

Operation Honor Our Heroes needs three things;

1) Monetary Donations (i.e., MONEY!)

2) Product Donations (e.g., if Home Depot could supply canopies for shade during the hot summer sun, or flashlights for nighttime workers, hammers to help put the flags in - things essential to the setting-up and running of the display.

3) Volunteers (to set up flags, man (or woman) the station from May 26th through the 31st, *24 HOURS A DAY*. Hiring a Park Police Officer would cost $70 per hour for each hour worked.)

I will be working the station once in the middle of the night, and if you've ever wanted to thank me for running this website, the best way you could do it is to support Operation Honor our Heroes - if you're not in a position to help monetarily or time-wise, it would be of enormous benefit contacting companies (Wal-Mart, Home Depot, etc.) to help donate funds or equipment.

7,000 Flags at Long Center, Austin, TX: Heros_Honored_At_Long_Center.jpg

Christi-Ana: 12032279_765851110227649_8061857726047570053_n.jpg

Information Packed (.pdf file): OHOH Info Packet 2015.pdf

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Instagram Invite Memorial Day 2017.jpg

For the second year in a row, Operation Honor Our Heroes is going to be putting up 10,000 flags, along with a photo of 10,000 fallen soldiers - one flag for each 100 servicemen killed since the American Revolution (we've lost 1 million soldiers in our country's history). 

Also, there will be 7,000 personalized memorial cards of fallen soldiers accompanying the flags.

Perhaps most importantly, once again this exhibit will have what is arguably the most important parcel of real estate on the mall this Memorial Day Weekend. Look where the exhibit is going to be - right between the Lincoln Memorial and the Korean War Memorial, alongside the Reflecting Pool:

Memorial Day 2017 Location.pdf

Here is an information packet:

OHOH Info Packet 2017.pdf

And it goes without saying that volunteers - and donations - are *desperately* needed. This is a chronically underfunded organization, the bulk of which is funded by *one person* living in Texas:

OHOH Volunteers Memorial Day 2017.pdf

donrockwell.com was an official supporter of this event in 2016, and I'm pleased to announce that we will be in 2017 as well. As of right now, this is the *only* charity we are actively involved in supporting, and my personal assistant, Christi-Ana Crews, is again spearheading the entire operation. You can think of Christi-Ana as an extension of me - in fact, as I type this, she's over in the next room, printing documents for this event:

Here is what you can do to help, and when:

VOLUNTEER SCHEDULE Request Memorial Day 2017.pdf

---

Here is the letter Christi-Ana wrote me, asking for support:

Don, 

Sorry it took me so long to send this, but I wanted your advice/expertise and possibly your help with my organization's Memorial Day event this year. 

First, I wanted to personally invite you to attend (or volunteer!), and spread the word through your network. I know you're constantly traveling, but if you find yourself in DC, the event begins on 24 May and goes through 30 May. Set up is from sunrise to sundown 24-26 May, display days are 27-29 May, and breakdown is 30 May. We are out there 24/7 from start to finish. There will be an informal ceremony on Monday morning.

The display:

10,000 flags will be planted on the JFK Hockey Fields (between the Korean War Memorial and the Reflecting Pool, closest to the Lincoln Memorial end). This number symbolizes 1 flag for every 100 service members KIA since the revolution. Within this, there are approximately 7,000 flags with personalized memorial cards attached in honor of our Post 9/11 KIA. Alongside our American flags, we will display the number of Post 9/11 ISAF (with their respective flags) KIA as well. We will also display the year's fallen first responders. 

The organization:

Operation Honor Our Heroes is a 501 (c) (3) organization based out of Austin, TX. The organization was formed in honor of MSG Robert Horrigan. Our mission is to honor the fallen and to help the wounded. This is a 100% voluntary organization and 100% of donated funds are funneled into our mission statement projects.

If anyone knows DC in all its facets, its you! I figured you could be a wealth of knowledge. Last year was a learning experience (being our first year to post the display). This year I am hoping for more ease and flow during the event! 
 We need as many volunteers as we can get. We are also still looking for donations. Obviously it is late in the fiscal year to request monetary donations, therefore this poses some constraints in what and who we can ask. Last year we relied solely on in-kind donations. Unfortunately, due to the rain during last year's event, we will need to replace most of our flags due to mold and mildew destroying them. Also, I want to get the word out to as many military, law enforcement, fire, and government contacts in the area as I can. I have reached out to who I know in hopes of them spreading the word through their contacts. Last year your connections with Jon Karl, Ron and Mike were instrumental in the success and exposure of the event. You know people, I need people!
 
I hope you can attend at some point during the week! Please pass the information along to anyone who might be interested in attending, donating, or volunteering. I can also draft a post for donrockwell.com. If you have any suggestions or advice, it would be greatly appreciated!

Best,
-- 
Christi-Ana Crews
PRESIDENT
OPERATION HONOR OUR HEROES
 
PHONE:  (817) 995-9215
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It's crunch time, and Operation Honor our Heroes needs a truck in which to carry the American Flags, etc. It needs to be a small moving van, or perhaps a large cargo van (12-foot with loading ramp would be ideal) - absent that, they need some money to rent one - it will come out to about $250 total.

The truck is needed for about 24 hours beginning at about 3 PM on May 23, and definitely all day on May 30. 

Can anyone help?

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On 5/13/2017 at 3:23 PM, DonRocks said:

It's crunch time, and Operation Honor our Heroes needs a truck in which to carry the American Flags, etc. It needs to be a small moving van, or perhaps a large cargo van (12-foot with loading ramp would be ideal) - absent that, they need some money to rent one - it will come out to about $250 total.

The truck is needed for about 24 hours beginning at about 3 PM on May 23, and definitely all day on May 30. 

Can anyone help?

Nobody helped. :(

The display has been canceled this year.

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Dear Don,
 
It is with deep regret that I inform you that Operation Honor Our Heroes' Memorial Day event has been cancelled. The cancellation is due to unforeseen logistical and supply issues and personal medical issues that arose in the event planning process within our Texas preparation team. 
 
We plan to continue as planned next year and hope that you can be an integral part of making the event happen again. The dates are planned for May 23 - May 29, 2018. There are also volunteer opportunities year round. You can contact me directly if your interested in assisting with the event planning for next year, or the Memorial Card project.
 
I apologize for the short notice; the decision was ultimately made yesterday. I appreciate all that you have done for us. Thank you again. 
 
Sincerely,

-- 

Christi-Ana Crews
PRESIDENT
OPERATION HONOR OUR HEROES
 
PHONE:  (817) 995-9215
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