Terri Bell enlisted in the military after high school wanting a secure job and structure when her hope of attending college on a basketball scholarship did not work out. She was already dating a Marine (who she would eventually marry) and thought the military would be a good next step. In 2002, she joined the … Continued
Kenneth Heard had always wanted to join the military and in 2013, he did just that, signing up for the Navy. He was assigned to HSM-79 as an aviation rescue swimmer, during that time serving onboard the U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln and the U.S.S. Carl Vinson. But after six years of service, he was diagnosed with … Continued
Hondo Everhart Jr., 7, loves Thomas the Train. And dinosaurs. So, when his mom, Shakira Everhart, was marking down what toys he liked after signing up for Operation Homefront’s Holiday Toy Drive, she was thought that would be used as a guideline. Instead, Hondo Jr. had exact matches. “He got a Thomas the Train play … Continued
A Heartwarming Homecoming for Air Force Veteran’s Family in Georgia After eight years in the military, and being stationed away from their families, Air Force Staff Sgt. Trevor Allison, his wife Brittany, and their six-year-old son Cohen are moving back home. Both Brittany and Trevor grew up in the Atlanta, Georgia area. However, the family … Continued
Veteran Shanique Wright was 18 and still in high school when she joined the Army National Guard in 2008. Her sister and father had been in the Army and, after growing up in Tennessee, Shanique thought it would be her best option to see the world. Between 2009-2010, she deployed to two different locations in … Continued
Veteran’s Family Roots in Florida Grow Deeper with Operation Homefront Housing Program Cody Hagerman and his wife Lauren were barely out of high school when they had their first child, Ayden, now in his teens. Cody wanted a stable career but also to serve his country. In 2008, he enlisted in the Army. He expected … Continued
Purple Heart Recipient and Wife Thank Donors for Support during Pandemic In his 20 years of service, retired Army Staff Sgt. Robert Carter Sr. earned a Purple Heart, and deployed four times, three of those combat deployments. His body remains riddled with shrapnel after being injured in a mortar attack in Iraq in 2004. “From … Continued
Operation Homefront Support Helps Marine Veteran Care for Disabled Father Marine veteran Alexander Tettey Jr. recently completed training to become an emergency medical technician but before he could start a job, the global pandemic made the work too risky. Alexander is a caregiver for his disabled father, who lives with him. With his father being … Continued
Navy veteran Clinton Patterson was three days into his first deployment in April 2018 when his wife Jessica confirmed she was pregnant. As he traveled to various locations in the Mediterranean and North Atlantic seas, both worried he would not be home for the birth of his first child. He returned in November that same … Continued
A Veteran Caregiver Finds Community, Friendship, and Camaraderie in Hearts of Valor program As COVID-19 shut down in-person meetings, businesses, and churches, all places where caregivers may seek support, Michelle Bassett has made it her mission to make sure those in her Hearts of Valor caregiver support group know she is still there when needed. … Continued
