On behalf of my co-chairs, the Honorable and Mrs. George Strake, Jr., and the Honorable Mayor and Mrs. Bill White, I would like to welcome you to the 2008 “Helping a Hero Gala” benefiting “The Wounded Hero Home Program”.
We are here to celebrate the brave young men and women who without hesitation have volunteered to serve our country and protect our lives. Heroes take journeys, confront dragons, and in the process, life-changing sacrifices are made. We can’t all be heroes; but those on the home front must be there to applaud their efforts and extend a helping hand when they return home.
The State of Texas ranks second in the total number of active military personnel who are currently fighting the Global War on Terror. Our wounded heroes deserve our help. They come back from the battlefields needing hospital care and specialized rehabilitation in order to physically recover and rebuild their lives. The mission of “The Wounded Hero Program” is to provide homes equipped to help wounded veterans successfully transition into a normal routine regardless of their limitations. Our goal is to give them back their independence with dignity.
All of you here this evening are a part of this healing process. Our Wounded Heroes deserve to hear us say “Thank you for your service to our country—we will never forget you”!
In closing, I’d like to quote former President Ronald Reagan, “We have every right to dream heroic dreams. Those who say that we’re in a time when there are no heroes just don’t know where to look.”
“Our nation will remain “the land of the free” only so long as it is the home of the brave.” Thank you for being here.
