Liberty USO honors troops who keep on giving back
Five local troops were honored Oct. 2 as part of the USO of Pennsylvania and Southern New Jersey’s 68th annual Gala, held in Philadelphia.
The troops, representing each branch of the military, received Liberty USO’s highest military honor, the Service Member of the Year Award. According to Gretchen Wisehart, gala co-chair and Liberty USO board member, recipients are chosen after a request is sent out to all the commanding officers in the area asking for recommendations for the award. Each recipient must show exemplary duty to his or her country, as well as his or her community.
Yeoman First Class Kelda Lang, of Perkasie, received the award for her volunteer efforts with the American Red Cross, where she helps coordinate high school blood drives, and is president of the Willow Grove Naval Air Station Child Development Center’s Parent Involvement Board. She’s also on the Navy Ball committee, and the holiday party committee.
Lang joined the Navy in 1992 following high school graduation, partially to travel, but also because her father was in the U.S. Army.
Originally from Santa Fe, N.M., Lang joined the Navy in 1992 following high school graduation, partially to travel, but also because her father was in the Army, and, “I knew it was a good way of life.”
Lang was initially stationed in Naples, Italy, and later became an active reservist. After moving back to Italy with her husband, who is a serviceman, they moved to Pennsylvania. She now supervises the administration office for the commanding officer of the base at the Willow Grove base, where she processes everything from awards to correspondences, to evaluations.
“Most of the people that I work with are involved with the community,” Lang said. “The military is big on involvement, not just with the military community, but the outside community.”
On being recognized for her volunteer efforts, “It’s definitely an honor,” she said. “I try to be an example for all my subordinates, and it’s an honor to be able to do that in such a big way.”
Representing the U.S. Air Force is 1st Sgt. Bubba Beason, of Burlington County, N.J., who is scheduled to leave for Afghanistan in January, making it his seventh overseas tour since 2001.
Beason, originally from Arkansas, said he always wanted to work on airplanes, having gotten a knack for turning a wrench from his grandfather, and joined the Air Force in 1991. He remembers working on boats in the summer with his grandfather, and modifying a go-kart that he’d gotten for Christmas.
Though his mechanical skills were a vehicle to get him into the service, he’s done arguably more important things than fix airplanes. He organized the formation of his troops in last year’s Veterans’ Parade in New York City; and also organized a 140-mile run from Cape May to Holmdel, N.J. Each mile run was for a fallen New Jersey serviceman.
The idea came to him on a whim, and he made the run happen in August. “I was driving back from Claremont, [Ky.],” Beason said, “and I called my buddy and I said, ‘Hey man, What do you think about running across the state of New Jersey for all of our fallen brothers and sisters?’ and he said, ‘Man, you’re crazy, but let’s do it.
Every mile we’d put down a flag and a little sign card [for each service member].We raised $18,500, and donated all that money to National Gold Star Mother’s Monument in Washington, D.C.”
About a month ago, he was invited to Washington for that organization’s annual banquet, and was presented with a Gold Star Mother Cross of Honor.
“Recognizing the Gold Star moms is what I really enjoy doing,” he said. “I think people really forget about them sometimes. It’s just not right for a mother to lose her son or daughter before they go. When that happens — it’s just hard.”
Beason had a Web site donated for his efforts, www.njrunforthefallen.org.
On being recognized, in any capacity, Beason said he feels like he doesn’t deserve it, and it makes him uncomfortable. He said he’s just doing his job, and having a good time at the same time, adding that he couldn’t do the things that he does for his community without a good commander.
Representing the U.S. Marine Corps is Sgt. Kristopher Stoner, of Delaware County. He is assigned to the USMC 6th Engineer Support Battalion as a member of its Inspector Instructor Staff.
Aviation Survival Technician 2nd Class Lake Downham, of Margate, N.J., received the award for the U.S. Coast Guard. Downham is assigned to USCG Air Station, Atlantic City;
Representing the U.S. Army is Master Sgt. Jonathan Smith, of Red Lion, Pa. Smith is assigned to the HQS 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 28th Division, Pennsylvania National Guard.
In keeping with the community theme, Wisehart, of Bryn Mawr, said the gala is the largest event for Liberty USO, brining in $150,000 last year, and an estimated $200,000 this year — a big chunk of change in a $1 million budget. Wisehart has seen the organization grow in recent years.
“I would say that in the past five years, they have tripled the size of their annual budget, and I think a lot of that has to do with the high operational tempo that we’ve had as a result of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan,” Wisehart said. “One of the big things that we do is we support all of the deployment of the soldiers that go out of the McGuire and [Fort] Dix bases, and all of the ones that return. We get a group of volunteers to put together a reception for every single troop that’s deploying whether they’re leaving at 3 o’clock in the afternoon, or 3 in the morning. We have volunteers that come in, make them a meal, and just to let them know that we’re thinking of them and we appreciate all of their sacrifices and that we remember them.”
She said volunteers also do this on arrival of every plane, adding that lately there has been a tremendous amount of traffic coming in and out of those bases. Liberty USO is on target to serve 200,000 military and family members this year.
In addition to the five troops who received the Service Member of the Year Award, the Liberty USO recognized Gen. James E. Cartwright, Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who received the organization’s Liberty Award, which recognizes enduring and significant support of the USO mission.
The New Jersey and Pennsylvania National Guard Troops were also honored at the Oct. 2 gala. Commanding officers of each National Guard received the 2009 Chairman’s Award, recognizing the record number of Guard members who have been deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan since 2001.
Wisehart said Pennsylvania sent about 5,000 troops, with New Jersey sending a little less.
Liberty USO is a nonprofit organization and has no affiliation with the government other than the fact that it has a Congressional charter, Wisehart said.
For more information on Liberty USO, visit www.libertyuso.org.
The troops, representing each branch of the military, received Liberty USO’s highest military honor, the Service Member of the Year Award. According to Gretchen Wisehart, gala co-chair and Liberty USO board member, recipients are chosen after a request is sent out to all the commanding officers in the area asking for recommendations for the award. Each recipient must show exemplary duty to his or her country, as well as his or her community.
Yeoman First Class Kelda Lang, of Perkasie, received the award for her volunteer efforts with the American Red Cross, where she helps coordinate high school blood drives, and is president of the Willow Grove Naval Air Station Child Development Center’s Parent Involvement Board. She’s also on the Navy Ball committee, and the holiday party committee.
Lang joined the Navy in 1992 following high school graduation, partially to travel, but also because her father was in the U.S. Army.
Originally from Santa Fe, N.M., Lang joined the Navy in 1992 following high school graduation, partially to travel, but also because her father was in the Army, and, “I knew it was a good way of life.”
Lang was initially stationed in Naples, Italy, and later became an active reservist. After moving back to Italy with her husband, who is a serviceman, they moved to Pennsylvania. She now supervises the administration office for the commanding officer of the base at the Willow Grove base, where she processes everything from awards to correspondences, to evaluations.
“Most of the people that I work with are involved with the community,” Lang said. “The military is big on involvement, not just with the military community, but the outside community.”
On being recognized for her volunteer efforts, “It’s definitely an honor,” she said. “I try to be an example for all my subordinates, and it’s an honor to be able to do that in such a big way.”
Representing the U.S. Air Force is 1st Sgt. Bubba Beason, of Burlington County, N.J., who is scheduled to leave for Afghanistan in January, making it his seventh overseas tour since 2001.
Beason, originally from Arkansas, said he always wanted to work on airplanes, having gotten a knack for turning a wrench from his grandfather, and joined the Air Force in 1991. He remembers working on boats in the summer with his grandfather, and modifying a go-kart that he’d gotten for Christmas.
Though his mechanical skills were a vehicle to get him into the service, he’s done arguably more important things than fix airplanes. He organized the formation of his troops in last year’s Veterans’ Parade in New York City; and also organized a 140-mile run from Cape May to Holmdel, N.J. Each mile run was for a fallen New Jersey serviceman.
The idea came to him on a whim, and he made the run happen in August. “I was driving back from Claremont, [Ky.],” Beason said, “and I called my buddy and I said, ‘Hey man, What do you think about running across the state of New Jersey for all of our fallen brothers and sisters?’ and he said, ‘Man, you’re crazy, but let’s do it.
Every mile we’d put down a flag and a little sign card [for each service member].We raised $18,500, and donated all that money to National Gold Star Mother’s Monument in Washington, D.C.”
About a month ago, he was invited to Washington for that organization’s annual banquet, and was presented with a Gold Star Mother Cross of Honor.
“Recognizing the Gold Star moms is what I really enjoy doing,” he said. “I think people really forget about them sometimes. It’s just not right for a mother to lose her son or daughter before they go. When that happens — it’s just hard.”
Beason had a Web site donated for his efforts, www.njrunforthefallen.org.
On being recognized, in any capacity, Beason said he feels like he doesn’t deserve it, and it makes him uncomfortable. He said he’s just doing his job, and having a good time at the same time, adding that he couldn’t do the things that he does for his community without a good commander.
Representing the U.S. Marine Corps is Sgt. Kristopher Stoner, of Delaware County. He is assigned to the USMC 6th Engineer Support Battalion as a member of its Inspector Instructor Staff.
Aviation Survival Technician 2nd Class Lake Downham, of Margate, N.J., received the award for the U.S. Coast Guard. Downham is assigned to USCG Air Station, Atlantic City;
Representing the U.S. Army is Master Sgt. Jonathan Smith, of Red Lion, Pa. Smith is assigned to the HQS 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 28th Division, Pennsylvania National Guard.
In keeping with the community theme, Wisehart, of Bryn Mawr, said the gala is the largest event for Liberty USO, brining in $150,000 last year, and an estimated $200,000 this year — a big chunk of change in a $1 million budget. Wisehart has seen the organization grow in recent years.
“I would say that in the past five years, they have tripled the size of their annual budget, and I think a lot of that has to do with the high operational tempo that we’ve had as a result of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan,” Wisehart said. “One of the big things that we do is we support all of the deployment of the soldiers that go out of the McGuire and [Fort] Dix bases, and all of the ones that return. We get a group of volunteers to put together a reception for every single troop that’s deploying whether they’re leaving at 3 o’clock in the afternoon, or 3 in the morning. We have volunteers that come in, make them a meal, and just to let them know that we’re thinking of them and we appreciate all of their sacrifices and that we remember them.”
She said volunteers also do this on arrival of every plane, adding that lately there has been a tremendous amount of traffic coming in and out of those bases. Liberty USO is on target to serve 200,000 military and family members this year.
In addition to the five troops who received the Service Member of the Year Award, the Liberty USO recognized Gen. James E. Cartwright, Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who received the organization’s Liberty Award, which recognizes enduring and significant support of the USO mission.
The New Jersey and Pennsylvania National Guard Troops were also honored at the Oct. 2 gala. Commanding officers of each National Guard received the 2009 Chairman’s Award, recognizing the record number of Guard members who have been deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan since 2001.
Wisehart said Pennsylvania sent about 5,000 troops, with New Jersey sending a little less.
Liberty USO is a nonprofit organization and has no affiliation with the government other than the fact that it has a Congressional charter, Wisehart said.
For more information on Liberty USO, visit www.libertyuso.org.
