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| Recipient | Project Name | Award Category |
| Sgt. Ron Patten Lt. Christy Nebel Rep. Steve Davis McDonough, GA |
A Hero's Salute SSgt. John Beale |
Public Communications |
| This award is about a video showing the last leg of a young man's final journey home to Georgia and the tribute paid to him by hundreds and hundreds of ordinary Americans who stood on street intersections and alongside the roadways in Georgia as a hero's funeral procession passed by. One part of you mourns with the family while another part swells with pride in your fellow Americans for the hero's salute given to this fallen soldier killed in Afghanistan. |
| One of the many comments posted about this video summarizes its impact: |
| I am so unbelievably inspired and touched. That so many people realize the worth of one man, the duty he cherished, the Nation he served and the reasons he laid his life down, well, it makes me remember all the reasons I love my country. I cried. |
| The individual responsible for spreading the word about the services for SSgt. Beale and the route to be followed and who took the video and posted it on his blog is Georgia State Representative Steve Davis. On very short notice, Lt. Christy Nebel and Sgt. Ron Patten were responsible for organizing the procession route and for the coordination required with various fire and police along the way. The three worked together on putting together the final video. They are individually recognized for capturing the remarkable and painful journey, for editing and producing the video, and for giving it wings on the Internet. |
| Click here to return to 2009 National Awards Recipients page. |