Twenty years ago, on April 4, 2003, Army Sgt. First Class Paul Ray Smith was killed in a firefight with Iraqi insurgents.

Paul served in the Army for 13 years. Two years after his death his heroism was recognized with the nation's highest honor for valor, the Medal of Honor. The decoration was accepted on his behalf by Paul’s, then, 11-year-old son David from President George W. Bush during a White House ceremony. He was the first Medal of Honor recipient in the Global War on Terror.

Since September 11, 2001, Freedom Alliance has awarded more than $20 million in scholarships. Wanda Cruz has served as Administrator for the Freedom Alliance Scholarship Fund for the past decade. Freedom Alliance is now accepting scholarship applications. Students who are interested in applying for a scholarship from Freedom Alliance can find out more about this program and apply online by visiting fascholarship.com.

Staff Sgt. Jason Smith was deployed to Afghanistan in 2012, where he stepped on a roadside bomb. Jason lost both legs and suffered extensive damage to his right hand. Staff Sgt. Eric Myers served in the Army for 10 years, deploying to Afghanistan three times. On his last deployment, Eric stepped on an IED losing both legs and sustaining other serious injuries. “The all-terrain wheelchair will help me to get around much more easily. It is essentially my lifeline. You are changing lives.”

All five veterans expressed profound thanks to Freedom Alliance and our generous donors like you for making this event possible. As one of them wrote us: “It was unlike any other veteran’s trip I’ve experienced.”