First Responders Donate `Shirts Off Their Backs` For Army
Liz Jackson was tired of the word 'hero' being bandied about in the aftermath of September 11. "If you mowed your lawn, you were a hero," she now parodies.
But the Washington native never doubted the heroic certitude of those who served in the armed forces. So out of curiosity, she asked military personnel who their heroes were.
The answer: medical responders, firefighters and police officers -- all of whom looked after people's families at home so that the troops could focus on their units abroad. When Jackson asked the same question to public safety professionals, they returned the warm sentiments; singling out folks in the armed services as those they most admired.
And so began Jackson's 'Hero to Hero' project that runs to this day. The program facilitates the donation of shirts "from the backs" of public safety workers to soldier units in Afghanistan and Iraq. By requirement, each shirt has been worn by a real-life 'hero' and displays a logo connoting the department's locality.
Givers are encouraged to write messages of positive support on the shirts. Jackson's favorites include: "A lot of heart goes in these!" and "We've got your back!" The messages must be apolitical in tone -- a restriction proven overly-daunting for some contributors.
For example, Jackson received a shirt with a rather pointed take on the Mastercard advertising campaign. The punch line: "Dead Insurgent ... Priceless!" Another shirt displayed the message, "Kick their ass to save mine. Love, Grandma." Approval of the latter message is still being considered by Jackson and her core team of eight military family members who assist in running the program.
More recently, public safety professionals have attached business cards so the soldier recipients have contact information. Jackson's favorite message: "Come by the station when you get back ... dinner's on us!"
To gauge the troops' reception to the project, one need only look at its rapid growth since its 2003 inception when 800 shirts were donated mostly out of Washington. This year, more than 5,000 have been gifted from agencies ranging throughout the United States and Canada.
The National Tour Plan was adopted to generate pledges from departments across the U.S. Starting this May, Jackson will head out with military personnel once again as part of the drive. She plans to visit 55 cities and log around 10,000 miles. Says Jackson, "We collect shirts; shake hands; meet the people; no politics."
But she doesn't need numbers to know her efforts are appreciated. She has been greeted warmly by departments visited on her tours, and has heard warm stories of troops abroad receiving their shirts. She cited instances of soldiers trading among one another to obtain shirts from the most local public safety agencies available. Other accounts involve troops hanging the shirts up in their rooms and raising them on flagpoles. She cited one soldier who wore his shirt underneath his uniform in 120 degree temperatures "to have the words next to his heart, not his chest".
Jackson plans on continuing the project until every soldier has returned home from Afghanistan and Iraq. However, this year's donation drive will conclude February 24th only to resume again September 11, 2006. Monetary donations and non-shirt contributions (such as caps, badges) are also accepted.
For further information on the program, visit the Hero to Hero website at www.herotohero.us.
