The Grateful Nation Project - Hero Cards

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The Grateful Nation Project - Hero Cards

We’re an educational 501(c)(3) nonprofit, all-volunteer organization that gathers, preserves, and shares the stories of TRUE Heroes—members of the U.S.

military who gave “the last full measure of devotion” for our freedom. Our Mission: To gather, preserve, and share the stories of TRUE Heroes—members of the U.S. military who lost their lives while serving. We are creating a Hero Card for every fallen U.S. service member who gave “the last full measure of devotion” for our freedom.

09/17/2026

Next week…Tampa…let’s connect!

The Military Influencer Conference is “where the military-connected community comes together to build what comes next.”

Make your way to BOOTH 324, and we can talk about sharing the stories—in schools and homes across America—of those who gave “the last full measure of devotion” for our freedom.

Military Influencer, Military Officers Association of America (MOAA), National Military Family Association, Military Child Education Coalition, The Unquiet Professional, Krista S. Anderson, Brave Group, Ryan Manion, Amy Forsythe, Military Times

09/16/2026

After seven decades of not knowing her brother’s fate, CPL “Donnie” Menken’s 97-year-old sister, Marie, lived long enough to see him brought home. Thanks to the tireless dedication of the Defense POW / MIA Accounting Agency in fulfilling the nation’s “no one left behind” promise.

Read CPL Menkin’s story [link in comments]

Embassy of the United States to Korea, Korean War Project, Korean War Veterans and Family and Supporters, Korean War Veterans Memorial, Association of the United States Army - AUSA National, Hillsdale College K-12 Education, Turning Point Education, Smithsonian Education, National Council for the Social Studies, Korea Defense Veterans Assoc. - KDVA Members

09/12/2026

SEPTEMBER 12, 2001 - In the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, hundreds of thousands of young Americans left the comforts of home, risking their lives to defend their country (if that describes you or a loved one, please tell us about it in Comments!).

Many made the ultimate sacrifice.

On The Grateful Nation Project’s website (link in Comments), scroll to the search field at the bottom of any page and search “September 11.”

The results will lead to biographies of just some of the Heroes who took action to preserve your freedom—real people with real families.

Know their names. Share their stories with the next generation. Never forget.

[link in Comments]

Global War on Terrorism Memorial Foundation, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, The Unquiet Professional, Krista S. Anderson, Brave Group, Young America's Foundation, Turning Point Education, Hillsdale College K-12 Education, National Council for the Social Studies, Military Influencer, National Military Family Association

09/11/2026

Army LTC Karen Wagner was a fourth-generation soldier. She was at her desk at the Pentagon on 9/11/2001—nearing the end of her 17 years of service—when American Airlines Flight 77 was hijacked by radical Islamic terrorists and crashed into the Pentagon’s western facade.

[biography link in comments]

Global War on Terrorism Memorial Foundation, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, Association of the United States Army - AUSA National, Pete Hegseth, Smithsonian Education, Young America's Foundation, U.S. Department of Education, Linda McMahon, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, U.S. Department of War

09/08/2026

You’ve served your country. For this, we are grateful. We need you again.

If you visited our booth at the American Legion National Convention in Louisville last week, we promised to follow up with instructions on how you can help bring TRUE Heroes’ stories into your local classrooms.

Young Americans are increasingly losing connection to our military. You are needed to help them understand the very high cost of our freedom.

Through our new Veteran Organizations Ally Program (link in comments), we can work together to achieve this goal.

Because you are already known and respected in your community—and are already making visits to your local schools—you’re uniquely qualified to make the connection! If you participate in school Veterans Day, Memorial Day, or America 250 activities this year, your help is needed.

As you report back to your Legion/Auxiliary posts, please let them know that their service is needed…again! Be a part of our Ally Program—to ensure that the stories of those who gave “the last full measure of devotion” reach the hands of young Americans in your community!

American Legion Auxiliary National Headquarters, The American Legion National Headquarters, Veterans of Foreign Wars VFW, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America Vietnam Veterans of America, Vietnam Veterans of America, State Policy Network, School Boards For Academic Excellence, National Military Family Association, Military Officers Association of America (MOAA)

08/25/2026

Gratitude: Make it Personal.

Do you or your American Legion Post visit schools for Veterans Day events?

Let’s talk at this weekend’s Convention about how you can instill gratitude in the next generation—for those who served and made the ultimate sacrifice.

Visit The Grateful Nation Project at BOOTH 509 in the Exhibit Hall. See you there!

The American Legion National Headquarters, American Legion Auxiliary National Headquarters, National Military Family Association, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, U.S. Department of Education, Veterans of Foreign Wars VFW, National Council for the Social Studies, School Boards For Academic Excellence, America 250 Civics Education Coalition, Bradley Impact Fund

08/18/2026

Daniel Riordan was known first as “Cowboy Dan,” then later as “Lieutenant Dan.”

As a tank commander in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, he believed that he and his unit were “truly bringing empowerment and freedom to the men, women, and children of Iraq.”

[biography link in comments]

Global War on Terrorism Memorial Foundation, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, Association of the United States Army - AUSA National, Hillsdale College K-12 Education, Success Academy Charter Schools, U.S. Department of Education, PBS Teachers, Smithsonian Education, Gary Sinise Foundation, Bradley Impact Fund

08/13/2026

We have work to do…

“To the best of your knowledge, which of the following best describes what America's 250th anniversary commemorates?”

As reported by NPR [link in comments], a recent survey from the Cato Institute shows that 61% of Americans ages 18-29 did not know what “America 250” commemorates. For all ages, that number is better…but still not good: 47% didn’t know.

What to do?

The good news: A civics education transformation is underway.

To help educators and parents turn the tide, we—and many of our partner organizations—offer excellent free or low-cost resources for Civics/History/Social Studies [links in comments]:

THE GRATEFUL NATION PROJECT
Our “For Schools” section offers ideas on how to implement the Project as a classroom activity or for special assemblies—Veterans Day, America 250, Memorial Day. Download the free Teacher’s Guide.

HILLSDALE COLLEGE K-12 EDUCATION
Resources for K-12 Educators is a deep, extensive collection of gold-standard lesson plans and other toolkits—including their free, comprehensive K-12 American history and civics curriculum.

AncestryClassroom
Provides access to Ancestry’s World Explorer Collection, Fold3, and Newspapers (free for educators and school administrators). They also have an extensive list of classroom (or home) resources on their Educator Resources page.

917 SOCIETY
September 17, 1787, is the day the U.S. Constitution was adopted. The 917 Society delivers free pocket U.S. Constitutions to 8th-grade classrooms across the country.

[see links in comments]

Hillsdale College K-12 Education, Ancestry, The 917 Society - Non-Profit, U.S. Department of Education, Linda McMahon, America250, Freedom 250, Smithsonian Education, The Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation, School Boards For Academic Excellence

08/06/2026

“No screens” policy? No problem!

If your school is part of the growing “no screens” movement, you can still participate in The Grateful Nation Project. Besides the Hero Cards themselves being physical paper cards, the online biography pages can be printed out as information sheets.

Of course, using the printed sheet removes the benefit of linked terminology for digging deeper—for terms that might be unfamiliar, like “Hessian,” “Buffalo Soldier,” or “Humvee.”

Whether your classroom prefers paper or screen, the Hero stories offer a great opportunity for family engagement in the home! If you need implementation ideas, be sure to download our free Teacher’s Guide.

[link in comments]

Hillsdale College K-12 Education, U.S. Department of Education, PBS Teachers, Linda McMahon, America250, National Council for the Social Studies, School Boards For Academic Excellence, Bradley Impact Fund, Success Academy Charter Schools, Smithsonian Education

07/29/2026

His father served during World War I. His grandfather served in the Civil War.

Sgt. Lynn Boomer was a WWII waist gunner on “Pandora’s Box,” a B-17F Flying Fortress heavy bomber.

On a mission to destroy German U-boat pens on the coast of occupied France, Pandora’s Box and its 11-man crew were shot down over the English Channel.

[biography link in comments]

Defense POW / MIA Accounting Agency, U.S. Army Center of Military History, U.S. Army Transformation and Training Command, EAA - The Spirit of Aviation, The American Legion National Headquarters, Association of the United States Army - AUSA National, Military Influencer, National Council for the Social Studies, Hillsdale College K-12 Education, School Boards For Academic Excellence

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Brookfield, WI

Website

https://www.gratefulnation.us/

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