-
https://kissingtree.com/honoring-our-veterans/
Honoring Our Veterans
After many months of fundraising and hard work, it was wonderful to see everyone’s efforts come together at the dedication ceremony for Kissing Tree’s Veterans Plaza. A full morning of events served as a fitting way to mark the completion of this sacred place on the Kissing Tree campus.
Start with a Good Breakfast
The morning kicked off at Tarbox & Brown with a special breakfast for our guests of honor featuring the day’s speaker, Retired U.S. Army Captain Chad Fleming. Captain Fleming is a highly decorated war hero who deployed 5 times after becoming an amputee. As if by fate, the day of our dedication was also his nineteen-year “alive day.” After serving with distinction and receiving numerous awards and decorations, including the Meritorious Service Medal, two Bronze Star Medals with Valor, and three Purple Hearts, he retired from active duty and still serves our country in other capacities. Each family at the breakfast received a complimentary copy of the book Modern Warriors: Real Stories from Real Heroes by Pete Hegseth. The book features Captain Fleming’s story, and he graciously signed copies.
Saluting the Flag
Events officially began in the Biergarten, with a Color Guard ceremony performed by the San Marcos High School ROTC. Captain Fleming then shared stories and wisdom that inspired everyone in the crowd to say yes to their next challenge, and talked about the ways that Valor Mission Project had helped him and many other soldiers in their journeys. Valor Mission Project serves veterans, first responders, and their family members by providing scholarships for empowerment resources and programs. We encourage you to join hands with the Valor Mission Project to tangibly improve the quality of life for deserving veterans by donating. At the end of his moving speech, Captain Fleming was presented with a commemorative bulletproof shield from Valor Mission. Made by Marine Veteran Joe Stazione , Owner/Operator of Prospect Hill Flag Company, the shield represents the 75th Ranger logo, which was Chad’s elite special operations unit.
Brick by Brick
Everyone then walked over to the Veterans Plaza area where Gerry McLaughlin, president of the Kissing Tree Veteran’s Group, officially cut the ribbon to open the plaza. Everyone enjoyed walking around to find their own commemorative bricks and read messages of support and memorial from other donors. The day’s events concluded with live music at the Biergarten from the Zack Walther Band and lunch from local food trucks. “It was really a testament to the community of Kissing Tree to see so many people work together to bring this vision to life,” said Tammy Schneider, VP of Sales and Marketing for Brookfield Residential. “It started with an idea that our residents had and brought to Kevin Wilson, our Director of Community Engagement, and from there it was like a seed that just grew. It took so many different teams collaborating across all facets of the organization, and everyone realized the importance of honoring our veterans and gave it their all. The Plaza is a special place that the Kissing Tree community will treasure, and we were honored to have Captain Fleming here to mark this milestone occasion. His story is an inspiration to us all.”
If you missed the dedication, you can see photos and also watch a video of the event, including Captain Fleming’s inspiring speech. It’s not to be missed!