Soldiers' Angels

The Spirit of Hope medals and medallions from the five military branches and the Office of the Secretary of Defense, as displayed prior to the award ceremony on October 27, 2009.

The Office of the Secretary of Defense has bestowed the Spirit of Hope Award on Soldiers' Angels for its contributions to the morale and welfare of the U.S. military in 2008.  Soldiers' Angels Board of Trustees member Ricky John and Operations Manager Toby Nunn received the award's bronze medal and medallion at the Pentagon on October 27, 2009, in an event hosted by the Secretary of the Air Force and Linda Hope, the daughter of Bob Hope.

The Spirit of Hope Award originated with the USO as a tribute to the lifelong efforts of Bob Hope to support and raise the morale of American military servicemen and women. It is now handled by The Wiegand Foundation, and each of the five military branches, as well as the Office of the Secretary of Defense, have the option to honor up to two people or organizations each year with a bronze or silver medallion, for a total of twelve honorees. This is only the second year since 2003 that the Office of the Secretary of Defense has elected to designate an honoree.

The official citation reads, in part: 

Like Mr. Bob Hope, Soldiers’ Angels believes that the morale and welfare of our armed forces is a paramount concern and its steady flow of support for our service members and their families goes to Soldiers’ Angels’ core value of bringing home healthy soldiers. Soldiers' Angels embodies the very ethos of the namesake for which this award is given.

Soldiers' Angels considers receipt of this award a testimony to the effectiveness of the hundreds of thousands of Angel volunteers who work tirelessly to support the troops.  "It is a great recognition for all the volunteers, for all the hard work they have done," said Ricky John.  "Every day our volunteers and donors show their commitment to ensuring 'No Soldier Go Unloved,' to making sure our fighting men and women know they are supported. It is both humbling and thrilling to receive on their behalf this recognition that the effort is effective."

The award ceremony was held in the Pentagon's Hall of Heroes, which documents recipients of the Medal of Honor, and hosted by a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Major General Kelly McKeague, Chief of Staff, National Guard Bureau.  The Soldiers' Angels representatives and other Spirit of Hope recipients were treated to breakfast in the general's dining room, a post-ceremony reception, and a tour of the Pentagon. 

At the same ceremony, the U.S. Air Force bestowed its Spirit of Hope Award on military wife Virginia "Ginger" Dosedel for her work with Sew Much Comfort, the nonprofit she founded.  Soldiers' Angels was honored to stand with her both literally and figuratively, as Sew much Comfort provides adaptive clothing for the wounded, some of which finds its way into Soldiers' Angels First Response Backpacks.

An official press release from the Office of the Secretary of Defense is expected very soon.

Spirit of Hope Award

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