In 2008, when this publication was first established, at this site (from previous urls), my co-editor asked if I'd mind if she plugged the efforts of a dear friend to support a little known Non-Profit. Ms Marti has very high standards about Non-Profits, about the words published on this site, and about who she considers a friend (myself excepted). Though there was little detail initially given, her high standards meant there was little needed to give her the green light.
Her friend, Jon White, was running a Marathon and asking others to donate to the Semper Fi Fund. Simple enough. I wouldn't want to run a Marathon and have at times questioned the sanity of anyone that would do so, but Jon was doing so to help his fellow Marines who had been injured.
Then I found out he had himself been injured and condemned to a wheelchair by doctors. The Semper Fi Fund had not existed at the time and he never received help from them. He had flat out told the doctor that he wasn't going to take this lying down. He had refused to accept life in a wheelchair. He refused to accept pension for life to get out of the Corps. He wasn't through with his fight. He wasn't done fighting for America.
He deployed to Iraq, to Afghanistan, and elsewhere while training for Marathons. He led Marines in battle, after he had overcome his battle to walk, to run, to pass an APFT. He had decided to do what he had never desired to do before he was told he'd never walk again. He decided to run a Marathon, the Marine Corps Marathon. He's done much more than that, much more than the little tidbits I have learned since the day I was asked if it would be okay to tell his story. His focus is not on telling his story. He allows it to be told only because his goals are met by giving up how he came to run marathons. His goal is to raise money for the Semper Fi Fund.
On the eve of his first Marathon, NAPA auto parts asked him to speak to their managers. His dedication to helping fellow Marines had him flying when he should have been resting. NAPA donated straight to Semper Fi.
This year, Carrot Top Industries has also donated to the efforts. They'll give you a 15% discount if you use the coupon code "WOTN" while buying a flag, flagpole, or other products.
Semper Fi Fund is not the favored Non-Profit of MilBloggers and Politicians. Few plug it. Semper Fi Fund doesn't pay Millions of Dollars in advertising fees. It is small, like the Few, the Proud, that it serves. But those Few, Proud, Marines cannot be asked to fund their wounded Brothers by themselves. They've risked their lives for Our Freedoms. They've asked little when they've paid for your freedom with a leg or arm. They've overcome the new challenges with little whining or pity. They don't want pity.
But this year, Jon White has a goal of raising enough money to provide one wounded Marine with a "Cheetah Leg," to allow one Marine who has given his leg, perhaps his right leg, for Your Freedom, with the opportunity to run again. If you have $2.62, $26.20, $262.00, or $2,620, please give no more than you can afford and no less than your conscience allows. Please feel free to write about Jon's efforts, to let your readers, your friends and family the opportunity to know what great men are doing in order to protect Our Citizens.
Stumble It!
