Published: November 01, 2009 08:38 pm      

Saluting those who served

Peru man seeking nominees for Army recognition program.

A Peru man wanting to get as many U.S. Army veterans and supporters recognized as possible needs the public’s assistance to accomplish his goal.

In the last month, Alan Adkins has already signed up more than 50 recipients from the Miami County area for a program called Freedom Team Salute. He is now seeking nominations from Cass and other surrounding counties.

Adkins, who retired from the Air Force in 1993 after 20 years of service, first learned about Freedom Team Salute when he was nominated while working at the AMVETS Post 77 in Peru. He checked out the program’s Web site and discovered that anybody can take on the task of recognizing Army veterans and their supporters.

Adkins volunteered for Freedom Team Salute, which is sponsored by the U.S. Army. Even though he is retired Air Force, he saw the value of the free program.

“We all fought for the same country,” he said.

“I at least want to do my part to make somebody feel good about themselves.”

Through Freedom Team Salute, anyone can nominate an Army veteran or a supporter, such as a spouse, parents or employer. If a family member or a neighbor is an Army veteran, Adkins suggests letting them know their service is appreciated.

“There’s no doubt there are individuals and businesses all over Cass County that would qualify,” Adkins said.

The nominee receives a package containing a certificate, a letter, a lapel pin and U.S. Army decals. The materials, which arrive in as little as two weeks, can be presented personally or mailed to the recipient directly.

There are three ways to nominate someone — call Adkins at 765-210-3281, mail the pre-paid postage card available at local veteran’s service bureau, or the Freedom Team Salute Web site at www.freedomteamsalute.com.

Kevin Lilly is news editor of the Pharos-Tribune. He can be reached at 574-732-5117 or kevin.lilly@pharostribune.com.