Veterans Advantage Awards VetFamily: Carolyn Blashek, Military Mom & Founder of Operation Gratitude For Operation Gratitude founder Carolyn Blashek, life changed soon after 9/11/2001 from the unlikeliest of places -- an airport lounge at Los Angeles International Airport. While tending to the care of a distraught Active Duty service member about to deploy, her deeply personal desire to say "Thank You" has spread like wildfire across California, the country and now halfway around the world.
Veterans Advantage Awards VetFamily: Nia Sanchez, Miss USA Shows Patriotism Thanks to Military Family Miss USA might be coined the most beautiful woman in the nation, but Nia Sanchez is also extremely patriotic, thanks to her military family.
Veterans Advantage Awards VetFamily: Gabrielle Union, Daughter of an Army Veteran Actress Gabrielle Union is hot right now: she is in the Chris Rock film “Top Five” premiering this weekend at the Toronto Film Festival, starring in “Being Mary Jane” on BET, and has just married Miami Heat basketball star Dwayne Wade. But at the root of her success is her parents. Her father Sylvester E. Union was an Army military sergeant and walked her down the aisle on August 30.
Veterans Advantage Awards VetFamily: Paula Creamer, Daughter of Navy Veteran, LPGA Tour Winner Pro golfer Paula Creamer has made pink her signature color like Tiger Woods has done with the color red in the men's game. But the comparisons end there. The daughter of a Navy flying vet, she is also engaged to an Air Force Vet, and has put an infectiously joyous demeanor on the fiercely competitive game of golf.
Veterans Advantage Awards VetFamily: Robert Griffin III, Heisman Trophy Winner and Army Brat After a breakthrough rookie season for the Washington Redskins, Robert Griffin III is overcoming an injury that would have threatened the careers of those a generation before him. Thankfully, he is bolstered by an inner strength that comes from his loving parents, both of whom served in the US Army.
Veterans Advantage Awards VetFamily: Lea Carpenter, Best-Selling Author With her debut novel Eleven Days, Lea Carpenter explores military family life in the Post-9/11 world. A former editor of the literary magazine Zoetrope, her novel has been widely praised by reviewers and veterans alike, including Toni Morrison ("elegant prose") and former senator and Navy Seal Bob Kerrey ("shows us how 9/11 has changed our lives forever.")
Veterans Advantage Awards VetFamily: Dwyane Wade, NBA "Father of the Year" Even though Lebron James gets most of the headlines for the NBA’s Miami Heat, his teammate Dwyane Wade places a higher priority on getting the attention of his sons. It’s a habit he picked up from his father, an Army veteran, who believes that role modeling starts in the home.
Veterans Advantage Awards VetFamily: Roger Goodell, NFL Commissioner Although the NFL’s first games are still months away, Commissioner Roger Goodell is by no means in “offseason” mode. With another big NFL Draft on April 25, tough decisions are always at the fore. Fortunately, Goodell learned important life lessons from his father, a Veteran of two branches of our military that serve to guide him today.
Veterans Advantage Awards VetFamily: Vanessa Lachey, Actress and Operation Shower Advocate When most people think of Vanessa Lachey, they think of her successful career as a TV host, actress and model. But behind the media success is a strong military background that continues to influence her career today. Vanessa was born on November 9, 1980, at Clark Air Force Base in Pampanga, Philippines.
Veterans Advantage Awards VetFamily: The Spirit of Service in the Home Veterans Advantage is proud to announce three winners of its scholarship program for 2012, once again recognizing and rewarding the unique form of academic excellence that comes from families represented by military service.
Veterans Advantage Awards VetFamily: Veterans Advantage Scholarship Veterans Advantage is proud to announce three winners of its scholarship program for the 2010-2011 academic year, and to recognize and reward the unique form of academic excellence that comes from military service.
Veterans Advantage Awards VetFamily: Phil Mickelson A Golfing Icon Many golf fans this week are looking for an encore from Phil Mickelson, Jr. at the Masters.
Veterans Advantage Awards VetFamily: Harris Faulkner, Fox News Anchor and Proud Military Daughter Much has been written and discussed across America about the life of military families; the travel, the uncertainty, the sacrifice. But for Fox News anchor Harris Faulkner it is also a shining example of the special bonds that form between these families, and how it can grow even stronger after the battles have been fought.
Veterans Advantage Awards VetFamily: Ken Fisher, Fisher House For Ken Fisher, the extensive military family housing project that bears his name is more than a "thank you for your service." It's run like a business, and is a model for military and veteran philanthropy for the 21st Century.
Veterans Advantage Awards VetFamily: Jon Bon Jovi and his Soul Foundation By rock and roll standards, Jon Bon Jovi leads a non-traditional lifestyle. For starters, he’s been married nearly 20 years with four kids. He's passionate and devoted to his charitable activities. Then there's his band, which next to the Stones, has stood a remarkable test of time. Through it all, Bon Jovi credits his parents as an influence in decisions that have shaped his life. They were, after all, both Marines.
Veterans Advantage Awards VetFamily: Johnny Damon The Wounded Warrior Project Has Its Own Yankee Hero Army brats can make great team players and a Johnny Damon biography would not be complete without mentioning his family's military background.
Veterans Advantage Awards VetFamily: Kevin Bacon, Award Winning Actor Kevin Bacon, the award-winning actor who is arguably at the epicenter of Hollywood and A-list celebrities, is also the son of a WWII Navy Vet credited with leading the architectural rebuilding of 20th Century Philadelphia.
Veterans Advantage Awards VetFamily: Amy Adams on the A-List Dedication and hard work often pay off in professional success. Actress Amy Adams, who continues to show A-list stuff with a big summer hit movie spreading across America, understands that truism more than most. She credits her upbringing, and her Army vet dad for getting her where she is today.
Veterans Advantage Awards VetFamily: Shaquille O'Neal, NBA Star and Step-son to Army Vet Shaquille O’Neal is best known as one of the most dominant players in the history of the NBA, and lately he’s become an Internet sensation. He’s known as Shaq, the “Big Cactus,” “The Big Diesel” and several other self-proclaimed nicknames, but today we recognize him for his service to the country through his family. Shaq is the proud product of family military service.
Veterans Advantage Awards VetFamily: Mark Teixeira, New York Yankees Slugger In an era of steroid cynicism and high-priced scrutiny of many in his sport, New York Yankees slugger Mark Teixeira reminds us that there are successful players who care about character. A product of supportive parents, including a mother who battled and survived cancer, and a father who played baseball at the Naval Academy and flew jets in the service, Teixera had strong role models who put him on the right path early on.
Veterans Advantage Awards VetFamily: Julia A. Stewart Julia A. Stewart is the embodiment of the "work your way to the top" approach to business. She started waiting tables as a teenager, and now heads the largest casual dining chain in the country, which includes the longtime favorite International House of Pancakes or "IHOP", and Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill and Bar, "the world’s casual dining leader."
Veterans Advantage Awards VetFamily: Kurt Warner a Star Quarterback Recently, Kurt Warner, the once-again resurgent star quarterback who may have played the final game of his NFL career Sunday night, offered thanks to God and his U.S. Marine Corps Veteran wife.
Veterans Advantage Awards VetFamily: Vice Presidential Candidates The pollsters say November’s presidential election is more focused on the economy and domestic affairs than it was in 2004, but don’t say that to the candidates. Not since World War II has a presidential election had such a wide representation of VetFamily members, as three of the four candidates have or will have their sons serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Veterans Advantage Awards VetFamily: Will Smith and his Veteran Father Will Smith is considered A-list material by millions. He’s an award winning actor and musician. He’s got an Air Force lineage, but West Point considers him one of its own, too. Ultimately, he thanks his Veteran father for giving him the discipline and optimism that led to his success.
