Honoring Their Service and Sacrifice

Bill Beck, Vietnam veteran Wonderful Machine Inc.

Bill Beck of Camp Hill, Pa., says being the 1 millionth person honored with a commendation from the Freedom Team Salute program is a memory he'll always treasure.

"I was excited, like I had won the lottery," says the 64-year-old Vietnam veteran.

Established in 2005, Freedom Team Salute (www.freedomteamsalute.com) recognizes Army vets and current service members, including those in the Reserve and National Guard. Anyone can nominate a veteran. The program also provides a way for active-duty soldiers to acknowledge the people who have supported them, including parents, spouses and employers. Recipients receive a pin, certificate and letter of thanks.

Recognizing the sacrifices troops make is also the goal of the Any Soldier program (www.anysoldier.com). With the help of citizens across the country, Any Soldier matches donors with unit volunteers and their requests. Since 2003 the program has distributed letters and packages to more than 190,000 service members.

As a Marine serving in Afghanistan and Iraq, Maj. Gary Bourland would sometimes return to base after a 45-day mission and find five or 10 boxes from Any Soldier. "Christmas came early," Bourland says.