Military Heroes | Page 2

Military Personnel and Organizations

The story of America is about the countless men and women who give up their own comfort, the company of their loved ones, and sometimes their lives, in service to our nation.

From the Revolutionary War to the worldwide fight against ISIS, in times of both war and peace, military personnel endure hardship so Americans can enjoy peace and freedom. Yet, because these men and women often serve in anonymity, their stories of sacrifice and dedication to duty can be lost forever. By creating and sharing a permanent record of their service, current and future generations gain insights and inspiration.

As a proud member of a military family, you will benefit by joining Americans All, a program of the 31-year-old nonprofit People of America Foundation. This program uses legacy stories to highlight the contributions and common experiences of all Americans. We want to uphold our nation’s values of diversity, tolerance and acceptance by investing more than half of membership fees to provide inclusive social studies instructional resources that also help students succeed in our democracy, economy and workforce. Some of the classroom resources inform students about how military personnel have protected and served our nation.

A legacy story can be presented in text and through photographs, home movies and other video and audio recordings. It can also be published in multiple languages and include hyperlinks to other Web sites important to the honoree. The Heritage Honor Roll may contain more than one legacy story for an individual or a group—or the legacy story may appear in more than one language—because members have opted to recognize different contributions of the same individual or group or wanted to share the story in their native language.

We encourage each service branch and unit to create its own Legacy Partner home page to provide further exposure for the legacy stories of military personnel affiliated with their branch and/or unit.

Legacy Stories from the Americans All Heritage Honor Roll

We are pleased to host and share these legacy stories created by honorees’ family, friends and associates. They, like us, appreciate that heritage and culture are an integral part of our nation's social fabric and want to help students participate effectively in our nation's economy, workforce and democracy.

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State

Zebulon Montgomery Pike New Jersey (January 5, 1779 - April 27, 1813) Army Veteran, Western Explorer

Zebulon Montgomery Pike, United States Army officer and Western explorer, was born on January 5, 1779, at Lamberton, now a part of Trenton, New Jersey, the son of Isabella (Brown) and Zebulon Pike, a veteran of the American Revolution and a lieutenant colonel in the United States Army. After receiving some education in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, young Pike entered his father's regiment, the Third United States Infantry, as a cadet.

Honorable Ronald Wilson Reagan: Life Before Politics California (February 6, 1911 - June 5, 2004) Irish Catholic, Ireland, Scotland, Veteran, Actor, Politician, Governor of California, President of the U.S.

On February 6, 1911, Ronald Wilson Reagan was born in Tampico, Illinois in a five-room apartment on the main street. Like most homes in town, it did not have running water or an indoor toilet. In addition to the main street, the town had a population of 820, a railroad station, two or three churches and a couple of stores.

Honorable Ronald Wilson Reagan: Political Career California (February 6, 1911 - June 5, 2004) Irish Catholic, Ireland, Scotland, Veteran, Actor, Politician, Governor of California, President of the U.S.

As a result of his travels on behalf of General Electric (who had hired him as a home office goodwill ambassador), he became convinced that big business was not the problem in the economy, it was big government. As a result, more Republican groups began to extend him speaking invitations. In the fall of 1962, he officially joined the Republican party. In 1964, he acted in his final film, playing a villain for the first and only time in “The Killers.”

George P. Schott Maryland (c.1922 - c.1990) Veteran, Naval Seabee, World War II

My father-in-law was a Seabee who served for three years in the Pacific Theater in World War II. As a carpenter before the war, George enlisted in a Naval Construction Battalion and rose to the rank of Warrant Officer. The motto of the Seabees is “We Build, We Fight,” and George did both.

Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo California (c.1808 - January 18, 1890) Hispanic, Mexicano-Estadounidense, Veterano, Político, Ranchero

Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo (c.1808–Enero18, 1890) fue uno de los líderes en la lucha de California por ser estado. A lo largo de su vida, fue testigo del gobierno de tres naciones en California. Nacido en una familia acaudalada de Monterrey, California, el octavo de 13 hermanos, ingresó al servicio militar a la edad de 16 años.

Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo California (c.1808 - January 18, 1890) Hispanic, Mexican-American, Veteran, Politician, Rancher

Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo (c.1808–January 18, 1890) was a leader in the struggle for statehood for California. During his lifetime, he witnessed three nations rule California. Born to a wealthy family in Monterey, California, the eighth of 13 children, he entered military service at age 16.