The people who serve in the United States Military are heroes. The sacrifices made to defend the freedom of each American Citizen are almost unimaginable. Many times, the sacrifices made impact them in ways they may never recover from. They can even impact the families of these heroes for the rest of their lives.
It is with the knowledge of these things that some very special people and heroes themselves have stepped up to provide services and help for these heroes and their families. Two examples of this are the non-profit organizations Folds of Honor and Heart of a Lion.
The mission of the John Daly and Major Ed Heart of a Lion Foundation is to provide mental, physical, and wellness support to our nation’s children, first responders, and America’s Veterans. Folds of Honor’s mission is to provide scholarships to spouses and children of America’s fallen and disabled service members. They serve to honor the sacrifice of America’s heroes, while giving hope to the bearers of their legacy.
Both of these organizations serve great purposes to help our Veterans and their families on the other side of War. They both originated from men who themselves are Veterans and saw the need, one of those men being, Major Ed Pulido.
Major Ed Pulido began Heart of a Lion and also serves as a VP with Folds of Honor. Major Pulido’s story of courage and sacrifice has been featured in many places. In honor of this week and the upcoming recognition of Veterans Day, Made In America wanted to highlight a man of such accomplishments.
On the 17th of August, 2004, Major Pulido hit an Improvised Explosive Device (I.E.D) or roadside bomb while serving with the Coalition Military Assistance Training Team under the command of General David Petraeus. Due to the extensive injuries to his left knee, doctors had to amputate his left leg on October 1, 2004. For his heroism and valor on that August day, the President of the United States along with General David Petraeus awarded him the Bronze Star with Valor, Purple Heart, Meritorious Service Medal, and Joint Service Commendation and Achievement Medals. Since, his amputation, Major Pulido has been a staunch advocate for veterans with disabilities, specifically focusing on advocacy efforts to promote prosthetic technologies, peer visiting with fellow amputees at Brooke and Walter Reed Medical Centers, and raising awareness on the needs of veterans with PTSD and Traumatic Brain Injuries (T.B.I) on behalf of the DOD and VA Real Warriors National Campaign.
According to Major Pulido, “Mission First. America Always. The John Daly-Major Ed Heart of a Lion Foundation proudly supports our friends at Made in America. Together, we are supporting and empowering our nation’s children, our first responders, and America’s Veterans and their families.”
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