The Grateful Nation Project - Hero Cards

The Grateful Nation Project - Hero Cards We’re an educational 501(c)(3) nonprofit, all-volunteer organization that gathers, preserves, and shares the stories of TRUE Heroes—members of the U.S.

military who gave “the last full measure of devotion” for our freedom. Our Mission: To gather, preserve, and share the stories of TRUE Heroes—members of the U.S. military who lost their lives while serving. We are creating a Hero Card for every fallen U.S. service member who gave “the last full measure of devotion” for our freedom.

Gratitude: Make it Personal.Do you or your American Legion Post visit schools for Veterans Day events? Let’s talk at thi...
08/25/2026

Gratitude: Make it Personal.

Do you or your American Legion Post visit schools for Veterans Day events?

Let’s talk at this weekend’s Convention about how you can instill gratitude in the next generation—for those who served and made the ultimate sacrifice.

Visit The Grateful Nation Project at BOOTH 509 in the Exhibit Hall. See you there!

The American Legion National Headquarters, American Legion Auxiliary National Headquarters, National Military Family Association, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, U.S. Department of Education, Veterans of Foreign Wars VFW, National Council for the Social Studies, School Boards For Academic Excellence, America 250 Civics Education Coalition, Bradley Impact Fund

Daniel Riordan was known first as “Cowboy Dan,” then later as “Lieutenant Dan.”As a tank commander in support of Operati...
08/18/2026

Daniel Riordan was known first as “Cowboy Dan,” then later as “Lieutenant Dan.”

As a tank commander in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, he believed that he and his unit were “truly bringing empowerment and freedom to the men, women, and children of Iraq.”

[biography link in comments]

Global War on Terrorism Memorial Foundation, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, Association of the United States Army - AUSA National, Hillsdale College K-12 Education, Success Academy Charter Schools, U.S. Department of Education, PBS Teachers, Smithsonian Education, Gary Sinise Foundation, Bradley Impact Fund

We have work to do…“To the best of your knowledge, which of the following best describes what America's 250th anniversar...
08/13/2026

We have work to do…

“To the best of your knowledge, which of the following best describes what America's 250th anniversary commemorates?”

As reported by NPR [link in comments], a recent survey from the Cato Institute shows that 61% of Americans ages 18-29 did not know what “America 250” commemorates. For all ages, that number is better…but still not good: 47% didn’t know.

What to do?

The good news: A civics education transformation is underway.

To help educators and parents turn the tide, we—and many of our partner organizations—offer excellent free or low-cost resources for Civics/History/Social Studies [links in comments]:

THE GRATEFUL NATION PROJECT
Our “For Schools” section offers ideas on how to implement the Project as a classroom activity or for special assemblies—Veterans Day, America 250, Memorial Day. Download the free Teacher’s Guide.

HILLSDALE COLLEGE K-12 EDUCATION
Resources for K-12 Educators is a deep, extensive collection of gold-standard lesson plans and other toolkits—including their free, comprehensive K-12 American history and civics curriculum.

AncestryClassroom
Provides access to Ancestry’s World Explorer Collection, Fold3, and Newspapers (free for educators and school administrators). They also have an extensive list of classroom (or home) resources on their Educator Resources page.

917 SOCIETY
September 17, 1787, is the day the U.S. Constitution was adopted. The 917 Society delivers free pocket U.S. Constitutions to 8th-grade classrooms across the country.

[see links in comments]

Hillsdale College K-12 Education, Ancestry, The 917 Society - Non-Profit, U.S. Department of Education, Linda McMahon, America250, Freedom 250, Smithsonian Education, The Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation, School Boards For Academic Excellence

“No screens” policy? No problem!If your school is part of the growing “no screens” movement, you can still participate i...
08/06/2026

“No screens” policy? No problem!

If your school is part of the growing “no screens” movement, you can still participate in The Grateful Nation Project. Besides the Hero Cards themselves being physical paper cards, the online biography pages can be printed out as information sheets.

Of course, using the printed sheet removes the benefit of linked terminology for digging deeper—for terms that might be unfamiliar, like “Hessian,” “Buffalo Soldier,” or “Humvee.”

Whether your classroom prefers paper or screen, the Hero stories offer a great opportunity for family engagement in the home! If you need implementation ideas, be sure to download our free Teacher’s Guide.

[link in comments]

Hillsdale College K-12 Education, U.S. Department of Education, PBS Teachers, Linda McMahon, America250, National Council for the Social Studies, School Boards For Academic Excellence, Bradley Impact Fund, Success Academy Charter Schools, Smithsonian Education

His father served during World War I. His grandfather served in the Civil War.Sgt. Lynn Boomer was a WWII waist gunner o...
07/29/2026

His father served during World War I. His grandfather served in the Civil War.

Sgt. Lynn Boomer was a WWII waist gunner on “Pandora’s Box,” a B-17F Flying Fortress heavy bomber.

On a mission to destroy German U-boat pens on the coast of occupied France, Pandora’s Box and its 11-man crew were shot down over the English Channel.

[biography link in comments]

Defense POW / MIA Accounting Agency, U.S. Army Center of Military History, U.S. Army Transformation and Training Command, EAA - The Spirit of Aviation, The American Legion National Headquarters, Association of the United States Army - AUSA National, Military Influencer, National Council for the Social Studies, Hillsdale College K-12 Education, School Boards For Academic Excellence

When did the American Civil War officially come to an end? See the story of Indiana’s PVT John J. Williams, whom many be...
07/20/2026

When did the American Civil War officially come to an end? See the story of Indiana’s PVT John J. Williams, whom many believe to be the last soldier lost—34 days *after* Lee’s surrender at Appomattox—in a battle that was a decisive victory for the Confederacy.

[biography link in comments]

The National Civil War Museum, American Battle Monuments Commission, Texas Historical Commission, Association of the United States Army - AUSA National, Hillsdale College K-12 Education, U.S. Department of Education, National Infantry Museum, America250, Freedom 250, American Civil War Museum

LCDR Eugene Lindsey was a U.S. Navy pilot and commander of Torpedo Squadron SIX, assigned to the aircraft carrier U.S.S....
07/15/2026

LCDR Eugene Lindsey was a U.S. Navy pilot and commander of Torpedo Squadron SIX, assigned to the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Enterprise.

He was awarded the Navy Cross for his courageous actions in the Battle of Midway—the decisive victory that turned momentum against Imperial Japan in the Pacific.

[biography link in comments]

U.S. Department of Education, Association of the United States Navy, Naval History & Heritage Command, United States Naval Academy, Hillsdale College K-12 Education, Chesterton Schools Network, Great Hearts Academies, Association of Classical Christian Schools

A door gunner on a UH-1B “Huey” helicopter, PFC Oakley was posthumously awarded the Air Medal with six Oak Leaf Clusters...
07/07/2026

A door gunner on a UH-1B “Huey” helicopter, PFC Oakley was posthumously awarded the Air Medal with six Oak Leaf Clusters.

Lost when two Army helicopters collided at Bien Hoa Air Base in South Vietnam, Oakley had more than 175 missions to his credit—despite being deployed for less than a year.

[biography link in comments]

America250, Freedom 250, Vietnam Veterans of America, Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, National Vietnam War Museum, Military Influencer, U.S. Army Center of Military History

07/04/2026

Happy 250th Birthday, America! [sound on].

America250, Freedom 250, Association of the United States Army - AUSA National, Marine Corps Association, Association of the United States Navy, Air & Space Forces Association, Bradley Impact Fund

He lost his mother to yellow fever when he was 6 years old. He was given command of a ship at the age of 12.A hero of th...
07/01/2026

He lost his mother to yellow fever when he was 6 years old. He was given command of a ship at the age of 12.

A hero of the Civil War and the first admiral of the United States Navy, David Glasgow Farragut had himself strapped to the rigging of his flagship, the USS Hartford, for a better view through the smoke and chaos of battle.

From there, he would shout the bold order that would ring through the ages: “Damn the torpedoes!”

[biography link in comments]

America250, Freedom 250, U.S. Department of Education, The National Civil War Museum, Knoxville News Sentinel, Association of the United States Navy, Naval History & Heritage Command, Military Officers Association of America (MOAA), American Civil War Museum, American Battlefield Trust

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