Folds of Honor

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The Mission

The goal of Folds of Honor is to empower deserving military families with educational support and opportunities. Read More »

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Testimonials

Vincent E. Cox
Vincent E. Cox joined the US Marines in 1982. While en route with I8 Company to Beirut, Lebanon aboard the USS Harlan County as part of a multinational peacekeeping force, he suffered a severe spinal injury which resulted in an honorable medical discharge. He then tried several different jobs but his injuries made working extremely difficult. Cox has been unable to work since 1993 and is rated as 100% disabled by the military.

Cox's wife Bridgitte is completing a Masters degree in Human Services at the University of Illinois-Springfield and hopes to become a social-service coordinator at a VA facility upon completing her degree. The scholarship she has received from the Folds of Honor Foundation has enabled her to pursue this goal.

"This scholarship has meant just about everything to me and my husband," she said. "It has meant my dreams are finally being realized and all my husband and I's struggles and compromises have all been worth it. I can soon wrap up my role as a student and concentrate all my efforts in caring for my husband as well as helping others in the capacity I am being trained to."

Mrs. Cox believes that the scholarships provided by the Folds of Honor Foundation do change peoples' lives. "Scholarships such as {those provide by} the Folds of Honor Foundation are changing lives for the better," she said. "They are providing hope and a future to people, young and old, who may have felt they may not have been dealt the best hand in life. It provides people like me a chance to make the most out of tragic circumstances and gives our veterans the opportunity to reap the rewards of their suffering through the kindness of the people they gave their time, strength, and lives to protect and serve."

Janice Gustafson and Family
My husband, Tim Gustafson, and I were married in May 2004. Four weeks later, he left for mobilization with the Tennessee National Guard to deploy to Iraq. January 24, 2005 Tim was on a routine patrol when his vehicle struck an I.E.D. His foot was crushed and he was stuck in the vehicle. He was flown to Balad, where his foot was amputated, then to Germany, and eventually to Walter Reed Army Medical Center (WRAMC) in Washington D. C. where more of his leg had to be amputated.

One month later my father, a Vietnam veteran, passed away suddenly. Needless to say, our first year of marriage was filled with some difficult trials. We spent a year and a half at WRAMC going through surgeries, physical therapy, and many prosthetic fittings. We arrived home to Tennessee in July 2006 but have had to travel back to WRAMC for a couple of surgeries and prosthetic fittings since then. Despite a few unfortunate circumstances, Tim and I have made the best of every situation. Everything that we have been through has brought us closer together and given us many opportunities to help other people endure difficult times.

In the summer of 2008, Tim and I discovered the degree program he was seeking was not accredited at the university that he was attending in Tennessee. We found ourselves making an unplanned move back to our home state of Kansas for Tim to attend Kansas State University to finish his engineering degree.

When my husband was injured, I quit my job to assist him and became a stay-at-home mom when our two children, Caleb and Rachel, were born. Serving my family has been the most rewarding and fulfilling career I could ever imagine; however, when my children go to school and Tim starts his new career, I plan to go back to work myself. While we are living near Kansas State University, I plan to earn my Master's Teaching Certificate to become certified to teach High School Chemistry and Math. I hope to teach on or near a military installation. I believe that teaching will allow me to pursue my passion of teaching while helping teenage dependants of service men and women. This will also give me a career that will enable me to continue to assist my husband and raise our two children effectively.

Janice, Caleb and Rachel have been awarded Folds of Honor Foundation Scholarships. Janice received an immediate-use scholarship; Caleb and Rachel are future-use scholarship recipients.

Ginger Gilbert
Ginger tells her story of her heroic husband who was killed in combat.
Watch her video testimonial.

Samantha Cheatham
Samantha speaks about raising two boys who have lost their father in combat.
Watch her video testimonial.

Natasha Mounsey
My father was deployed on his third tour in Iraq. His mission was called Operation Provide Comfort (OPC). His duties were to patrol the "No Fly Zone" created in Southern Iraq to protect the Kurds. On the day of his death, he was flying a high-profile mission with the outgoing commander and incoming commander of OPC, British, Turkish, and French Officers, Diplomats and Special Forces Personnel to villages in Northern Iraq. His helicopter was misidentified by an Air Force F-15 as Iraqi Hinds. On April 14, 1994, his Blackhawk helicopter (as well as the other UH-60) was shot down in a "Friendly Fire" incident with the use of AMRAAM missiles, killing all 26 people on board both helicopters.

What this scholarship means to me
I plan to pursue a Bachelor's degree in Graphic Design at California State University, Dominguez Hills. This scholarship will lessen the burden of tuition costs and other fees on my mother and me immensely. This scholarship will also allow me to attend an out-of-state college on my own and encourage me to succeed and prove to myself that I am capable of being independent in the future.

Natasha received a 2009 Folds of Honor Foundation immediate-use scholarship.

Major Ed Pulido
This is what the Folds of Honor Foundation means to me and will mean for many in the future. My name is Major Edward Pulido, U.S Army, (Ret.). I spent 19 years of my life serving the greatest nation in the world. Like many service members my story begins while serving a combat tour in Baquoba, Iraq. It was 17 August 2004. On that fateful day I hit an Improvised Explosive Device (I.E.D.). This particular road side bomb's wrath would lead to the amputation of my left leg and would change my life and my family's life forever. As I struggled to breathe and as my faith in God was tested, I remember a comment that my father once made that had a powerful impact on my life. He told me that when I take the oath to serve my nation, as an officer in the United States Army, I have a duty and responsibility to God, my country, my family and to those men and women who serve under my command. In addition, he explained to me the importance of making sure that as a nation we must always understand that we never leave anyone behind on the field of battle . On that day my Non-Commissioned Officers honored my father's vision. Finally, my father concluded by telling me that as a citizen of this great country we have a patriotic duty and responsibility to honor our fallen and take care of our wounded. It is with this vision that I am proud to say that I am a part of one of the country's most prestigious foundations.

The Folds of Honor Foundation, in collaboration with the PGA, the USGA and so many others, not only fulfills my father's vision of not leaving anyone behind but supports a vision by its founder, F-16 fighter pilot Dan Rooney, to ensure that families of the fallen and wounded have the right educational foundation. I am proud and honored to say that my family is a recipient of the Folds of Honor Foundation Scholarship. This gift is an investment in the education of my beautiful children, Kaitlin and Kinsley. In conclusion, I want to thank my good friend and personal hero, Captain Dan Rooney. I also want to thank our patriotic partners and donors of this great nation who are making an investment in so many children's futures. Together we are making a difference in the lives of the families of our fallen and our wounded. They deserve it and the Folds of Honor Foundation is ready to provide it. Thank you for the wonderful gift and investment. General Peter Pace once told me at Brooke Army Medical Center, "Always remember that on that day you did not lose a leg. On that day you sacrificed it for your country and for all in this nation to be free." This was a poignant statement by a passionate leader. I thank God and my country for the Folds of Honor Foundation.