By Rita Lord
Northside News
Ben Hobbins was surprised and honored to receive a Department of Defense National Service Award for the Vietnam War Commemoration Program as an Official Program Partner. Hobbins is executive director of the National Freedom and Liberty Tree Project. His daughter, Ashley-Anne Hobbins , is secretary of the organization.
The Commemorative Partner Program, established in 2012, is designed to recognize federal, state and local communities, veterans’ organizations and other nongovernmental organizations who assist in thanking and honoring Vietnam veterans and their families.
A letter from Major General Edward J. Chrystal stated, “You have volunteered countless hours of labor from recognition and hometown events to impressive productions that thanked and honored thousands of Vietnam veterans and their families. As such, your efforts have placed you alongside the top one percent of the organizations participating in this noble mission.”
Hobbins said, “It has been an honor to honor our men and women veterans who served, many who gave their full measures of devotion to the nation, and who still serve the USA, every one of them. We thank the Department of Defense for working so effectively with our nonprofit, NFALTP, over the years, allowing us to organize, and help celebrate our Vietnam era veterans and all veterans, America, our military branches, our flag, Constitution, family and community values across the nation.”
