A Passion to Serve the People Who Have Served All of Us.
When I noticed a man wearing dark athletic shoes with stars on the back, I asked if there was a story behind the shoes. Yes, and it’s a compelling and far-reaching one!
The Blue Line Shoes
A fellow blogger and friend, Joy Neal Kidney, has this great post on her site about a Marion [Iowa] Police Officer and U.S. Air Force veteran Ron Slagle and his family who designed a shoe so they could help first responders and military personnel with any mental health crisis they might be suffering.
After serving in the Marine Corps for 8 years and as a police officer for 2 years, Brandon Prince received the unfortunate news that, due to a service-related disability, he could no longer serve his community as a police officer. Brandon took the news in typical Marine Corps fashion and simply turned to another of his passions – creating art pieces for people to enjoy. His wife, Nicole, is a partner in this wonderful enterprise.
Located in Upstate South Carolina, Deep South Creations offer personalized, custom woodworking, beautifully crafted and sure to last for years, becoming family heirlooms.
Veterans Referring Veterans
I met Brandon while presenting at one of the Veterans Referring Veterans’ Thursday night virtual “Happy Hours.” I joined the VRV several months ago as a veteran author. The VRV is a great online directory and networking tool for validated veteran-owned businesses of all kinds. It turned out that Brandon likes to read, and I ended up shipping him a copy of one of my books.
Loyal For Life
My stories are action-adventure yarns involving military or retired military personnel and being a dog lover, include K9s. One K9 character, a Belgian-Malinois Trident dog, named Ajax, has become a real favorite for many readers. Ajax is quite a heroic animal and saves the day on many dangerous missions. After seeing some of Brandon’s work, I decided I wanted something special as a tribute to Ajax and other “non-fictitious” K9 service members. I talked to Brandon and what he came up with really blew me away. I absolutely love it!
Once he was finished with the piece, Brandon contacted me for my shipping address. But after being socially-distanced for over a year and learning he was only a couple of hours away, I asked if he minded if I picked it up. He didn’t mind at all. It was an excuse for a nice little “road trip” and a chance to meet two wonderful people and fellow VRV members.
Brandon and Nicole at Deep South Creations turn out some stunning work. There are wooden flags, duty racks, cut-outs, signs, etc., all created onsite in the shop behind their house. Unfortunately, I can’t display them all here in this blog post, so you need to visit them on their website, Facebook page, or Instagram! Deep South Creations offers discounts to active duty, veterans, law enforcement, and other first responders.
Do yourself a favor and check out Deep South Creations, and support this amazing veteran-owned small business.
My thoughts and prayers go out to everyone in the path of Hurricane Irma. I have relatives in both Orlando and Tampa, Florida … and so far, they seem to be okay. I must say I have never seen such an outpouring of support and help being offered to victims of this Hurricane like what is being offered via Facebook. It is amazing to me.
I also think the communication between Federal, State and Local governments helped lessen the catrostophic impact of this hurricane. While certainly still bad, the planning pre-positioning of equipment and supplies was amazing to see and well thought out. President Trump, his administration, FEMA, Governors, State Police, Local Law Enforcement and First Responders, the U.S. Military and volunteers … all showing why America is such a great country. You are all owed an immense debt of gratitude!
September 11, 2001
September 11, 2001 … a day we, in America, must never forget. I remember hearing a description of the first jet hitting the twin towers on the way to work at the University of Tennessee that morning. I thought, at the time, it had to be a hoax. When I got to campus however, crowds were standing around TV screens in the University Center watching events unfold. I learned it was not a hoax. And, I watched the second plane hit the tower. There are not words to express the way I felt at that moment in time.
We must never forget and we must remain forever vigilant. Freedom is never free! I have had ancestors and family members fight in every American conflict since the American Revolution. To squander away what our ancestors purchased for us with their own blood would be unforgivable. Think about that as you rush to deprive another American of their God-given rights … whether it be the right to free speech, or to protect themselves from danger, to worship in the way they choose, or to pursue life in a land of equal opportunity.
D.C. Gilbert 