Children of Fallen Soldiers

Children of Fallen Soldiers

Written by Grant Fuller Friday, 07 September 2007

College fund helps Fort Hood children rebuild lives

For the last four years, yellow car magnets have asked Americans to ‘Support Our Troops.’ Landy Warren wants to make sure the message stays alive.

Warren, who is chairman of the Round Rock Chamber of Commerce, created Children of Fallen Soldiers to raise educational funds for local kids who have lost a parent in the war on terror. It began as a Rotary Club effort to help families from nearby Fort Hood, but Warren sets it in a bigger context.

“It’s not Rotary, it’s not Round Rock,” Warren said. “To me, it needs to be an American project.”

With the help of Fort Hood’s Gold Star Family Support Center, the campaign has initially selected 15 children in need of assistance, and the goal is to raise $25,000 for each of them.

“No matter what you feel about politicians of any stripe or what you feel about the war, everyone says, ‘We support the troops,’” Warren said. “Well, what better way to support them than to support the children of those troops who have made the ultimate sacrifice for us.”

Children of Fallen Soldiers launched Aug. 4, and organizers are working fast to schedule fundraising events throughout the fall. The non-profit has begun a grassroots effort, accepting donations through its Web site and at information tables at Round Rock Premium Outlets on busy shopping weekends. Sam’s Wholesale Club also agreed to host the fundraising table, which is staffed by members of the ROTC from McNeil High School.

The $25,000 college fund would be enough to pay for approximately three-fourths of a full tuition at the University of Texas. Warren, a former Reserve Marine himself, thinks these families need more assistance than they get from the federal government and the money will go a long way to help their children succeed.

“We had a $10,000 term life policy if I’d gotten killed in action, so my parents could’ve buried me and that’s about it,” Warren said. “There’s more money than that available now in the death benefit, but it’s not financial freedom for these families. So who is going take care of their children’s education? To me, that was something the country ought to step up and do.”

Working with Congressman John Carter of Round Rock, Warren has also secured the interest of several corporations and a promoter in the hopes of organizing benefit concerts at the Dell Diamond. Among the big names currently on board are Clear Channel Communications, Time Warner Cable and St. David’s Round Rock Medical Center. Their help is needed to first raise the total of $375,000 that Children of Fallen Soldiers has already promised before moving on to help more families. For Warren, it’s a simple way to send a loud message of support to Fort Hood troops.

“Their families are sitting here at home, wondering if that e-mail last night is the last time they’re ever gonna hear from their loved one,” Warren said. “We have an obligation to support them, and for those children to know that we appreciate the sacrifices they’re going through and that we’re willing to do something about it.”

The Central Texas fort

Fort Hood was named for the Confederate Gen. John Bell Hood who led the Texas Brigade. The original site near Killeen, Texas was chosen in 1941 and now covers around 217,337 acres. It is the only post in the United States able to station and train two armored divisions.

• Active duty officers: 4,733
• Active duty enlisted: 39,262
• Family members on post: 60,918
• Family members off post: 13,376

Source: Fort Hood Public Affairs Office, 2007

Children of Fallen Soldiers, 512-255-2501, www.childrenoffallensoldiers.com