I met Everett on Tuesday evening in Celina, Texas.
He's my new best friend and he is already a hero.
I was invited to speak at the American Legion in Celina. Everett's grandpa is a member of that post and an Air Force veteran.
I arrived a few minutes early. The meeting room wasn't open yet and Everett, his granddad and I were standing in the parking lot. It was a hot, humid day in Texas. I decided to go sit in my truck with the air conditioning on until the meeting was ready to start. I asked Everett if he wanted to join me and he jumped at the chance. "It's HOT out here."
So, we had a few minutes to get to know each other. He told me his name was Everett. I asked him how he spells his name. "It's simple, Everett with three e's." He went on to tell me he was eight and just finishing second grade. He had asked his grandfather if he could attend the meeting because he had read about 2LT Peter Burks and he had two questions for me.
A beautiful child. Blond hair, blue eyes, big smile and a full, open, happy face.
We saw folks gathering inside the room and we went in and joined them.
This American Legion post has been so honoring to Pete. They renamed their post after four fallen soldiers from Celina. Stelzer-Stallcup-Hutchins-Burks - Post 145. One each from World War I, World War II, The Korean War and the War on Terror.
They asked me to tell them Pete's story and to update them on the Unsung Hero Fund. It was such an honor and such a great release for me. I love telling Pete's story. It's how I keep him alive and honor his legacy.
At the end, I asked if there were any questions. And Everett raised his hand and had his two questions. "Did 2LT Burks have on a helmet? What medals did he earn?"
I answered those for him. And then to my surprise, he said he had something for me.
Everett had a box weighing about 30 pounds full of care package supplies that we can ship to deployed soldiers. He had raised most of the money to purchase the items. If you look at the picture above, you can see the cardboard box. He wrote his name and phone number on it. And his little brother signed it as well. THAT box will never go to recycling. I have plans for that precious piece of packaging.
Everett gets it at eight years old. He realizes he lives in a special place called the USA. He realizes that war is sometimes necessary to protect our freedom. He understands hard work and giving back.
Who wouldn't want to be his friend? Who wouldn't want to learn from him?
I'm buying stock in this young man. He's already making a difference in this world. I am excited to see what his future holds. It will be significant.
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