Warrior Wishes Come True Thanks to Edward Jones & The Cardinals!
For the 2nd straight day my dad was in St Louis making Warrior Wishes come true at the Cardinals game.
Today he had the honor of hosting Army MSgt Kent Burns & the Gold Star Sister of Army SSG Benjamin Prange. They had both been guests of ours in the past, so it was great to catch up with them, continue to show our support & remind them that their service & sacrifices are never forgotten.
The Warriors were treated to today’s cardinals game thanks to our friends at Edward Jones. New Era provided new Cardinals caps for everyone, Budweiser Brehouse provided lunch & Before the game the Cardinals went above and beyond again to provide field passes for the Warriors. Former Cardinals slugger, David Freese even stopped by to sign some autographs! It was awesome!!!
Marine Matt Garvey also joined us for the game.
Unfortunately for the Warriors, their families & the Cardinals, Jung Ho Kang hit 2 home runs to push the Pirates to Victory. But win or lose, everyone had a great time!
We can’t thank Edward Jones enough for providing tickets, New Era for providing the new Cardinals caps, Budweiser brewhouse for lunch & the Cardinals for helping us provide unforgettable memories!
TOGETHER WE MAKE WARRIOR WISHES COME TRUE!
After my dad said his goodbyes and thanked the Warriors & their families one last time, he made his way over to the casino to try to stay awake. His bus departed at 2am & he didn’t want to fall asleep and miss his ride. Lucky for him, he won a couple of bucks playing slots and was able to stay awake just long enough to get on the bus before falling asleep on his 15 hour bus ride to Dallas. He will eventually make his way to Houston to make Warrior wishes come true on Mothers Day at the Astros game.
Stay tuned for details!
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MEET THE WARRIORS
SSG BENJAMIN PRANGE
Staff Sgt Ben Prange was an awesome man. He grew up in a close knit family in rural Nebraska. He had an older sister and brother. He suffered some losses as a child losing both his mother and father at a young age. He lived with his grandparents in Roca Nebraska and graduated from Norris High School. While attending Norris he met his wife Liz. They eventually had two boys Corbin and Dillion. Ben joined the United States Army in 2007. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion 12th Infantry Brigade Combat Team 4th Infantry Division at Fort Carson in Colorado Springs Colorado. He was on his third deployment when he was killed in action. Ben enjoyed playing video games and watching football. He was also a devoted father and husband and will be forever missed and loved.
SGT KENT BURNS
Master Sergeant Burns entered active duty with the United States Army on 26 May 1992 as an Infantry Mortar Man. During his career he also served as a Signal Soldier and retired on 1 June 2012 as a Career Counselor.
Master Sergeant Burns served at Fort Hood, Texas; Darmstadt, Germany; Katterbach, Germany; Heidelberg, Germany; and Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri.
Master Sergeant Burns has deployed to Bosnia in 1995-96 and again in 1998; to Saudi Arabia in 2001, Kuwait in 2002, and Iraq in 2003.
His military awards and decorations include the Meritorious Service Medal (1 OLC), the Army Commendation Medal (2 OLC), the Army Achievement Medal (7 OLC), Army Superior Unit (2nd Awd), Good Conduct Medal (6th Awd), National Defense Service Medal (2nd Awd), Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (2nd Awd), Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Armed Forces Service Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal w/ Campaign Star (2nd Awd), Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon (3rd Awd), Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon (4th Award), the NATO Medal and the Career Counselor Badge.
He is married to Jody Burns and has five children: Ashley, 20; Austin, 20; Colin, 13; Emma, 10 and Jackson, 5. He is currently Fort Leonard Wood’s Enlisted Strength Manager with the Department of the Army.
In his spare time: he volunteers as a youth sports coach for Fort Leonard Wood; Secretary for the Waynesville Masonic Lodge; Vice President of the Waynesville High School’s Athletic Booster Club and an elected member of the Pulaski County Extension Board. For fun: he enjoys spending time with his family; participating in local 5K runs & watching his daughter’s college soccer games.
