Boy, 11, raises $21,000 to honor World War II hero
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Jordan Brown, 11, a fourth-grader at South Lebanon Elementary School, wears his "Hang Tough" wristbands, at his home in South Lebanon Township.
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With all their texting, tweeting and Internet surfing, today's kids might be the right-now generation.
Who among them has time for what some call the greatest generation?
Jordan Brown, for one.
An 11-year-old from Lebanon County, he has long been fascinated by World War II and one old soldier in particular -- Dick Winters, the Easy Company commander made famous by the HBO mini-series "Band of Brothers."
Mr. Winters, a Lancaster native who lives in Hershey, is 92 and has Parkinson's disease.
But a statue of him is going up in France, and Jordan has taken it upon himself to raise money for it by selling $1 rubber wristbands in the tradition of Lance Armstrong's yellow "Live Strong" bracelets.
These wristbands are olive green, the color of U.S. Army uniforms, and say "Hang Tough," which is what Mr. Winters told his men in combat in Europe. In later years, that phrase became his motto.
Jordan has raised $21,000 since he started selling bands in May and says his goal is $100,000. The monument in Normandy is expected to cost about twice that.
"We need to thank these heroes before it's too late," Jordan said.
Robert Hoffman, a Lebanon architect and close friend of Mr. Winters' who has traveled with him for ceremonies honoring his World War II exploits, said it's heartening to see such a youngster pay homage to a man from another generation.
"I think it's awesome for someone his age to do this," he said. "It's a phenomenal bridge from one generation to another."
Mr. Hoffman suggested the olive green color and the "Hang Tough" slogan. The original concept was a red, white and blue design overlaid with the line "Band of Brothers," but the phrase had been copyrighted.
Jordan has sold about 7,000 Hang Tough bands; the rest of the money he has collected has come from other donations inspired by his project. All of the money goes to the monument fund.
"I think it's incredible for an 11-year-old to take on a cause like this," said Tim Gray, a Rhode Island filmmaker who is leading the monument effort and filming a PBS documentary to accompany it. "I've just been totally impressed with his dedication and his persistence in honoring his hero. When you're a kid, you believe in heroes. And while Dick Winters would never consider himself one, he was a hero of World War II."
First Published November 11, 2010 12:00 am
