|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Dear Friends of Sentinels of Freedom,
It’s early morning here on Saturday, with dark skies and rain, as I write to thank you and start your day off with a great story.
With huge pride in my nation I want to inform you that Cpl. Jake Brown, United States Army, our first Sentinel who came home to us broken and bent 6 years ago after being crushed by an Abrams Tank in a training accident in Germany, has been offered a full time position with SYBASE at their International Headquarters in Dublin, California. He will start early in February as a manager in their procurement division.
Jake was helped by all of you in your unwavering support and mentoring. You never gave up on him and as a result he has completed college, worked for UPS for 4 years as a logistics specialist, and become an asset to our community.
He was and is the example of why we started this program that now is being mirrored in several communities across the nation.
Yesterday I was honored to be asked by SYBASE Senior Vice President Nita White Ivy to attend a meeting with her and Jake where she personally handed him his offer from SYBASE. Then while she discussed his offer I sat quietly and in my mind reflected on Jake’s journey.
I met Jake as a high school friend of my son, Curt Conklin. I advised him and helped him make his decision to join the Army. I visited him at Ft. Benning as he completed Basic Training and kept in contact with him when he was stationed in Germany. I was as proud of him as if he were one of my own sons.
When I heard of his injury and that he was in a coma in Landstuhl Army Hospital, my wife Peggy and I organized a prayer service with our community and veterans. I seriously thought the next step was having to organize a funeral for him, but Jake would not give up and after numerous operations was coming home. Coming home to nothing – no home, no car, no viable support other than the VA. His disability payment of $400 per month would not go far.
I organized a meeting of community leaders in San Ramon. I told them Jake’s story and asked a simple question. He left our community to serve us, “Now what is our responsibility to him?”
As they pondered this I told them I was going to get a roof over his head, furnishings, a car, a job, and into college; and by God if I had to do it alone, I would. I then asked for a show of hands of those willing to help me in this effort. All hands went up and in a few weeks we had a commitment from Shapell Homes for a free apartment. A car was donated, and the Blue Star Moms and Veterans helped furnish the apartment.
UPS offered him a job with training. Our local veterans’ service officer had his files and developed a plan for his support. Diablo Valley College was ready to receive him.
This was the beginning of the Sentinels of Freedom Scholarship Program, which now has assisted over 50 severely wounded and injured members of our Armed Forces.
The day Jake arrived home our group met him at the apartment where Mayor H. Abram Wilson gave him the keys to the apartment and to the car. The Blue Star Moms had the beds made, linens stocked, kitchen stocked, and all the comforts of home completely ready for him to move in. It was quite a day.
Now 6 years later San Ramon can take great pride in having a played a part in his success. This community never gave up on him, and Jake never gave up himself. This support helped build his confidence, ease his load, and give him the breathing room to move forward on his well-earned piece of the American dream.
As we continued with more scholarship awards, we were joined by many Angels and corporate leaders. RE/MAX International set us up to go National in January of 2007. AT&T, American Airlines, UPS, CISCO, General Dynamics, Northrop Grumman, Lockheed, Quest, Verizon, Wells Fargo, and Foundations like IADIF (Iraq Afghanistan Deployment Impact Fund), The Tiger Woods Foundation, and the Diablo Foundation, as well as churches, citizens, communities, and even school children, have become involved in supporting the Sentinels of Freedom mission. Volunteers with our program are a huge force multiplier for us by donating their time and expertise.
The support from the highest levels of the Department of Defense, Veterans Affairs, Navy, Army, Marine Corp, Air Force, and Members of Congress has been amazing.
The Sentinels of Freedom has so many stories of selfless service, survival and success with those we have assisted. We are grateful and humbled by all the support that has made this program a reality for some of our most severely wounded.
A huge thank you to SYBASE for joining our effort in offering Jake an opportunity and a future with such a great company.
I hope this note puts a smile on your face. We have lots of work ahead.
Thank you and God bless you,
Mike Conklin
Appeal over redevelopment project at old Chevron HQ coming to San Ramon councilApril 6, 2026 10:32 pm
This not only puts a smile on my face, it quite literally gives me tears of gratitude! How can we thank you for all you’ve done and continue to do!!!
I’ve known Jake since he was at CWMS. He was a terrific kid then and now he’s a wonderful man. It’s been inspiring to watch him on his journey. He’s going to do great at Sybase. You rock Jake!
Many thanks to the hardworking and selfless members of Sentinels of Freedom, who supported Jake on his journey.
Please visit their web site (sentinelsoffreedom.org) and consider donating to this very worthy private cause.