IE Business Daily Business news for the Inland Empire.
By Ed Hoffman
As we all debate the merits of a Donald Trump presidential run (which I’m on board with, by the way) and Rachel Dolezal’s “transracialism” (which I find ridiculous, and I hope you do too), I want to provide a diversion that’s suitable for lots of upcoming occasions on the calendar, most notably Father’s Day and Independence Day. It involves a real American hero (sorry, Caitlyn Jenner) who is representing a great cause, and my company is getting on board with it too. It’s called the Boot Campaign, and the hero I want to tell you about is the group’s spokesperson, retired Staff Sergeant Joey Jones. I welcomed Sgt. Jones as a guest on my radio show last week.
Sgt. Jones was an explosive ordinance disposal technician, also known as a bomb technician responsible for locating and neutralizing improvised explosive devices (IEDs) during two deployments to Iraq. “We’re usually a tight knit group,” he told me, “because there is a pretty high attrition rate. A lot of guys are killed or severely wounded in action.” During his second deployment in 2010 and after almost eight years in the Marine Corps, Sgt. Jones became among the severely wounded himself.
“I worked almost 80 IEDs on that deployment, and the 80th one I found with my feet,” Sgt. Jones said. “I’m still batting 1,000 because I still rendered it safe; I just did it more manually than I should have.” His positive attitude astounded me, because I knew the extent of his injuries – and then, he surprised me even more with his lighthearted quip, “That’s a joke, by the way.”
When Sgt. Jones found that IED “with his feet,” it resulted in him losing both of his legs from the knees down. He also injured his arm, resulting in one finger amputation and some loss in dexterity. But in true hero fashion, he remains positive. “I did not lose my legs,” he said, “and I got a second chance at life.”
The next few years involved working for various nonprofits before finding his home at the Boot Campaign, which was founded in Texas in 2009. Through his work there, he said, “I became kind of a defacto spokesperson for so many soldiers, sailors and Marines that were injured from 2010 to 2012.” The Boot Campaign is a grassroots nonprofit that raises awareness for veteran’s causes through pop culture, with dozens of celebrities participating by wearing Boot Campaign apparel at public events. So, here’s how it ties into Father’s Day and Independence Day: The boot and apparel gifts from shop.BootCampaign.com (no “www” necessary) are high quality, made-in-the-USA products that benefit veterans in need of job training, home buyer assistance and family assistance. In fact, some beneficiaries are Gold Star families who have lost their service members. After earning his college degree (after his injury!), Jones began working for the Boot Campaign full time.
Jones is eager to show appreciation for the many celebrities who support the Boot Campaign because, “Through them, we can reach more veterans.” He is clearly proud of what this organization does, and I am too; that’s why I’m planning a Boot Campaign “Push-Ups for Charity” event later this summer. If you would like to participate, call me at Wholesale Capital Corporation in Moreno Valley. I would love to have you!
Ed Hoffman is the host of the Main Event on AM590, which airs Saturday 9:30AM- 10:30AM and Sunday 4:00PM- 5:00PM. Follow him on Twitter @EdHoffman, and like him on Facebook by searching The Main Event 590.
