PHOTO
REBECCA REED
I LLUSTRAT ION
KEN FALL IN
POV
30
NOVEMBER2015
AMERICANWAY
FORMORETHAN70YEARS,
Connie
HadleyBachmancouldn’t lookatan
American flagorcelebratepatriotic
holidays.Shehadn’t feltpeacesinceher
youngerbrother,ThomasHadleyII,
died inactionsavingthe lifeofanother
pilot intheKoreanWar in1951.Hadley
receivedaPurpleHeart forhisactions,
buthissisterneverknewabout it—until
ZacFike,anactive-dutyArmycaptain
and founderoftheprogramPurple
HeartsReunited,calledtotellherabout
themedalhe’d found inearly2012.
“Thewhole familyshowedup for
thepresentationceremony,”Fikesays.
“Conniegotherhair
doneandaspecial
outfit. Itwasgreat
toseethat family
history.”
Thereturnof this
medal launchedPurple
HeartsReunited,and
Fikehasn’t lookedback
since.
PHR—theonlyorganization inthe
countryof itskind—hasreturnedmore
than150medals, currentlyreceiving
threeto fiveaweek.
“Ifyoucanenvision it, that’swhere
thesemedalsareturningup,”Fikesays.
“Metal-detectorenthusiastsare finding
them,dogsarediggingthemup; they’ve
been foundonstagesatBroadwayplays,
tarmacsandevenbyscubadiversonthe
ocean floor.They’reeverywhere.”
Fikeandhis teamhavereceived
medals fromconflicts fromWorld
WarI to theIraqandAfghanistan
wars, theoldestbeingoneof the
original 137Purple
Heartspresented toa
groupofWWIveterans
in1932.And they’re
notslowingdown:PHR
currentlyhasnearly400
medalsready forareturn
ceremonyof theirown.
Purpleheartsreunited.org
—AMANDAOGLE
ClosureThrough
Commemoration
ArmyCaptainZacFike is reunitingmedalsof valorwith
familiesandveteransand leavinga lastingmarkon the lives
he touches
Which
HollywoodStar
ShouldYouSee
onBroadway?
TheseA-listershittheBroadway
stagethismonth.Weknowwhich
ticketsyoushouldsnag.—
JACQUELYNEFROEBER
QUESTION ONE
Whichwordbest
describesyourpersonality?
A.
CREATIVE
Let’s just say you thinkoutside thebox.
B.
STRONG
Youovercome adversitynomatterwhat.
C.
COMBATIVE
You’re always right and you like
towin things…didwemention
that you’re always right?
QUESTION TWO
What typeofmusicdoyou love?
A.
BOLDSOLOARTISTS
Whoneeds abandwhen the frontman can
rule the stage?
B.
POP-RADIOFAVORITES
Anyonewhohas been votedon
byAmericaon aTV show
C.
THEBLUES
Tried-and-true, thoseold-school tunes
speak to your soul.
QUESTION THREE
Which literarygenreexcitesyou?
A.
DRAMA
And anythinghaving todowith themob
B.
STRUGGLEANDTRIUMPH
Bonus points if theplot is rooted in
Americanhistory
C.
HOW-TOBOOKS
Thoughnot always easy to admit,
you find it’s easier toget to know yourself
with someguidance.
MOSTLY A’s:
AlPacino in “ChinaDoll”
MOSTLY B’s:
JenniferHudson in “TheColorPurple”
MOSTLY C’s:
JamesEarl JonesandCicelyTyson
in “TheGinGame”
Answers!
We at AmericanAirlines thank
ourmany supporters and
partners, including legendary
entertainer
TonyOrlando
,
as we continue to strive
to show our appreciation
for themany veterans of
all wars, whomwe proudly
fly every day, through our
veterans-initiatives programs.
