Henry Repeating Arms recently presented four distinguished veterans with American-made Henry Military Service Tribute Rifles to thank them for their service to our country. The presentation took place at The Friends of the NRA Foundation Banquet during The NRA’s 2017 Annual Meetings & Exhibits last weekend.
As a sponsor of the event, Anthony Imperato, President of Henry Repeating Arms, invited the heroes on stage to thank them for going above and beyond the call of duty.
The first recipient was Linda Becker, who retired from the US Air Force/Air National Guard after 39 years of service that included three overseas tours: Kuwait, Oman, and Qatar. Next was Don Jenkins, a former United States Army soldier and Medal of Honor recipient for his actions in the Vietnam War. They were followed by Ty Carter, a former United States Army Staff Sergeant and Medal of Honor recipient for his actions at the 2009 Battle of Kamdesh in Afghanistan.
The final recognition went to 97-year-old WWII veteran George J. Krakosky.
“How many of you remember the movie Saving Private Ryan and those vivid images of American soldiers landing on the beaches of France under tremendous enemy fire?”Imperato asked the crowd. “For us it was a movie, and for our recipient it was reality.
“This man served and fought in a war that saved the world from unspeakable evil. He is one of the last of America’s greatest generation, and we owe our freedom to him today,” Imperato said, voice cracking.
The crowd of 1,800 people rose to give multiple standing ovations during the presentation.
“Thank you for your service to our country. God bless you, and God bless the United States of America,” Imperato concluded as the crowd rose to applaud the honorees one last time.