thedrifter
07-04-03, 09:39 PM
Cereal-box patriot is homegrown
Marine Sgt. Tim Chambers is among those honored by Kellogg’s.
BRENNA WIEGAND
Statesman Journal
July 4, 2003
Americans perusing their cereal boxes may find themselves breakfasting with heroes – real-life heroes, that is, whose deeds and spirit are captured on a recent Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes box.
One of the five featured on the “Very Important Patriot” edition is a Silverton native — Marine Sgt. Tim Chambers, born and raised in Silverton.
He is the oldest child of John and Diane Chambers. His grandparents are Bob and Ann DeSantis.
Kellogg and the National Family Military Family Association teamed up to recognize five “Very Important Patriots” for the exceptional volunteer service they have given to their military and neighboring communities.
The box only had room to list a few of the contributions for each of the five patriots, that also include MSgt. James C. King, CWO David Olson, Sr. Airman Seth D. Ehrlich and Capt. Sarah U. Cleveland.
For Chambers, those achievements include participation and leadership in Special Olympics, the Leukemia Society, the National Kidney Foundation, Toys for Tots, the Salvation Army, and the Amelia Earhart Mentor Program.
He helped organize the groundbreaking ceremony for the WWII Memorial on the National Mall and serves as a partner for the Korean War Commemorations Committee, organizing a ceremony for three veterans who never received their medals.
Every week Chambers mentors two different elementary classes and he put together a daylong “boot camp” for them. He recently spent a week of leave serving as a camp counselor for children with muscular dystrophy and created a fund-raising program for Toys for Tots that has become a template for their future efforts.
One of the things the cereal box doesn’t mention is what he was up to Sept. 11, 2001.
Chambers and several others had been called to a meeting near Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia when the attacks came. He and others raced to the scene at the Pentagon.
They set up a triage area, where medical personnel could determine which victims needed the most immediate care, “reconned” gear from firefighters, and entered the building to look for survivors and bodies.
As they worked their way through the debris, they could hear the victims’ screams.
He was on the scene until midnight, working with rescue workers and firefighters and returned at 5 a.m. the next day to continue.
At one point an Army officer told him others would take over and that he could go.
“I’m a pretty boisterous, rough-around-the-edges Marine,” said Chambers during a telephone interview from his office near the Pentagon. He told the officer, “Like hell, I’m standing my ground.”
The Marines worked together retrieving the bodies of victims three days straight as the nation reeled from the impact of the terrorist attacks.
Their efforts did not go unnoticed. A few months later, Chambers and 10 other Marines were presented with the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal during a ceremony at the Pentagon.
“We are trained to react and that’s what we did that day,” Chambers said of the tragedy. “It was a true gut check.”
In addition to the medal, Chambers appeared on a float in the Rose Parade in Pasadena, Calif., on New Year’s Day, 2002, with a police officer and firefighter from Sept. 11.
Chambers is a 1994 graduate of Silverton High School, where he was the Silver Fox mascot.
“Everyone knew me as the mascot,” he said. He was his junior class president and involved in drama, band, football, basketball, wrestling and other activities. “I always liked to be part of a team,” he said.
— Silverton Appeal Tribune
http://news.statesmanjournal.com/article.cfm?i=64165
http://news.statesmanjournal.com/photo/pl21655.JPG
BRENNA WIEGAND / Statesman Journal
Silverton native Sgt. Tim Chambers (second from left) was honored by being added to the cover of Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes cereal.
Sempers,
Roger
:marine:
Marine Sgt. Tim Chambers is among those honored by Kellogg’s.
BRENNA WIEGAND
Statesman Journal
July 4, 2003
Americans perusing their cereal boxes may find themselves breakfasting with heroes – real-life heroes, that is, whose deeds and spirit are captured on a recent Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes box.
One of the five featured on the “Very Important Patriot” edition is a Silverton native — Marine Sgt. Tim Chambers, born and raised in Silverton.
He is the oldest child of John and Diane Chambers. His grandparents are Bob and Ann DeSantis.
Kellogg and the National Family Military Family Association teamed up to recognize five “Very Important Patriots” for the exceptional volunteer service they have given to their military and neighboring communities.
The box only had room to list a few of the contributions for each of the five patriots, that also include MSgt. James C. King, CWO David Olson, Sr. Airman Seth D. Ehrlich and Capt. Sarah U. Cleveland.
For Chambers, those achievements include participation and leadership in Special Olympics, the Leukemia Society, the National Kidney Foundation, Toys for Tots, the Salvation Army, and the Amelia Earhart Mentor Program.
He helped organize the groundbreaking ceremony for the WWII Memorial on the National Mall and serves as a partner for the Korean War Commemorations Committee, organizing a ceremony for three veterans who never received their medals.
Every week Chambers mentors two different elementary classes and he put together a daylong “boot camp” for them. He recently spent a week of leave serving as a camp counselor for children with muscular dystrophy and created a fund-raising program for Toys for Tots that has become a template for their future efforts.
One of the things the cereal box doesn’t mention is what he was up to Sept. 11, 2001.
Chambers and several others had been called to a meeting near Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia when the attacks came. He and others raced to the scene at the Pentagon.
They set up a triage area, where medical personnel could determine which victims needed the most immediate care, “reconned” gear from firefighters, and entered the building to look for survivors and bodies.
As they worked their way through the debris, they could hear the victims’ screams.
He was on the scene until midnight, working with rescue workers and firefighters and returned at 5 a.m. the next day to continue.
At one point an Army officer told him others would take over and that he could go.
“I’m a pretty boisterous, rough-around-the-edges Marine,” said Chambers during a telephone interview from his office near the Pentagon. He told the officer, “Like hell, I’m standing my ground.”
The Marines worked together retrieving the bodies of victims three days straight as the nation reeled from the impact of the terrorist attacks.
Their efforts did not go unnoticed. A few months later, Chambers and 10 other Marines were presented with the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal during a ceremony at the Pentagon.
“We are trained to react and that’s what we did that day,” Chambers said of the tragedy. “It was a true gut check.”
In addition to the medal, Chambers appeared on a float in the Rose Parade in Pasadena, Calif., on New Year’s Day, 2002, with a police officer and firefighter from Sept. 11.
Chambers is a 1994 graduate of Silverton High School, where he was the Silver Fox mascot.
“Everyone knew me as the mascot,” he said. He was his junior class president and involved in drama, band, football, basketball, wrestling and other activities. “I always liked to be part of a team,” he said.
— Silverton Appeal Tribune
http://news.statesmanjournal.com/article.cfm?i=64165
http://news.statesmanjournal.com/photo/pl21655.JPG
BRENNA WIEGAND / Statesman Journal
Silverton native Sgt. Tim Chambers (second from left) was honored by being added to the cover of Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes cereal.
Sempers,
Roger
:marine: