A Gift From A Decorated World War I Veteran

July 3, 2021 by

Sadly, my 87-year-old Mother’s health is failing, both mentally and physically.   Two months ago, she called me to tell me how much pain she was in, confessing “Kevin, I am ready to die.  Will you please come out here to say goodbye?”  Of course, I said “yes,” and quickly booked my flight to Orange County, California.

Ironically, the “Goodbye Trip” re-energized Mom.  She began assembling all of the possessions she would give her children before her death, including the American flag given to her at her father’s honorary military funeral.  Her Father was a decorated World War I Veteran who fought for our country in France.  His military service was so exemplary that the Army gave him a funeral service designed for a Decorated War Veteran, including an Air Force Fly-Over and this American flag.

So, when my Mother gave the flag to me on my recent visit with her, I got very choked up and emotional.  What an honor and, what an unforgettable gift from my Mom.  Thank you for your service Michael Anthony Kelly, my Grandfather.  On this July 4th Holiday, please take the time to thank all Veterans for all that they did, and do, to protect this incredible country.  God Bless America!

 

Kevin Sheridan is an internationally-recognized Keynote Speaker, a New York Times Best Selling Author, and one of the most sought-after voices in the world on the topic of Employee Engagement. For five years running, he has been honored on Inc. Magazine’s top 100 Leadership Speakers in the world, as well as Inc.’s top 100 experts on Employee Engagement. He was also honored to be named to The Employee Engagement Award’s Top 101 Global Influencers on Employee Engagement of 2017.

Having spent thirty years as a high-level Human Capital Management consultant, Kevin has helped some of the world’s largest corporations rebuild a culture that fosters productive engagement, earning him several distinctive awards and honors. Kevin’s premier creation, PEER®, has been consistently recognized as a long-overdue, industry-changing innovation in the field of Employee Engagement. His first book, Building a Magnetic Culture, made six of the best seller lists including The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today. He is also the author of The Virtual Manager, which explores how to most effectively manage remote workers.

Kevin received a Master of Business Administration from the Harvard Business School in 1988, concentrating his degree in Strategy, Human Resources Management, and Organizational Behavior. He is also a serial entrepreneur, having founded and sold three different companies.

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Email: kevin@kevinsheridanllc.com