Beer Looks Just Like Any Other Can Until He Sees It Printed on Side
Our military servicemen and women serve their country with courage, valor, and selflessness. They leave behind loved ones, favorite places, and cherished times to protect our nation’s freedoms — and in some cases, they never make it back alive.
According to the U.S. Army, the term “Gold Star families” is a reference to individual family Service Flags. These commemorative banners were initially unfurled during World War I, and flown any time our country’s armed forces were engaged in combat.
Each family’s flag featured a blue star to honor every loved one who was serving. If that individual perished, the blue star was poignantly replaced by a gold star to memorialize the soldier’s ultimate sacrifice.
Gold Star families left to mourn fallen service members certainly must feel this painful absence during major milestones and holidays. But in many cases, small everyday moments are perhaps most painful of all.
Maybe those moments include sharing weekday dinners around the table, enjoying favorite television programs, going to church, even walking the dog. Loved ones may deeply miss the simple chance to enjoy a beer and laughter on the back patio.
When Facebook user Zac Mills picked up a green can of beer one day, he wasn’t expecting what he found printed on the side. Then again, this wasn’t any regular brew.
Mills shared a photo on his Facebook feed. The can read, in part, “This beer is dedicated to: Sgt. Jeremy R. McQueary, Nashville, Indiana, U.S. Marine Corps.” And just like that, his social media connections learned about a unique company called Dog Tag Brewing Foundation.
According to its website, Dog Tag Brewing Foundation is a publicly supported, tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization based in Bozeman, Montana. Appearing in large letters across the homepage is the stirring tagline, “Never Forgetting Means More Than Just Remembering.”
For Dog Tag Brewing Foundation, that means using its products to share the stories of America’s fallen warriors. The organization also provides charitable grants that fund commemorative scholarships, youth programs, and other legacy-building projects established by Gold Star families.
Through ongoing support, monetary donations, and a growing social media presence, Dog Tag Brewing Foundation strives to inspire all Americans.
Founder and Chairman Seth Jordan originally felt called to serve following 9/11, and subsequently spent almost 10 years engaged in over 250 combat missions as an officer of the U.S. Marine Corps.
U.S. Army Veteran Caleb Farrell currently serves on the Dog Tag Brewing Foundation Board of Directors. He notes that he’s constantly “overwhelmed with emotion, just seeing these hundreds of thousands of cans … being filled and boxed up; being sent out across the United States, where the message of these fallen warriors will be in the hands of Americans.”
The ongoing work of Dog Tag Brewing Foundation helps Gold Star families ensure that the selfless sacrifice of their loved one is never forgotten. In countless ways, these courageous warriors will continue to be heroes — through programs and non-profits making a measurable difference.
Submit your story here, and subscribe to our best uplifting stories here.
Truth and Accuracy
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.
