07/03/2026
Tonight at the Freedom Awards Gala we honor American heroes who have contributed and sacrificed to defend liberty and justice for all. 🇺🇸 See their stories (clockwise from top left):
• BRENT F. ASHWORTH: Influenced by his service in the U.S. Army Reserves, Brent has assembled an extraordinary artifact collection connected to America’s founding, westward expansion, military service, civil rights, and influential figures such as Abraham Lincoln. We are blessed by his willingness to share them!
• CLAUDE D. NEWBY: Claude did not set out to become a Chaplain on the front lines in Vietnam, but he retained a fierce focus on serving the soldiers in his care. He also served in the Army in Germany as a soldier, medic, and with America’s last horse-mounted cavalry. The medals on his chest are a testament to his service.
• PAMELA BORGFELDT-TAYLOR and SIOUX MATSON-KRINGS: As Saigon was falling to the North Vietnamese, Pan Am Airlines still had employees and their families in the country. The company approached four of their female employees and asked if they would be willing to voluntarily fly back into Saigon to help extricate them. Pamela, Sioux, and two other women used their skills, steadiness, compassion, and courage to bring just enough order to the chaos to load that flight, and while taking off under fire, bring others to a new life of freedom.
• EUGENE METCALFE: Eugene joined the 82nd Airborne and was assigned to the 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment during World War II. He found himself as part of the opening wave of the Allied invasion of the Netherlands. After being wounded and captured, he spent time in no less than four different POW and forced labor camps—and even saved the life of one of his fellow prisoners at great risk to his own safety. At 103, he still vividly remembers the price of freedom.
