The Patriot Fund is proud to introduce our new Advisor to the Board Will Markham, Command Chief Master Sergeant, U.S. Air Force (ret) beginning December 2019.
“We are thrilled to have Will join the Patriot Fund as an Advisor to the Board,” says Todd Sherman, Founder and President of The Patriot Fund. “To have a true American hero working toward our mission of helping other veterans and their families brings deeper meaning to our work. It is a true honor.”
Will is a recipient of a Silver Star Medal by the President of the United States for his chivalrous actions while serving with the 23d Special Tactics Squadron in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM, near Kabul, Afghanistan, from 14 October to 30 November 2001. As one of the first thirteen American servicemen to step foot in Afghanistan, Tech. Sgt. Markham successfully led and completed a mission to liberate Kabul in just twenty-five days when defense planners estimated it would take six months.
Within just 48 hours of special operations forces arriving in Afghanistan, Will orchestrated a close air support reconnaissance mission to within two kilometers of the Taliban front line in order to identify potential observation posts from which his team could execute missions. After immediately coming under fire, Will exercised strong instinct and shrewd decision making by directing multiple close air support sorties against key Taliban leadership positions, command and control elements, fortified positions, and numerous anti-aircraft artillery sites. Under Will’s skillful direction, there were multiple airstrikes involving over one hundred seventy-five sorties of both strategic and attack aircraft resulting in the elimination of approximately four hundred and fifty enemy vehicles and over three thousand five hundred enemy troops.
Just twenty-five days after their arrival, Kabul was successfully liberated and eventually hundreds of al Qaeda and Taliban ground forces surrendered, thanks to the leadership of Sergeant Will Markham. The Patriot Fund is privileged to have him support the Patriot Fund in this role.
The Patriot Fund’s goal is to share with you how to make a direct impact on our veterans and show you the life-changing difference made by your involvement. Our mission is two-fold: (1) partner with Regional, Delaware valley non-profits who are doing the best work for veterans, and (2) connect those non-profits to our amazing partners who want to help veterans and their families. While our veterans give of themselves for the rest of us, they ask little in return but we owe them so much.