Eleven North Carolina students honored for Military Child of the Year Award
Isabella Smith from Hubert won for the Marine Corps, and Emily Baldeosingh from Havelock won for the National Guard.
Two N.C. girls receive 2025 Military Child of the Year award.
'It can be a really difficult lifestyle. And so really the best advice I can give is just go for a lot of things in life,' Swansboro High School student, Isabella Smith said. 'It's really easy to be scared for things, but once you just let that fear go and you just go for it and give it your all it, it's hard, but then it just makes it so much better.'
Operation Homefront recognizes military children from across the country. Each student gets a bag of rewards including a proclamation from Governor Josh Stein and an engraved football from the Carolina Panthers.
Click the video above for more information.
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LODI — Turning the big 100, a World War II veteran in the California city of Lodi is celebrating his birthday with one wish. Frank S. Wright wants 100,000 birthday cards from people around the country to celebrate this momentous day. Wright was a corporal with the United States Marine Corps Raider Regiment in WWII. He fought in Iwo Jima and helped liberate the island of Guam. This 4th Marine Raider now lives at Solstice Senior Living in Lodi and will soon turn 100. "I've received two Purple Hearts: one in Guam and one on Iwo Jima," said Wright. Age isn't stopping Wright from hitting the dance floor — or losing a single bit of humor. "I love to dance... I have supposedly about 50 women who want to dance with me," he said jokingly. On top of the dance moves for his big day, Wright is hoping to read some sweet and kind words in the form of birthday cards. "I'd like to have that if I could," he said. "I have over 50 that came in from one school." So far, he's up to almost 200 just one week out, but he's already covering a lot of ground. "I must have 10 or 12 cards that came from Minnesota. I've never been to Minnesota," he said. These letters are already hitting home for the WWII veteran. "[One of the cards] had a story on it that mimicked some stuff that my mother used to say. She would say, 'Just a minute, you can't go anywhere without changing your panties,' " said Wright. "I said, 'What on earth for?' [She said,] 'What if you get hit by a car? You don't want to be caught without a clean pair of panties.' That was our saying. That saying was on one of those cards, and so that brought back memories." Although Wright is a ways away from his goal of 100,000 cards, it doesn't stop him from hoping for a big turnout, especially in Lodi for his centennial celebration this coming Saturday. Anyone interested can send a postcard or letter to: Frank S. Wright, Stockton Marine Corps Club, PO Box 691045, Stockton, CA 95269. "I open up every card that comes in and every letter that I get," said Wright. "That, I appreciate."
