HARRISBURG, N.C. (May 23, 2017) – The 600 Miles of Remembrance, during the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, honors service men and women who bravely served and died defending our country. This Memorial Day weekend, the No. 47 Chevrolet SS team is humbled to honor Specialist Douglas J. Green by displaying his name on AJ Allmendinger’s windshield.
“Kroger has a six-year relationship with the USO and this weekend we’re honoring a USO family member’s brother, Specialist Douglas J. Green,” Allmendinger said. “I’m grateful to be a part of the Kroger family and see their military support and commitment to the Honoring Our Heroes initiative. Their partnership with the USO is pretty special.”
The Kroger Co.’s Group Vice President of Corporate Affairs Jessica Adelman is equally proud of the company’s relationship with the USO.
“Kroger is thankful for the sacrifices that members of the military and their families make every day,” said Adelman. “To show our appreciation, we are excited to support USO programs and facilitate programs to hire returning service members.”
Krissy Green, Spec. Green’s sister, works for the USO and appreciates the opportunity to honor her brother for 600 Miles of Remembrance thanks to Kroger and JTG Daugherty Racing.
“For Doug’s name to be honored in such a special way means more to my family than one can imagine,” said Krissy Green, USO Account Manager, Corporate Alliance. “Doug may not physically be here, but gestures like this by Kroger and JTG Daugherty Racing allow his legacy and memory to continue on. They provide our family and Doug’s friends a piece of comfort and help to show those who have made the ultimate sacrifice are never forgotten.”
Spc. Green’s credentials included U.S. Army 3rd Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Fort Wainwright, Alaska. He was serious about his job and protecting others, but he also had an endearing side. Green was well known for his sense of humor and having the ability to ease others in times of stress with jokes and light banter to evoke laughter or a smile.
“Doug was an old soul with a big heart and a smile and energy that would light up any room he walked in,” Green said. “He always tried to put himself in other peoples’ footsteps and was never one to judge,” Green said. “He put others before himself and would be humbled to be honored like this.”
On August 28, 2011, at 23 years of age, Spc. Green tragically lost his life serving his second tour of duty in Afghanistan. He was killed in action when insurgents attacked his unit using a makeshift bomb and small arms fire. He was awarded the Bronze Star Medal for valor, posthumously, the Purple Heart, Army Commendation Medal, and the Combat Infantryman Badge.
“Doug impacted so many, whether he knew it or not, and to this day he is still impacting lives with his story,” Green said. “I will forever be grateful to call him my brother.”
Born in Alexandria, Virginia, Spc. Green enlisted in the U.S. Army in 2007 just after graduating high school. He graduated from basic and advanced training at Fort Benning, Georgia and then was sent to Alaska in March of 2008. He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division based at Fort Wainwright, Alaska. During his time in the Army, he served two tours. His first tour was in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, his second and last tour was in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
Live coverage of the Coca-Cola 600 begins at 6 PM ET on FOX / PRN / SIRIUSXM.
About Kroger and USO Partnership Honoring Our Heroes:
The Honoring Our Heroes campaign demonstrates Kroger’s commitment to veterans, service members and their families. More than 2 million Americans serve on active duty or in the reserves today, including some of our own Associates. Honoring Our Heroes is our way of saying thank you to our active duty service members and our nation’s 23 million veterans. The Kroger Co. is committed to a nationwide initiative to help veterans and transitioning service members and military spouses find meaningful employment opportunities. In fact, Kroger has hired more than 35,000 veterans since 2009 and hired more than 4,000 veterans and family members in one day at a hiring event in November.
To-date Kroger and their customers have raised approximately $18.2M in support of the USO. Each year these funds have helped the USO provide critical support to troops and their families through our centers, programs and services. This year the company is donating $1 million of corporate funds to the USO as part of our annual celebration of our country’s service men and women.
