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'Spirit of Hope' awarded to longtime McGuire friend

  • Published
  • By Erin Blauvelt
  • 305th Air Mobility Wing public affairs
MCGUIRE AIR FORCE BASE, N.J. --  Longtime friend of McGuire and Fort Dix, Nicholas Grand, was posthumously honored as the 2008 Air Force nominee for the "Spirit of Hope" award, sponsored by the Wiegand Foundation.

The award is given to an Air Force member (enlisted, officer, or civilian) who epitomizes the values of actor-comedian and "Honorary Veteran" Bob Hope: duty, honor, courage, loyalty, commitment, integrity and selfless dedication. Mr. Hope spent much of his career, more than 50 years, performing for U.S. troops with the United Services Organization.

This year, Mr. Grand, an Army veteran, was nominated for the award by the 514th Air Mobility Wing through Air Force Reserve Command for his more than 60 years of service and dedication to not only Team McGuire but the entire U.S. military. Col. James Kerr, 514th AMW commander and friend of Mr. Grand, said "I have not met another person of my 31 years in the Air Force who emulates the spirit of Bob Hope better than Nick Grand! And I do not think I ever will. I'm sure all those who knew him would feel the same."

Mr. Grand's contributions to the military began in 1947 when he joined the Army, training at Fort Dix. He served as the public affairs officer for the Air Force Reserve's 514th Troop Carrier Wing, moving with them from Long Island, N.Y., to McGuire AFB. At McGuire, he joined the 108th Tactical Fighter Wing of the New Jersey Air National Guard where he worked in public affairs. As a civilian, he finished his career with the military as the public affairs officer at Naval Air Station Lakehurst, N.J. All together, his career spanned 42 years of service to the Army, Air Force, National Guard and Navy.

Retirement did not, however, end Mr. Grand's commitment to the military. He spent more than eight hours a week briefing mobilized Air Force, Army and Navy Reserve components on their rights both before and after deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. Even through his battle with cancer, he provided detailed briefings to more than 50,000 Reservists and Guardsmen. He also served as president for the U.S. Air Force Air Mobility Warfare Center Foundation. As president, he promoted the importance of Team McGuire's capabilities to local civilian organizations and was a driving force behind the planning and execution of the Fort Dix Annual Employer Appreciation Day. He further worked as an ombudsman for the New Jersey branch of the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve. In addition to the great amount of time he offered, he also expressed his loyalty and commitment to the military through substantial financial contributions to all military organizations within the McGuire/Fort Dix community.

The "Spirit of Hope" award is a great honor for Mr. Grand, but it is not the first time Mr. Grand's contributions have been formally recognized. He is also a recipient of the New Hampshire National Guard Distinguished Service Medal for single-handedly providing more than 100,200 briefings to mobilized troops. He also received the Ellis Island Medal of Honor, awarded to Americans who "exemplify outstanding qualities in both their personal and professional lives, while continuing to preserve the richness of their particular heritage." In 2007, McGuire and Fort Dix showed Mr. Grand their admiration and gratitude for his service by naming a street adjacent to the U.S. Air Force Expeditionary Center in his honor. He was also an Honorary Commander for the 514th AMW. Mr. Grand passed away in September 2007.