George P. Thomas was a lifelong citizen of Blount County, a Vietnam War Veteran, a 35-year Alcoa retiree, and one of the original 23 members of the VA Knoxville Outpatient Clinic’s PTSD peer support group. George was the first member of the work group to pass away on July 19, 2012, due to Agent Orange cancer.
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Because of George’s commitment to his country, family, and the group, his continued service, sacrifice, faith, and leadership enabled the group to flourish. Our memory of his loyalty, kindness, gentleness, and faithfulness helped foster the creation of Vet to Vet Tennessee during tough times. The new vision and mission were simple: “Each One, Reach One, Teach One.” Each brother and sister is to cover each other’s 6. After George’s final journey, the group began each meeting in honor of George and with a prayer.
Over the past 14 years, God has blessed VTVT, its members, veterans, and their families, as well as countless veteran and military congregations and Ministries, with their support and prayers. We needed to show our gratitude and joy for the spiritual support we received from hundreds of faith-based organizations and spirit-led individuals. Designing the award name and purpose was simple: live and give like George Thomas. It took several months for numerous contributors to finalize the “George P. Thomas Memorial Award.”
Click here to view some of the George P. Thomas Memorial Award Recipients and click here to see all of the recipients.
However, before we found our first recipient, we needed approval from George’s wife, Sandra, and his daughter, Stacy Eggers. On October 11, 2017, VTVT sent the following email to the Thomas family:
“Vet to Vet Tennessee would like to honor your father by presenting a certificate of appreciation for faith-based organizations and/or individuals who demonstrate the amazing strength of faith. We have worked on this certificate for months and have finally received approval from the members. Would you please review the certificate with your Mom and let us know if you would allow us to use this award in George’s name and if you would like us to make any modifications?”
VTVT received the following response from Stacy: “We would be honored for you to name this award after my dad. You were not only his family but also his lifeline. He loved and looked forward to every meeting. You guys helped him through a lot. Stacy Eggers 10-13-17
During Blount County, Tennessee’s 49th Veterans Day event, the 1st two George P. Thomas Memorial Awards were presented to the Honorable Mayor Ed Mitchell and Blount County Habitat for Humanity Executive Director Kathy Jackson. The awards were presented by Sandra Thomas, Stacy Eggers, and VTVT President Freddie Owens. The Thomas family and the honorees received a standing ovation.
God bless our brother, George. He brought healing, strength, hope, and spirituality to the 22 peer support brothers.
Please click here to download all of the George Thomas award recipients.