Rowan Patriots

SGT. RODNEY CRESS

My Veteran Achievements:   

*Solo collected 2,250 books and shipped to troops in Iraq in 2006.

*Collected 27,000 tubes of lip balm donated by FillTech USA shipped to troops in Iraq in 2010.

*Committee member for Flight of Honor for WWII vets in 2010.

*Formed Political Action Committee (PAC) for veterans in 2010.

*Guest Speaker (4) at Honor Our Heroes at Cornerstone Church for veterans.

*Guest Speaker on Veterans Day at local churches.

*Guest Speaker several local schools.

*Guest Speaker Cabarrus County Air Force ROTC Dining Out 2012.

*Spoke before county commissioners against current VSO job performance in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012.

*Spent 16 months for approval of memorial marker for Civil War Medal of Honor recipient in Salisbury National Cemetery in 2009.

*Fought to change state Medicaid fiduciary laws affecting veterans in 2013.

*Volunteer veteran advocate with numerous assists for veterans claims.

*Meet several times yearly with veteran liaison from the office of Senator Richard Burr, Senator Thom Tillis and Congressman Richard Hudson.

*Published numerous newspaper articles on behalf of veterans.

*Medal of Honor Historical Society published my recent story about Medal of Honor recipient in September newsletter.

*Delivered 65,000 sani wipes and 3500 tubes of lip balm to troops donated by FillTechUSA of Rockwell, NC in 2011.

*May 2008, as Vice Chairman of Rowan County Housing Authority, I applied for and received $232,609 under HUD for homeless veterans  in Rowan County which has now housed 90 veterans under Section 8.

*Recently honored at Norfolk Naval Base for veteran service in 2010.

*Life Member DAV. Past Senior Vice Commander Chapter 96

*Committee Member 2012 Vietnam Veterans Homecoming Celebration at Concord Motor Speedway. 

*Bronze Star /Valor,  Bronze Star/Meritorious 

* Army Commendation Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, Vietnam Campaign Medal, Combat Infantry Badge, Expert Marksman

*2013 Keynote speaker VA Memorial Day Event

*Instrumental in naming new I-85 bridge to Yadkin River Veterans Memorial Bridge.

*January 2015, arranged shipment of 79,000 tubes of lipbalm donated by FillTech to our military in 3 states.

*2015 published in newspaper a 13 story series of Forgotten Battles of WWII.

*Governor's Award for Volunteer Service (veteran)

*MLK Humanitarian Award (veterans)

*NC Society of Historians Award of Excellence (military history) 

*2016 recipient of Order of the Long Leaf Pine, (NC highest honor) for 31 years of veteran advocacy.

*2016 member of Senator Richard Burr's 9 man veteran collation team.

*Delivered Pledge of Allegiance at presidential rally for Trump.

2021 Inducted into NC Military Veterans Hall of Fame.