Spirit of America 2013 nominee: Ross E. Gartman

Nominated by Jackson Rotary Club

If you would ask Ross what he is most proud of, he would say his wife and children. Ross was a graduate of Central High School with a patriotic heart. He joined the military wanting to serve his country. Well, he got his wish.

Ross served for 16 years in the Missouri Army National Guard with two tours of combat. The first in Desert Storm and the second during Operation Iraqi freedom. In his time in the military Ross got to travel and help our country along with other nations as well. He went to the country of Panama and built bridges, schools and repaired churches. He traveled to Alaska and helped to construct a road and will say the most fun he had was pulling security at the Olympics in Utah.

If you would ask him about one of his worse days, it would be the day Brad Skelton was killed by an IED in Iraq. Brad was a good friend to Ross and his story is one in itself. When Ross lost his good friend, he set a goal to honor that friend. Heroes Way was created. Heroes Way helps to raise money to erect highway memorial signs for soldiers killed in combat. Not in Washington, D.C., or Jefferson City, Mo., but in the soldier's hometown. Since 2008, Ross and the Heroes Way board have put on events to raise money to erect signs for fallen soldiers. Missouri has more than a hundred soldiers killed in combat, and Ross believes more than 20 signs have been erected. He said he will continue to work until all soldiers are remembered.

That's not all about Ross. He is also a children's minister at Lighthouse Church in Dexter. So on Wednesday and Sunday Ross is helping to minister to our children, a job he says is not getting done at home enough.

He has a quote that he uses when he speaks that says, "Two individuals have freely died for you: Jesus and the American soldier. The first died for your salvation, the other for your freedom."

Now that's the Spirit of America.

Selfless Service.

Community involvement:

* Lighthouse Christian Center, Dexter, Mo.; president

* Heroes Way.