SOLDIER AND WIFE RECIPIENTS OF FIRST SPIRIT OF PEPPER AWARD

TALLAHASSEE, FL - - Master Sergeant Dan Hendrex, an Iraq War veteran and author, and his wife Christina, were honored today at Florida State University as the recipients of the first annual Spirit of Pepper Award for their humanitarian service. The two formed a close relationship with a young Iraqi boy who became a trusted informant during the border insurgency in Iraq and was later relocated to the U.S.

"Sgt. Hendrex and his wife represent the true spirit of this award," said Monsignor William A. Kerr, Executive Director of the Claude Pepper Center. "During a trying time of war, Hendrex exemplified courage and conviction through service to his fellow troops, his country and a young boy from Iraq. While Hendrex was stationed for many long months, Christina cared for their infant daughter, supported her husband and was more than willing to welcome a young boy she didn't know into her home. Hendrex embodies the epitome of a true soldier, while Christina illustrates the equally sacrificial role the military family plays at home."

The Spirit of Pepper Award was created this year by the Claude Pepper Center at Florida State University for the purpose of recognizing outstanding members of the community who have demonstrated the same qualities and ideals of public service as the late Congressman Claude Pepper (1900-1989). Pepper, a long-time public servant who served over 40 years in Congress, believed that it was everyone's civic duty to serve in ways designed to promote a better society through humanitarian, educational, and social services and military service to one's country.

"Claude Pepper was a man whose life centered on serving the people, as Sgt. Hendrex epitomized even in the midst of war," said Kerr. "Similarly, the support and strength of their wives played an integral part of both men's accomplishments and made their public service possible. Mildred Pepper was the backbone of many of Claude's endeavors, just as Christina proves day after to day to be Sgt. Hendrex's rock. Perhaps it's no coincidence that both women are FSU graduates."

Sgt. Hendrex, a native of Norman, Oklahoma, is a 13-year veteran of the U.S. Army who has served in the Gulf War, Somalia, Bosnia, Kuwait, and most recently in two tours of duty during the War in Iraq. Currently, he is assigned to Dragon Company, 1st Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, headquartered in Colorado Springs.

Hendrex is also the author of A Soldier's Promise, a critically acclaimed non-fiction work that chronicles his wartime experiences and his relationship with Jassem Hussin, the young Iraqi boy who provided invaluable information to the troops. Hendrex and other American soldiers pledge to find a way to grant Hussin, named "Steve-O" by the troops, freedom in the U.S. in exchange for his service and personal sacrifice. Thanks largely to Hendrex's efforts, Steve-O received political asylum and now lives in the United States.

In 2003, Sgt. Hendrex met Steve-O, then 13-years-old, when his unit had been dispatched to the Sunni-dominated Al Anbar region of Iraq. His tank company was assigned to guard the Iraqi-Syrian border towns of Al Qaim and Husaybah from weapons smugglers and to suppress the growing insurgency in that area. Later that year, Hussin approached American soldiers and pleaded to be arrested in exchange for providing valuable information about the insurgency. Initially soldiers were skeptical of the boy's intentions, especially after learning that the boy's father was one of the leaders of the insurgency.

But a successful raid, which resulted in weapons confiscation, led the soldiers to trust the boy. The soldiers learned that the boy wanted to help the Americans because he believed that the insurgency was pointless and would cost innocent lives. In time, Steve-O proved to be their most valuable source of intelligence for stamping out the insurgency in the area. However, Steve-O's actions came with great personal sacrifice. Both of his parents were killed and his surviving siblings were quickly relocated to Fallujah. He was left orphaned. During that time Hendrex grew close to Steve-O and he and other soldiers vowed to protect him and find a way for him to live a new life in the United States.

When Steve-O first arrived in the United States, Dan and Christina welcomed him into their home in Colorado Springs and sponsored him until he was assigned foster parents and a permanent home.

The Claude Pepper Center is located on the campus of Florida State University and was founded to preserve the personal and political legacy of Claude Pepper, a politician from Florida whose political career spanned nearly five decades in the U.S. Congress. The Claude Pepper Center, situated in the College of Social Sciences, serves as the headquarters of the Claude Pepper Foundation, Claude Pepper Library, Claude Pepper Museum, and the Pepper Institute on Aging and Public Policy. Each one of these entities serves as an important component in continuing the Pepper legacy.

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