FROM STAFF REPORTS

Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge has announced that North Shelby resident and Alabama State Auditor Beth Chapman has been awarded the 2005 National Awards Program’s George Washington Honor Medal. &160;

The National Awards Program recognizes the exceptional efforts of individuals and organizations whose positive words or deeds promote America’s great heritage and encourage Americans to understand, to value and to speak up for the rights and unique freedoms which are theirs.

Chapman was selected for her speech given in February 2003 at a &8220;Stand Up for America Rally&8221; in Pelham.

The speech and its supporting book, &8220;The Power of Patriotism&8221; promote not only patriotism but responsible citizenship and the American way of life.

The speech and subsequent book &8220;exemplified the essence of the National Awards by promoting an understanding and appreciation for our country’s rich heritage and unique freedoms,&8221; said Aaron Siegel, president and chief executive officer of Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge, Pa.

&8220;Recipients are chosen to become part of a prestigious group of American citizens that advance the American ideal,&8221; he said. &160;

Such prestigious recipients include astronaut and senator John Glenn, Herbert Hoover, U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice Warren Burger, Gen. Omar Bradley and actor John Wayne.

Chapman authored and presented the four-minute speech which had a global impact as it traveled via air waves, newspapers and the Internet. It was read aboard aircraft carriers, in the Pentagon and on battlefields by U.S. troops. &160;

Her book, &8220;The Power of Patriotism,&8221; tells the story of how the speech occurred and the overwhelming response it received across the globe. Details of the speech and book can be found at www.BethChapman.com.

&8220;I am deeply honored to receive this national award, and do so on behalf of members (past and present) of the Alabama National Guard and all branches of the United States military. &160;

&8220;They are the ones who truly deserve honor,&8221; Chapman said. &160;

Now in its 56th year, the National Awards Program has reached more than 50,000 people from all walks of life.

Freedoms Foundation, a not-for-profit organization, &160;sponsors a variety of educational and awards programs and derives support from more than 5,000 individual members as well as corporations, foundations and civic organizations from across the nation