The Cost of Freedom Foundation

Introduction

The Cost of Freedom Foundation has been a life time in the making.  It really began early in my life when I would listen to my Father tell stories about his experiences with the USAAC/5th Air Force in World War II.  Now unlike some, his stories were not about heroic deeds or even about combat at all.  Instead, he talked about how he experienced life during those years. 

To this day I remember some of his stories very well.  His story about an “old” (25 years) P-38 pilot who was an excellent flyer and leader really made an impression on me.  On returning from a mission, this pilot would approach the runway to land, then invert his plane and fly down the runway upside down, just barely above the ground.  About mid way down he would climb straight up and do rolls as he climbed.  One day he left on a mission and never returned.  He was never found. 

I especially remember one story he told as it had a direct impact on my life.  He said that one day while standing in line waiting for a transport plane to take his outfit to another island, a buddy tapped him on the shoulder and said there were donuts and coffee back at the hut.  So they got out of line thinking they could get back in plenty of time.  As fate would have it they did not so they stood there watching that DC-3 takeoff without them.  The next thing they knew, the plane rolled over on takeoff and crashed, bursting into flames, killing everyone on board.  That story hit home then and still does even today.

After he passed away, I realized that millions of Veterans like him were gone and that their stories would never be told.  So I decided I wanted to do something to collect and preserve these experiences.  My motivation was that I honestly believed, now more than ever, that these stories are a vital part of our country’s history.  They form a living monument to the countless personal sacrifices made in defense of our freedom; something I fear is taken for granted far too often by far too many Americans.

This led me to start a web site originally called “A Tribute To Veterans”.  I started this in 2000 in a very small way.  Shortly thereafter, I mentioned the site to my next door neighbor who is a WWII Veteran who served with the 8th AF/91st Bomb Group.  Since that day we have worked together interviewing Veterans and posting their stories on our website. 

After the events of 9-11 I felt an even stronger need to express my appreciation for our Veterans, so I changed the name to Cost of Freedom.  The site continued to grow and has even been #1 on Google ahead of Fox news, a fact of which I am proud. (As of this writing it is #2 which is still quite rewarding) The site is focused on our Veterans and their contributions to America.  We have never had advertising and do not intend to ever have any.  Our goal is and will always be to try to give something back to our Veterans in appreciation of what they have done and continue to do. 

Many talk about the Americans who lived through WWII as the Greatest Generation.  While I have no wish to diminish that honor, I would add that every Veteran who has served our country can claim that same honor, including those serving today.  So let us always remember that FREEDOM Is Not FREE and be thankful for those who have paid the price for our freedom.

Expansion of our Mission

Many adults of my age group, baby boomers, remember how school was back in the 50’s.  We focused on the 3-Rs (“reading”, “riting” and “rithmetic”) and discipline was strict.  As a result we learned not only the book knowledge but also respect.  As our education continued into high school and college, history was a core subject dealing to a large extent with our American heritage.  After graduating from college, I continued to read books of all kinds.  For the last 10-15 years it seems more and more of my reading is about our American heritage again.  The difference is I am now searching out this history as I recognize the importance of knowing the forces that shaped America and Americans into the country and people that we are today.  Everyone knows Americans are not perfect and mistakes were made at times in our history.  But honesty requires that we acknowledge that as men and women, all of us have failings and all of us make mistakes.  Part of what has made America great is that we have historically learned from our mistakes and have continually aimed to improve our country.  I would say that overall we have done a great job, though I know there is much we still have to learn.

While flying on a business trip, I was pleased to sit next to a young Airman.  We talked about his goals which were admirable.  At one point I mentioned a famous WWII outfit called the Flying Tigers.  I was very surprised to hear that this Airman did not even know who they were.  It occurred to me that our educational system was failing if this historically significant group was not even known by someone in the Air Force.

What I decided to do was to expand our effort to include an educational component.  This would compliment our original mission and hopefully provide a much needed service which is to teach our younger generations the real history of our country, focusing on the 20th century.  What remained was a vehicle that would make this educational effort come to life so all generations could relate to our history.

The answer was really in front of me all my life.  Having grown up around a Veteran (my father) who served in what is now the Air Force, and having always had a love of flying, I decided to accomplish this educational goal by building a non-profit foundation focused on our Veterans and their experiences.  What better way to do that than to own, exhibit, and fly a WWII airplane.  So we are setting up a non-profit foundation as a permanent vehicle to accomplish the following goals:

1. To provide treatment for Veterans coping with PTSD; and

2. Provide support for their families; and

3. To educate present and future generations about our Freedoms, how they were obtained, and how they
    are maintained.

I therefore decided to merge our original website into a new entity called The Cost of Freedom Foundation.  The Foundation seeks donations to support all of our activities, both existing and future.  Be sure to visit the link "Give Back" which offers ways you can contribute to our Mission as well as to others we believe are worthy of your support.

In the future, we intend to purchase, restore, and exhibit a World War II airplane.  This activity will be one way to effectively bring to life a critical part of our history where young boys risked and too often lost their lives in service of their country.  We plan to have the plane available for viewing daily, plus we will take it to air shows when possible.  In conjunction with this plan, we will have the stories of the Veterans who flew these planes at every event.  Our intent is to have Veterans presented by volunteers to our visitors.  To the extent possible, the volunteers will be Veterans who actually flew these planes.  As the remaining WWII Veterans pass on, Veterans of later eras will continue this effort thereby keeping our history real by hearing it directly from those who lived it. 

Looking back over the years, I can now see that my entire life has led me to this point.  This Foundation can hopefully be a legacy that will continue for many years so that all Americans will always remember that if it were not for the sacrifices of our Veterans, it is highly likely that none of us would have any freedom whatsoever.  All of us at The Cost Of Freedom Foundation hope you will join us in this effort so together we can do our part to insure that Americans never forget that “Freedom is not Free!”

Respectfully,

Mike Traweek

Executive Director

We must never forget that FREEDOM is not FREE!

The Cost of Freedom Foundation has recently received non-profit status from the State of Texas.  We are currently seeking 501(c)3 status from the IRS which should occur soon.  Meanwhile, it is my understanding that donations to us are tax deductible plus we have associated ourselves with other non-profits so you have several options in terms of ways you can "Give Back" to our active duty Military, to our Veterans, and to their families who quietly bear much of the burden and sacrifices made for our Nation.