Every single item from the blue recycle bin and recycle dumpster ends up at Fort Cavazos Recycle. Daily, hundreds of pounds of paper, cardboard, metal cans and plastics are shuttled onto conveyor belts, picked up by team members and sorted into chutes. With the goal of diverting recyclables from the landfill and earning revenue to support Soldier and family community events, recycling is green on both ends — environmentally and economically.
However, since dangerous and hazardous items, like batteries, live ammunition, gas cans and needles, can be found, recycle team members must be alert and consistently monitor the conveyor belt to pull out trash and potentially harmful contaminants. While being vigilant, Raul Negron, a material handler and sorter for Fort Cavazos Recycle, spotted a lost treasure that caught his eye — a Purple Heart medal.
“I saw the medal and picked it up,” Negron said. “When my shift ended, I took it home and Googled to check all the aspects of a Purple Heart. I realized it was real, and the next day I gave it to another team member to post on our Fort Cavazos Recycle Facebook page.”
The Facebook post gained traction but was unsuccessful in locating the owner. Tracey Brown-Greene, national junior vice commander of the Military Order of the Purple Heart, saw the post and reached out to Fort Cavazos Recycle to extend a helping hand.
“Someone somewhere had no idea what this medal was and put it in the recycle bin,” Brown-Greene said. “It makes me tear up because in this pile of recyclables and while everything is moving fast-paced, one of the Recycle team members saw this Purple Heart and said, ‘Somebody is missing this — their service and their sacrifice is more than just trash.’”
While visiting Fort Cavazos Recycle on March 22, Brown-Greene shared her experiences with the recycle team and the importance of goodwill, camaraderie and patriotism in honoring and supporting Purple Heart recipients.
“Through trials, tribulations and triumphs, our fellow brothers- and sisters-in-arms are committed to supporting each other through our good and bad days,” she said. “Sometimes, our minds are foggy, and we don’t want to (be) around others. But when we come together to support the community or a project, it pulls us out of the fog to keep us moving and know that we are valuable.”
Brown-Greene encouraged the recycle team to spread awareness of the Military Order of the Purple Heart’s services and resources available for Purple Heart recipients. She then recovered the Purple Heart and explained that her team will research records in an attempt to find its rightful owner or the recipient’s family. If her team is unsuccessful, the Purple Heart will continue to be honored and displayed at one of their museums.
“I commend Raul and Fort Cavazos Recycle’s actions for acknowledging the service and sacrifice of Purple Heart recipients,” she said. “For Fort Cavazos Recycle to go above and beyond the call of duty is awesome.”
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