ST. LOUIS – Every month on FOX 2, we give out our Proud to Serve award, a salute to our local 1st responders, military, and veterans. Rebecca Tallman is our recipient this month. Rebecca served 20 years in the U.S. Air Force working as a communications and navigation specialist for aircraft. Her military service took her to England and Germany on several deployments. She learned throughout her time in the military of all the years of service of those in her family. She had grandparents who served during Vietnam, and a great grandfather who was a WWII veteran. Today, she is married to a 30-year veteran of the Air Force and her stepson is a Marine currently serving in Japan.
When it was Rebecca’s time to retire, she wanted to transfer her skills to a civilian workforce to help her fellow Veterans. Her husband had a job opportunity in the St. Louis Area. That’s where The Veterans Community Project became her match. Its mission is to provide housing to those who took the oath to serve America. The VCP project has shown incredible results in Kansas City, Sioux Falls, Colorado, and Oklahoma City. They broke ground in St. Louis in September 2021 in the Jeff Vander Lou Neighborhood and expect to have 50 tiny homes built within a year. Each tiny house provides everything a Veteran needs to live with dignity and security; new furniture, appliances, housewares, bedding, personal items, and utilities – free of charge. The organization is privately funded and accepts donations from individuals and corporations to continue their work.
Rebecca was nominated by her husband who told us:
Rebecca retired from the Air Force after 20 years of service and continues to serve by working with Veterans Community Project building a village of transitional housing for homeless veterans in St. Louis.
Rebecca says she absolutely loves her job. It’s what earned her $500 from Brown & Brown Law Firm and our Proud to Serve Award.
If you would like to nominate a 1st responder, military, or veteran for our Proud to Serve, click here.
