corpus christi (kiiinews) — On August 8, 2012, Florent was on his second deployment to Afghanistan when he made a split-second decision that prevented greater catastrophe and changed his life forever. His selfless display of courage in tackling a suicide bomber while protecting a command team on that fateful day earned him the Medal of Honor, and the distinction as the 10th living American to receive the nation's top award for valor in combat since the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. Today, as director of veterans outreach at Boeing and LinkedIn's veterans program spokesperson, he is a powerful and prominent advocate for veterans' issues.
"The Salute to the Military event provides the opportunity to support our local military installations and the active duty military personnel, veterans and their families that call our community home," says Cleofas Rodriguez, Jr., United Corpus Christi Chamber of Commerce President & CEO. "This event also enables us to publicly recognize the collaborative efforts made by our community business leaders, elected officials and military leaders as we work together to strengthen the military environment in South Texas."
Salute to the Military event sponsors include: Presenting- Walmart; Gold- Mike Shaw Kia / Mike Shaw Toyota; Military Table Sponsor- Unique HR; Silver- First Community Bank; AG/CM, Inc.; American Bank; Flint Hills Resources; Security Service Federal Credit Union; and Spectra at the Ortiz Center. To view a list of all event sponsors, please visit here.
Tickets ($75 chamber members/ $85 non-members) and tables ($800 chamber members/ $850 non-members) may be purchased online at unitedcorpuschristichamber.com or by calling the United Corpus Christi Chamber of Commerce at (361) 881-1800. A limited number of tickets remain available for purchase; this event is expected to sell out.