Fundraiser for Hometown Hero: Dustin Heard
Our Hometown Hero Dustin Heard is energetically rebuilding his life, reacquainting himself with his children, Hannah Kylie and Quinn, and looking forward to repaying the kindness he received on his journey to freedom.
At Dustin’s direction, his aunt, Leatha Hirsch, set up two accounts that will help him get on his feet, settle legal bills, and pursue his goal of helping warfighters who are caught in the criminal justice system.
Dustin has established a nonprofit organization called Raven 23 Defenders of Liberty, and has designated Leatha, his cousin James Washburn and friend Kaci Creel, as administrators. The mission of Defenders of Liberty is to assist and counsel warfighters who face the same challenges Dustin and his Raven 23 teammates faced as a result of the botched Nisour Square investigation and prosecution.
“You’ve got soldiers, Marines and sailors who have been abused by the system -- if I can come in and help them … that’s my goal,” Dustin said. “If there is another contractor that falls to something that looks bad up front, if they get treated as we did, that’s my overall goal. I feel the pain of that because you’re not on active duty.”
Dustin will be raising funds for the nonprofit as soon as it receives its tax-exempt designation from the U.S. Internal Revenue Service. The funds will first go to pay legal bills, and then to his mission of helping fellow warfighters, he said.
His aunt Leatha has received inquiries from all over the country from overjoyed supporters asking how to help the Raven 23 men and their mission of freeing other veterans who were wrongfully imprisoned for battlefield incidents.
Leatha also is managing an InterBank account to help Dustin establish a new home, acquire transportation and meet his daily needs as he starts this new chapter in his life. Dustin and his family want to thank everyone who has donated to the InterBank account and his GoFundMe page. The GoFundMe account can be accessed at https://www.go fundme.com/f/welcoming-dust-in-home or by scanning the QR code below.
Donors can also send checks directly to the InterBank account, made out to “Leatha Tatum Hirsh, FBO (‘for benefit of ’) Dustin Heard,” InterBank, PO Box 457, Olney, TX 76374.
Inquiries about the Defenders of Liberty account should be made to Leatha Hirsch at leatha.hirsch@gmail.com. The IRS is expected to grant tax-exempt status imminently.
Dustin and Texas Rep. Drew Springer plan to host a fundraiser in Springer’s district later this year but details have not yet been finalized.
Gina Keating is a freelance journalist, podcaster and filmmaker and formerly a correspondent for three international wire services.