Col. Rick Kiernan, US Army, Ret.

In the fall of 1990, when Letters From the Front was little more than a germ of an idea, I contacted the Pentagon and requested permission to write military personnel stationed in the Persian Gulf and ask them to send us letters describing their experiences and feelings.  Within a few days I received a call from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia from Col. Rick Kiernan, Chief of Command Information. The Pentagon had FAXed him my letter and he responded in that wonderful, cheerful voice that was so familiar to many of Washington's top journalists (who refer to him as Col. "K"): "I think it's a great idea!  What can I do to help?"

From that time on, Rick Kiernan has been an unfailing supporter of Letters From the Front.  It was actually Rick's idea to bring our show to military installations.  When he returned to the states, he assisted us in obtaining the information we needed to move forward and when he couldn't do that, he pointed us in the right direction. 

Helping others accomplish their goals is what Rick Kiernan is all about.  He firmly believes that God-given talents are to be shared with others.  In a letter to me he said, "I enjoy helping people.  I have tried to mentor young people, hoping they too will remember Col. Kiernan, and when they are successful, reach back and help others."

Educated at Harvard and VMI, Rick was director of Public Information and Press Operations for the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta.  He led the U.S. media delegation to the former Soviet Union in 1991, and was Media Coordinator for the Persian Gulf.  He was Managing Editor of three weekly newspapers in South Carolina, Alaska, and North Carolina.  He was also Editor-in-Chief of Infantry Magazine, the oldest military journal in the U.S. Army, and he designed a broadcast network in the Pacific Rim, linking Hawaii, Alaska and Japan.  He is the author of an annotated bibliography tracing the first amendment and censorship. 

From the beginning, Rick has seen the big picture for Letters From the Front.  His unshakable belief in the project bolstered our resolve at times when our objective seemed to far exceed our reach.  A Vietnam Vet with a distinguished service record, Rick is the embodiment of "an officer and a gentleman," and we feel fortunate to count him as our friend.

-- Marsha Roberts, Producer