Our Heroes' Tree

Our Heroes' Tree shines a light on the service and sacrifice of military members and military-connected families. The themes of REFLECT, REMEMBER, REJOICE resonate with participants of all ages. Read the e-book as part of your event!

Our Heroes' Tree honors the service and sacrifice of military members and military-connected families, past and present. Artist Chandler Dudley, making her professional debut, brings Our Heroes' Tree to life. Weaving a range of emotion into her artwork, Chandler creatively and lovingly captures the themes of Our Heroes' Tree: REFLECT, REMEMBER, REJOICE. Following its inaugural debut in 2005, Our Heroes' Tree, co-founded by Stephanie Pickup and Marlene Lee, has taken root in communities across the country and around the world. The growth of Our Heroes' Tree cultivates a national forest of respect, featuring generations of history and relationships on every tree. Our Heroes' Tree also raises awareness of community resources for Veterans and military spouses. People of all ages enjoy decorating Our Heroes' Tree. Reading the poem for Our Heroes' Tree is a great way to kick-off your event or share it as a gift with participants.

Brought together by a love of God and country and respect for the military, Marlene Lee and Stephanie Pickup created Our Heroes' Tree in 2005 by blending the themes of their respective books, The Hero in My Pocket (Lee) and The Soldier's Tree (Pickup). Inspired by eight years of volunteer work with injured soldiers and their family members at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Marlene wrote The Hero in My Pocket to help give a voice to children (ages 6-12 years) affected by the loss of a service member. Holding a master’s degree in Thanatology (death, dying, and bereavement studies), Marlene has contributed content and program development to many initiatives which help children, families, and Veterans. Marlene also co-authored That’s My Hope, a story of inspiration and resilience for families touched by trauma, illness, or injury. A writer and mother of four, Stephanie helped her children through her husband’s two Army deployments overseas during the holidays. She also led an Army Family Readiness Group for more than two years. Inspired by these military family experiences, Stephanie wrote and illustrated the charming story of The Soldier's Tree, which comforts and encourages young children whose loved one is deployed during holiday time. On any given day Stephanie can be heard as the "voice" of Our Heroes' Tree on Twitter, Pinterest, Facebook, the radio, in classrooms, and soon, her very own Blog. A self-described former “military brat,” Chandler attended several elementary schools when her family moved with her dad's Army career. After graduating from Sullivan High School, Sullivan, Missouri, in 2012, Chandler entered the Kansas City Art Institute on scholarship. Chandler enjoys working in a multitude of art forms, including watercolors and pencil. She won many local, regional, and state awards for her artwork, including second place in the Missouri VFW Patriotic Art contest for “Our Father, My Brother’s Hero” which is featured in this e-book. Our Heroes' Tree marks Chandler’s professional debut -- Congratulations, Chandler!