Tom Moran and the staff at Moran Ironworks were presented with the Department of Defense's distinguished Patriotic Award.
They were picked for supporting Staff Sergeant Matthew Cherrette while serving in Afghanistan. Tom Moran is the owner, and when Cherrette decided to serve his country, Moran jumped to help in any way.
“You just do everything that you can so that all they have to worry about when they are deployed and when they are in the battlefield is protecting our country,” Moran said. “If we do everything in our part here to minimize whatever problems pop up, all they have to do is worry about being safe and coming home.”
Moran also offered to help out Cherrette's wife and two children while he was gone. Moran contacted Cherrette's commanding officer on numerous occasions to find out what type of soldier he was so he could share that info with his fellow employees.
Moran's patriotic attitude extends beyond this act. For many years he has also been creating an annual statue to display for the public. The statues have been in the shape of former presidents, the statue of liberty, and an eagle.
