The Green Bay Packers and Network Health paid special tribute to U.S. Air Force veterans Kendall and Harrison Anderson during Sunday afternoon's game against the Detroit Lions for 'Operation Fan Mail.'
This year marks the 18th season of Operation Fan Mail, the program that recognizes military families and veterans at each Packers home game.
Kendall and Harrison met while serving as U.S. Air Force medics at Ramstein Air Base in Germany. As part of the en route patient staging team, Harrison cared for critically injured soldiers evacuated from various combat zones in the Middle East and Africa, ensuring the wounded warriors received the urgent treatment they needed before being transferred to larger medical facilities. Kendall served as a liaison officer, coordinating wounded warriors' care and ensuring they were stabilized before continuing their journey to the United States for ongoing medical attention. She also served as a surgical technician, caring for service members and civilians in need of critical surgeries after sustaining injuries in combat and non-combat zones.
In August 2021, together, they played vital roles Operation Allies Refuge, taking care of injured U.S. service members and Afghan civilians brought to Germany after being evacuated from Afghanistan's capital city of Kabul.
Watching Packers games while serving overseas was a source of comfort for the Andersons, as it proved a sense of home and normalcy amidst the challenges they faced. Talking about the love for their favorite NFL teams was also a way for the pair to bond and connect with patients.
Kendall and Harrison completed their service obligations in 2023 after serving six and seven years respectively. Lifelong Packers fans, Harrison, a native of Baltic, S.D., and Kendall, a native of Green Bay, now reside in Milwaukee, Wis. They were accompanied to Sunday's game by Kendall's mom, Alison, and Harrison's dad, Tyson. Kendall's great-grandfather, the late Judge Robert J. Parins, was the Packers' first full-time president, serving from 1982-89.
Operation Fan Mail, which debuted in 2007, is designed to honor those who are on active duty or are veterans of the military, along with their families. In addition to being recognized on the video boards prior to the game, selected families will receive four tickets to the game, courtesy of Network Health. The Packers and Network Health will host a family at each 2024 home game and recognize them on the field during pregame activities. A total of 212 families have been saluted during the past 17 seasons.
To choose families, the Packers and Network Health are asking interested families, or friends of eligible families, to submit an essay, 500 words or less, on why a particular fan should be saluted this season.
Essays can be sent to Operation Fan Mail, P.O. Box 10628, Green Bay, WI, 54307-0628 or online at packers.com/Lambeau-field/operation-fan-mail. Families intended for recognition are those that have a member of their family serving on active duty, or a member of their family who is a veteran. The family member can be a spouse, mother, father, son, daughter or sibling.
