For the sixth annual Heroes Homecoming, the Communities of Cumberland County along side the Fayetteville Area Convention and Visitors Bureau (FACVB) will be welcoming three of America’s bravest men to speak about survival during combat, wartime experiences, as well as how they are now giving back to the community at large. As 2018 marks the 100 years of Armistice Day (now known as Veterans Day) as well as 100 years of Fort Bragg, the series theme will be “Centennial of Service”. In addition to the speaker series, the inaugural “Hometown Hero” Award will be presented.

General James J. Lindsay, U.S. Army Retired will receive the inaugural “Hometown Hero” Award given by the city of Fayetteville in collaboration with the Cool Spring Downtown District prior to the first speaker. This inaugural award was supported by the Cumberland County Veterans Council, ASOM, as well as the City of Fayetteville, and honors local citizen that has contributed to the development of the relationship between Fayetteville and the military. After an historic career with the 82nd Airborne Division, General Lindsay founded the Airborne & Special Operations Museum Foundation in 1990.

Attendees should prepare themselves for back to back accounts of epic proportions.

EJ Snyder will kick off the series, sharing his stories of bravery and survival during his 25 years of military service in Ranger positions, Infantry and Airborne units, as well as his time on the Discovery Channel series “Naked and Afraid”. Host of “Dual Survival”, Snyder is a North Carolina resident who is highly engaging and motivational.

Kevin Maurer, award-winning journalist and three-time New York Times Best-Selling author, will appear after Snyder to share first hand and behind the scenes accounts of many of the nations most high profile military operations. Co-author of No Easy Day: The Firsthand Account of the Mission that Killed Osama bin Laden, No Hero: The Evolution of a Navy SEAL, and American Radical: Inside the World of an Undercover Muslim FBI Agent, Maurer started his military reporting career at Fort Bragg covering 82nd Airborne Division for the Fayetteville Observer and is excited to return to Cumberland County. Maurer will also be available for book signing and photos following his appearance.

Lewis Hunt, Navy Veteran turned tattooed philanthropist, closing out the day will be. A North Carolina native, Hunt started the nonprofit organization Operation Tattooing Freedom (OTF), dedicated to encouraging Veterans to have conversations with other vets regarding their past experiences. Hunt will share his own struggles with re-entering civilian life and how Vet2Vet Tattoo Sessions have helped him and other veterans begin to cope.

For more information on Heroes Homecoming and a full list of events, visit www.HeroesHomecoming.com. Follow along with the celebration on Facebook and Twitter.