Local Group Honors Community’s Heroes

Greg Wilson/Anderson Observer

A local veteran has channeled a family history of service into a nonprofit organization, Honors for Heroes, dedicated to memorializing military members and other public servants.

Matthew Hilley, an Iraq War veteran, founded the organization in Anderson to provide recognition and support for what he calls the community's "heroes," including firefighters, police officers, and EMS personnel. The mission is rooted in a personal quest to honor his great-uncle, First Sergeant James Hilley, a soldier in the 10th Mountain Division who was lost in Italy during World War II.

The organization has since expanded its mission to inspire new generations while supporting the community. Among its notable projects, Honors for Heroes successfully advocated for the naming of the 1SG James Hilley Memorial Highway, a highway dedicated to Hilley's great-uncle. The group has also been active in broader community initiatives, assisting with charitable causes such as donating food to the Anderson Emergency Kitchen and partnering with Area 14 Special Olympics.

Honors for Heroes also helped organize a special screening of "The Lost Mountaineers," a documentary chronicling the 10th Mountain Division's WWII campaign in Italy. The group uses a variety of local events, like charity nights at local businesses, to raise funds and awareness for its mission.