Thin Blue Line Shields of Strength brighten Baton Rouge in shooting's wake

BATON ROUGE, La., Oct. 19, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- This week, a national water-ski jump champion from Texas and a retired Army colonel from Georgia partnered to honor the Baton Rouge law enforcement agencies that lost officers, and the families of the fallen, in the July 17 shooting in Baton Rouge.

The Georgia-based nonprofit, Point 27, sponsored the gift of 1,650 Thin Blue Line silver scripture-inscribed Shields of Strength to the Baton Rouge Police Department and the East Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office on Tuesday, October 18.

Point 27 also gave Folded Flag Necklaces for the family members of the fallen officers and deputy.

Kenny Vaughan, founder of the Beaumont-based company Shields of Strength, made the presentation at the Baton Rouge Police Station on behalf of U.S. Army Col. (Ret.) David Dodd, director of Point 27.

The Thin Blue Line dog tags feature an American Flag on the front with one of the stripes a bright metallic blue line. The back of the dog tag is engraved with Matthew 5:9, "Blessed are the peacekeepers, for they will be called children of God."

The Folded Flag Necklaces are engraved with John 15:13: "Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends."  

Vaughan said his company designed the custom Thin Blue Line Shields of Strength in 2015. "We could have never imagined the attacks on police across the nation that would come in the months that have followed."  

In a letter, which Vaughan read Tuesday, Dodd thanked the Baton Rouge officers and deputies "for their leadership, courage and perseverance in the face of great adversity."

Vaughan says, in 1996, his faith finally trumped his fear when he won the national water-ski jump championship. Later, he had the scriptures that were written on his ski-tow rope handles engraved on dog tags.

He founded Shields of Strength in 1998.

Dodd commanded one of the first battalions deployed to Afghanistan following 9/11, equipping each of the soldiers in his command with a Shield of Strength. After his retirement, Dodd founded Point 27 with a mission to share God's word with members of the military, veterans and first responders and others.

In August, Point 27 with Shields of Strength honored the Dallas Police Department and families of the fallen officers from the July 7 police shooting in Dallas.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT MARCIA DAVIS 972-834-5898; [email protected]

SOURCE Shields of Strength