HONOR FOR HEROES MEDIA/VIDEO COVERAGE

Come Dream with Me Prom Interview with Matthew Hilley

The 'Come Dream With Me' prom offers a magical night for the special needs community, ensuring everyone can experience the joy of a prom. Held annually, this event provides live music, games, free food, and a fun-filled dance floor. Participants enjoy a night full of energy, smiles, and lasting memories.

- Paul Brown, Anderson County, SC

Come Dream with Me Brings Crowd to Civic Center for Celebration

Matthew Hilley, the founder and president of Honor for Heroes, said his organization became involved after the event’s revival three years ago, after the pandemic interrupted it. At first, he said, the group stepped in almost by accident, helping get food to participants at the last minute. After that first post-COVID prom, he said, they decided they wanted to stay involved every year, both to ensure that the event continued and to help run it properly.

Hilley said the connection to Honor for Heroes was natural because the organization aims to recognize, support, and memorialize heroes, and he sees the special-needs community as part of that circle. He included not only the Special Olympics athletes and other participants, but also their parents and the volunteers who work behind the scenes, all of whom, he said, are heroes in their own right. The parents, he added, are “always so thankful and so appreciative,” because the prom offers something many of the participants otherwise do not get: a prom of their own.

The emotional register of the event seemed to rest on a simple but durable idea: that joy is not a luxury item, and that a prom can be more than a ritual of adolescence. Hilley said the smiles coming in through the door, met by a red carpet lined by cheering volunteers, made that clear, and that the evening carried a visible sense of relief and delight. For some of the guests, this was their one chance each year to experience the thing other teenagers take for granted. - Greg Wilson (Anderson Observer)

The Electric City News Article on The Come Dream with Me Prom and Honor for Heroes

On May 21, 2026 The Electric City News Published a great article! The Come Dream with Me Prom (CDWMP) was created by Sherry Fuller, inspired by her daughter Amanda, who loved a great party but never had the chance to attend her own prom before she passed away. The event is free for individuals with special needs and their chaperone, with preregistration required.

Honor for Heroes partnered with Area 14 South Carolina Special Olympics and taken ownership of the Prom!

Honor for Heroes Making History - Wereth 11 Remembrance Day - South Carolina

On April 2, 2026, Honor for Heroes along with award winning singer Mainetaine, a representative from The American Legion Post 14 and other citizens went to the South Carolina State House to make history! The Proclamation designating December 17th every year as Wereth 11 Remembrance Day was presented on the floor of the House Chamber! This was a major project led by Honor for Heroes! This is just another milestone in Honoring the service and sacrifice of the Wereth 11. .

Interview with Matthew Hilley by Greg Wilson with The 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. - Greg Wilson

Private Curtis Adams / Wereth 11 Memorial Service hosted by Honor for Heroes in Anderson, South Carolina

This Historical event was held on Veterans Day, 2025. Honor for Heroes partnered with the American Legion Post 14 and finally brought the story of Private Curtis Adams and the Wereth 11 into the light of day.

Wereth 11 Remembrance Day in Anderson County made OFFICIAL!

The Anderson County Council voted to make December 17th every year "Wereth 11 Remembrance Day" in Anderson County! Founder Matthew Hilley speaks at the end. November 4, 2025

Honor for Heroes | Pvt Curtis Adams - Anderson County SC - Paul Brown Interview

Honoring the memory of Private Curtis Adams and the Wereth 11, members of the all-black 333rd Field Artillery Unit who were tragically tortured and murdered during the Battle of the Bulge. Their story, once hidden, is now brought to light by Honor for Heroes. It highlights the efforts to establish a Wareth 11 Remembrance Day and seeks to commemorate these heroes with a monument and a road named in their honor.

WSPA Channel 7 News Coverage of Wereth 11 and Honor for Heroes

This News coverage and all rights belong to WSPA

Fox Carolina Coverage of Wereth 11 and Honor for Heroes

This News coverage and all rights belong to Fox Carolina

Wanda Johnson's coverage of Honor for Heroes and the Private Curtis Adams / Wereth 11 event

This News coverage and all rights belong to Wanda Johnson: South Carolina's Lady of R&B and Soul Moving Music

2025 single "Wereth 11" by award winning artist MaineTaine

Click on the artwork to lsiten to the song on Spotify

Matthew Hilley Speaking at History Colorado at the Premiere of "The Lost Mountaineers"

The Lost Mountaineers is an Independent Documentary telling the story of the DUKW tragedy on April 30, 1945.

Discovery Video of the DUKW from 2012

Discovering the DUKW wreckage! The DUKW went down on April 30, 1945 and 25 soldiers from the 10th Mountain Division lost their lives. The Soldiers of the Lake are still down there. The underwater discovery of the DUWK part starts around 4 minutes.

Fun at the Come Dream with Me Prom

The Come Dream with Me Prom is an annual event hosted and owned by Honor for Heroes for participants of all ages with intellectual and physical disabilities.

Honor for Heroes at Celebrate Anderson Jeep Extravaganza

Honor for Heroes President Matthew Hilley, recognizes The Band Silver during the Celebrate Anderson Jeep Extravaganza hosted by The Shock City Jeep Club - 2025