Claremore Teen Starts Project To Help Veterans' Families

A Rogers County teenager spent this Veteran's Day not only supporting our troops, but their families.

Amid the waving red, white and blue and the fluttering military insignias stands a young man who's striving to achieve a goal that would make a father proud.

Conner Outlaw, 17, is well on his way to becoming an Eagle Scout. And when he needed a service project to get that elusive badge, this immediately came to mind.

"I was looking at all other Eagle scout projects and no one really does donations. And I looked at who impacts our community and Bravo company really does impact our community quite a bit," Conner said.

Conner wrote up a flyer, drafted his fellow scouts, and posted up outside this Claremore Reasor's.

Every bag of groceries and roll of bills gets him closer to providing a few meals for families from the 45th who are missing a loved one.

It hits close to home because Conner knows what it's like to see that empty chair at the end of the dinner table.

"My father is in Bravo Company. He's currently deployed in Afghanistan," he said.

Staff Sergeant Dan Outlaw is on his second deployment with the 45th.

"I was like, 'oh no, not again.' But I've been through this before. And stay strong," he said.

His pitch touched soldiers who've long hung up the uniform. Brandi Ivie retired from the Army nine years ago.

"I actually served in the military myself and my uncle and my grandfather and three of my brothers all serve. And I just think it's very important to show our support," Ivie said.

On this Veteran's Day this aspiring "Eagle" just hopes and prays his hero will make it home...safe and sound.

"He said I'll be there whenever you get Eagle. And I'm very proud of you," Conner said.

Conner Outlaw calls his food drive a success -- they had to bring in a second truck to haul away all the food.