When we head to a race track it is usually to see our hero’s. Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, Carl Edwards, Dale Earnhardt, Jr or some up and coming new and exciting driver.

This time i found an unexpected and unusual Hero when I was taking photos of Kurt Busch in the Garage yesterday.

I was taking pictures of Patricia Driscoll, Kurt Busch’s girlfriend. A lovely lady who is the owner of a Security company in Maryland and the president of the Armed Forces Foundation. As i listened to the interview, a lovely young lady was introduced and i also snapped her picture for the story. It was a story that nearly brought me to tears.

I am also an Army Veteran. I served 7 plus years in the top Special Forces unit for the Army and was decorated several times. The lady was Nikki Altmann. She is the Widow of SSG Joseph Altmann, who was killed on Christmas Day. She is a flight attendant for an airline that ferries soldiers to the combat areas. She was notified by the military in her hotel room on a trip of her husband’s death. Nikki said that Joe had volunteered for another 4 years to get to his 10 years of service and she fully supported him because he felt he was making a difference and ti was important for our country.

Patricia Driscoll and Kurt Busch are using Nascar to help Nikki help other families of our fallen soldiers cope with the loss and myriad of paperwork associated with benefits a widow faces with the military.

I aways knew that Kurt Busch could really drive a race car. Today he will have the name of SSG Joseph Altmann on his car and I have a new hero.

Her name is Nikki Altmann and she is facing a tougher enemy than i ever did. I salute you Nikki and i am sure that all the military families you, Patricia and Kurt are helping salute you too.