User:Exercisetigerassn/Exercise Tiger Association, National Commemorative Foundation

Exercise Tiger Association, National Commemorative Foundation
The Exercise Tiger Association, National Commemorative Foundation is a premier awards honoring organization. The privately funded foundation is one of the United States leading non-profits that provides free awards for our nations veterans, military, students, educators and others deserving recognition. The "Tiger" Foundation is named after the WW II pre-D-Day battle of "Exercise Tiger". The foundation provides over 35 seperate award categories to honor students to doctors. Founded in 1989 the organization is recognized by the Dept. of Defense, Naval Historical Center, Secretary of The Navy, US Coast Guard & Members of US Congress.

It has two primary offices. The national office located in Beach Haven NJ and the regional office in Columbia Missouri. Walter Domanski is the National Executive Director, Chief of Staff. Susan Haines is the Associate National Director, Deputy Chief of Staff.

Mission
The Exercise Tiger Foundation has a number of aims. The guiding principle is to honor the men and memory of "Exercise Tiger" by honoring our nations military, veterans, educators, students, and citizens with awards and medals today. Since 1989 the organization has given out over 1000 awards to veterans of WW II. Additionally, veterans of Korea, Vietnam, Bosnia, Gulf War,Iraq,Afghanistan have been honored each year. In all over 500 active military have been presented with awards. Awards for all other categories top 1000. It is the stated aim that the "Tiger" Foundation, the association that honors an overlooked battle of WW II, is the most likely organization to provide awards to those overlooked today.

Programs: Awards & Honors Program, Annual National Commemorations and Ceremonies, The National "Adopt A Serviceman Program", The Exercise Tiger Army & Navy Memorial, Missouri, Hiway & Bridge naming, Educational Initiatives, Grants For Education, Journalism, Fire/EMS, Public Policy, Operation Tabby, Order of The Blue Tiger Medal, Lifejacket/PFD Program

History of Tiger
During the last week of April 1944 in WW II, a large scale dress rehersal for the upcoming June 6th D-Day landings was being conducted off the coast of England. The area chosen had similar beaches to Normandy in France. All was basically going as planned until the early morning hours of April 28th. An LST ( Landing Ship Tank )Task Force consisting of 8 LST's and a lone British escort corvette was traveling in the English Channel in preparation for an early morning landing.Then, German Naval "E" Boats attacked without warning. In less than an hour three (3) LST's were either sunk or crippled. Between 700 and 900 US soldiers and sailors were dead. The remaining LST's continued to fight. The lone UK escort was not able to provide any assistance to the US Navy Task Force. The code name of the exercise was "Tiger". No US Navy destroyers or escorts were with the slow lumbering troop ships. The fight that the LST's put up was one which should have made instant naval history. But due to the secrecy of the planned D-Day invasion, it was kept secret. In 1984, at the urging of the "Tiger" Foundation, both the Secretary of The Navy and President Bill Clinton declared this part of "Tiger" as the battle of Tiger. It remains as the only battle between US Navy troop ships and an enemy force of superior strength. The heroism and dedication of US Navy sailors was one of epic proportions. By dawn, those LST's that had not sunk completed thier mission and landed thier troops along the Devon coast.From adversity came triumph.

Historic Tiger Assn. Firsts
1989 First US Ceremony officially recognizing Exercise Tiger, VFW Post 3729 LBI NJ

1989 First USCG Wreath Tribute at Sea, Atlantic Ocean off LBI

1993 First Ceremony at a US Naval Base, Philadelphia PA. On the USS Wisconsin

1994 First USAF Flyover, 177th FW, National Ceremony at Phila Naval Base, on the USS Iwo Jima

1994 First Presidential Remarks on "Tiger", President Bill Clinton

1995 First Ceremony in history held on a US Navy LST, USS LaMoure County LST 1194

1999 First Hiway dedicated to Exercise Tiger and WW II, Missouri

2000 First State Memorial built to honor Tiger, Mexico MO.

2001 First Honors for Sept 11 participants, Adopt A Serviceman Program,

2006 First USCG Two (2) Ocean simultaneous wreath laying,Atlantic Ocean off NJ, Pacific Ocean off Calif.