San Marcos Record, San Marcos, TX

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  • Eagle Scout Justin Brundin, 18, was chosen as the 2009 Texas VFW Eagle Scout of the Year after hosting three blood drives benefiting U.S. soldiers. He is sponsored by VFW Post 3413 and a member of Troop 215. (Photo by Ashley Landis) Ashley Landis

    Eagle Scout
May 31, 2009

Top Scout giving back

By Ashley Landis

Justin Brundin found a way to serve his country before he was even allowed to vote.

At 15-years-old, Brundin organized a week-long blood drive for troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.

And then he did it again. And again.

“I was looking for an Eagle Scout project at the time. I really wanted to do something I’d be passionate about,” said Brundin.

In 2005 he noticed a shortage in blood supply for troops in combat, and since his father was in the Army, the statistics hit close to home.

“My dad had been deployed to Iraq, it was his first time. It was a totally new experience for me. My dad had been deployed before, but never to a combat zone,” he said.

Brundin saw a pamphlet about a soldier named Specialist Gray who required about 400 transfusions before he survived.

“They had to get soldiers straight off the battle field to donate blood, and you know how dizzy you get after donating blood. Then they had to go out and fight,” he said. “When I read about that, I thought about my dad and my friends’ parents that were serving overseas. I just wanted to help out as many people as possible, that way as many people could come home as possible.”

While doing research for the drive, Brundin realized that troops had the most blood shortage in the fall months.

“I did most of mine in the fall because you tended to see a spike of violence of insurgency in the fall months, especially in November December, so I did mine in late September,” he said. “I wanted to get those donations in, processed and out to the battle fields before the spikes usually came.”

He hosted the blood drive at the Robertson Blood Center in Fort Hood and over 200 people donated.

“I had a week-long blood drive, the largest post-911 blood drive at the time. It was pretty awesome,” Brundin said.

The project earned him the title of Eagle Scout, but he didn’t stop there.

“It spread from there and it was something that I was really passionate about,” said Brundin, now 18 and a senior at San Marcos High School.

His father, who was home for the drive, left for a second tour when Brundin decided to keep the blood drives going.

“I left a year later to go back to Iraq again and he was working on his second annual blood drive and his third annual after that, so he just decided to keep on going,” said Alec Brundin, Justin’s father, who is now retired from the Army.

The second drive brought 124 donations in two days.

“I’m very proud, he’s shown a lot of initiative and taken a lot of challenges on his shoulders starting at a very young age,” he added.

Brundin’s efforts recently earned him the title of 2009 Texas VFW Eagle Scout of the Year and he will compete for a scholarship at the national level.

He will be majoring in geology at Sul Ross University this fall. He originally wanted to join the military, but a soccer injury has disqualified him.

Brundin said he might join the Coast Guard or serve with the United States Geological Service.

“I think just service to the country is important in any means possible,” said Brundin. “If it’s not possible for you to go in to the military, just find a way to give back to your country. I think it’s really important.”







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