Full Cotton T-Shirt

Take Pride. In the current climate of our divided nation, that beautiful and simple phrase is full of meaning. Patrick Gray and John Betz chose those words as the name of their T-shirt manufacturing company from which they offer nine images that honor American soldiers fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan. Carefully constructed not as a political statement but as a show of support for the individuals who are sacrificing so much, the T-shirts tell the stories of servicemen and servicewomen in their own words, with pictures representing a specific moment from their personal experiences on the front lines.

"We wanted a way to show our support of the men and women who are giving so much every day, without choosing sides or making a statement about the larger issues of the wars," said Gray.

To that end, he and Betz, a former Marine, collected journal entries, diary passages and quotes from soldiers that in a very moving way serve to bring the big picture down to a more intimate size. On the website, where you can purchase a T-shirt for $22, there is a bio and background accompanying each design, so that the wearer knows in detail the inspiration behind it.

"Operation Phantom Fury" depicts a pilot and three fighter jets detailed in charcoal on a navy blue background. The design was inspired by Mike Bridges, a Marine who was part of the air cover that supported ground fighters who reclaimed Fallujah during some of the fiercest fighting in the war to date. A very personal viewpoint of a very public moment in the world's history, the words of victory read "Fallujah 2004." It is full of energy and movement and in it I can see the beauty of flying as well as the dangerous power of the aircraft.

The "American GI" shirt was inspired by similarly-wrought images from WWII, which, according to the website, "gave a face to America's greatest generation." It shows Matt McClennan, a Marine described as a "tattooed, serial rule-breaker." This image, to me, highlights the toughness that we expect, that we barely consider, that we take for granted in our soldiers.

The newest design is an asphalt grey T-shirt that carries the image of US Infantry Captain Mike Keilty shaking hands with a young Iraqi boy. The words below read "The Spirit Abides." To me, this moment in time underscores the complexity of the mission of our soldiers, and the extraordinary humanitarian situation in which they find themselves.

And that is the point. Not only do the soldiers share some of their most evocative memories, but those of us who are fortunate to receive them via the artistry of Take Pride will have our own interpretations and bring our own meanings to the images, in the same way we might react to any art.

In fact, it is the appeal to younger generations that makes takepride.com such a success. The T-shirts are accessible, well-designed and look cool. They bring forth awareness without solemnity and offer a modern way to stand in solidarity with our military, minus a cumbersome discussion of "for or against" the wars.

Gray is eloquent and passionate in speaking about the mission of his company, and the stories he shared with me gave me goosebumps. As emotional as I am about war in general, I don't have any personal connection to anyone who is fighting for our country right now. But I feel that takepride.com brought me very close to our military heroes and in spite of my anti-war stance, I am currently deciding which T-shirt I will wear.

Take a moment and click on takepride.com to see the selection and read the stories. The hand-screened t-shirts are all cotton, and each has the Take Pride logo on the back. Plans are underway to sell the shirts in retail locations, and twenty percent of the sales proceeds go to military-related charities.

-Robin Feman

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