While it is widely known that self-made pharma billionaire Stewart Rahr has dedicated his life to “giving back” with his single-minded devotion to a broad list of “favorite” charities, in recent years he has been drawn to the work of Phil and Lisa Taylor and The American Fallen Soldiers Project.

 Rahr was honored during an American Fallen Soldiers special screening of the short film The House of Drum that documents the dedication of artist Phil Taylor as he creates beautiful portraits of patriotism that pay tribute to and memorialize America’s fallen servicemen and women.

 SSG Christian P. Engeldrum was killed in action on November 29, 2004 while participating in Operation Iraqi Freedom. The House of Drum tells the story of Chris and the solemn journey of Phil and his wife, Lisa, as they fulfill their mission to honor one of FDNY’s finest.
 In his remarks, Rahr reminded those in attendance, including good friend Donald Trump, who sat beside him at the event, that “we, as Americans, owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to our military and their families who have sacrificed so much for this country—a debt that can never be repaid.”

 Rahr announced his intent to continue to support the outstanding work of Phil and The American Fallen Soldiers Project with an ongoing pledge to donate whatever monies are necessary in order to sustain the memories of our American Fallen Soldiers.

In closing, Rahr shared one of this favorite quotes, this by Winston Churchill, who once said “we make a living by what we get . . . but we make a life by what we give.” 

 The event, sponsored by Kinray, Inc., American Airlines and Friends of the Fighting 69th was held at the Armory on March 18th.   The evening concluded with a concert by Lt. Dan Band. All proceeds benefited the SSG Christian P. Engeldrum Scholarship Fund.