His plan was commendable: Sell his 49er collection to raise
money for his Army reserve unit that will eventually see action in
Iraq. But what Morgan Hill’s Sean Flynn didn’t count on was his
superiors calling him, his mother and two other friends in the same
unit in for a heart-to-heart talk.
His plan was commendable: Sell his 49er collection to raise money for his Army reserve unit that will eventually see action in Iraq. But what Morgan Hill’s Sean Flynn didn’t count on was his superiors calling him, his mother and two other friends in the same unit in for a heart-to-heart talk.
While Flynn never intended to cause problems, his commanders told him that selling his valuable collection was not necessary; he and the rest of the unit have all the equipment they will need.
It all began when Flynn, 18, approached Mike Herkenrath, co-owner of the Fan Club in San Jose to sell some 49er memorabilia which it turns out, unbeknownst to Flynn, is worth about $5,000. That amount combined with donations could raise as much as $10,000 when the auction occurs on Dec. 30.
“We met with Mike, and when he told us the value, we were blown away,” said Flynn’s mother
Edie-Marie Mata.
Flynn was unavailable for comment. According to Mata, Flynn wants to stay out of the spotlight and keep the attention on the troops.
Flynn, a 2004 graduate from Live Oak High School, is a private in the 445th Civil Affairs Battalion, a Mountain View-based unit that assists local populations in times of need. In Iraq, the unit will help rebuild infrastructure such as schools, water systems and other utilities in addition to other duties. Members of the unit are not allowed to discuss when they will leave for Iraq.
Despite reports of equipment shortages for units in Iraq, the Army insists it will not dispatch troops without the best materials they can give.
“The soldiers were brought in (Tuesday) and we explained they didn’t have to do this,” said Ben Abel, public affairs officer for the Civil Affairs and Psychological Operations Command in Fort Bragg, N.C. Initially, the military tried to handle the situation in Mountain View, but once the media learned of the auction, the headquarters at Fort Bragg took over speaking to the press.
Abel said soldiers are free to purchase additional equipment and most commanders don’t object.
“They can purchase this stuff, and they are free to do that, but the ballistic protection can’t be matched,” said Abel in reference to Flynn possibly buying body armor, a claim which Flynn’s family denies.
Recently the Pentagon has been criticized for a lack of supplies such as armor plating for vehicles in Iraq. Most notably was when Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld was confronted by a soldier about the lack of armor for Humvees while visiting troops in Kuwait on Dec. 8.
About 86,000 reservists and National Guard have been deployed to Iraq. Of the more than 1,300 American deaths in Iraq, the reserves and National Guard units have made up about 15 percent; one in 413 are killed, according to statistics kept by Cable News Network’s Web site cnn.com.
The Army does not allow soldiers to host such benefits and expressed their concerns to Flynn.
Regardless, the auction will be held on Dec. 30 to buy equipment, possibly laptop computers and Global Positioning Systems. Mata said they only want to help the troops, not anger the military, and all proceeds and donations will go toward the unit and other charities for servicemen such as Mothers of Military Soldiers (MOMS).
“The objective here is to help his unit,” Mata said. “We want to make clear, this is not for personal gain.”
The collection includes a football signed by 40 members of the 1984 Super Bowl team, an autographed Joe Montana jersey, pictures spanning Montana’s career from Notre Dame to the glory days of the 49ers to his final season at Kansas City and his induction into the NFL Hall of Fame, plus a plaque complete with trading cards and a picture of the famed quarterback.
Hankenrath also donated materials for the auction, including a signed Jerry Rice jersey, which at $300 is the highest priced item on the auction block.
Herkenrath, whose father is a former Marine and grandfather served in World War II, eagerly agreed to help a fellow serviceman and suggested they auction the pieces off on eBay.
Details: www.49erfanclub.com. Donations can be brought to the Fan Club at 350 Winchester Blvd. in San Jose, in Santana Row.
