Sarah Sweeney, the executive director of the Military Friends Foundation in Swampscott, was honored last week at the Massachusetts State House as a part of the state’s Iwo Jima Remembrance Day ceremony.
Sweeney received the Gung Ho Community Service Award, presented by the Marine Corps League. The award recognizes individuals who demonstrate outstanding philanthropic efforts and dedication to their communities. Previous winners of the Gung Ho award include Paul Wahlberg (on behalf of his family) in 2025 and Robert Kraft in 2020.
The award’s name carries a historical weight in the military community. “Gung Ho,” derived from a Chinese phrase for a type of industrial cooperative, was popularized with troops during World War II by Marine Lt. Col. Evans Carlson. He used the phrase as a motto for his battalion to encourage unity and teamwork. Today, the phrase commonly conveys enthusiastic determination — all qualities that organizers said reflect Sweeney’s work.
The ceremony’s theme, “Uncommon Valor Was a Common Virtue,” is another phrase with deep connections to World War II, a quote referencing the bravery of those who fought in Iwo Jima. This year’s remembrance day marked the 81st anniversary of the Battle of Iwo Jima, one of the deadliest battles in American history.
Nearly 70,000 soldiers from the U.S. Marine Corps and Navy landed on the Japanese airbase island of Iwo Jima on Feb. 19, 1945. While the U.S. flag was raised on the island on Feb. 23, weeks of grueling fight followed before the battle officially ended. American soldiers faced an estimated 20,000 well-prepared Japanese troops and fought in conditions made difficult by the island’s natural caves, cliffs, and volcanoes. It was a hard-fought victory. And one that would be pivotal in the final months of the war in the Pacific. That legacy of sacrifice is what the Military Friends Foundation seeks to honor today.
The MFF was founded in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks to support Massachusetts servicemembers and their families. The organization is run by current and former military members and their family members — including Sweeney, an army wife.
The organization, headquartered in Swampscott, serves families all over Massachusetts. They provide grants for things like crisis response and warrior travel — offering military personnel the opportunity to reunite with loved ones for things like surprise homecomings, the birth of children, or other special occasions.
The MFF also facilitates wellness programs and community-building events that “ensure no Massachusetts Warrior Family is left behind.” These events include the Hero Meals Monthly Food Market, drive-up service providing military service families with a bag of fresh groceries. The monthly event, the organization says, “is our simple but sincere way of saying ‘Thank You’ for the immense sacrifices you and your families make every day.”
In her remarks, Sweeney connected the legacy of Iwo Jima with the families that the Military Friends Foundation serves. “Today that same unbreakable spirit lives on in our Gold Star Families,” she said. “This award belongs to you.”
