Jane Bright

When Jane's son, SGT Evan Ashcraft was killed in an ambush near Al Hawd, Mosul, Iraq on July 24, 2003, she and her husband Jim founded the Evan Ashcraft Memorial Foundation in his memory. The reasons for setting up the Foundation were twofold. Evan was the 249th soldier killed in the Iraq conflict, but Jane did not want her son to be just a number. An equally compelling reason for establishing the Foundation was that, in letters and phone calls home Evan said, "When I come home from Iraq I just want to help people." The mission of the Foundation is to provide medical and psychological treatment, scholarship funds, and other necessities to returning Iraq conflict veterans and their dependents, thereby fulfilling Evan's wish to help others.

On March 14, 2005 Jane was honored with the Woman of the Year Award for 2005 for the 40th Assembly District, Assemblymember Lloyd Levine's district. The award was given to Jane for the work she has done on the Foundation.

On May 22, 2005 the West Hills, CA, Post Office was dedicated to Evan. A plaque has been placed inside the post office to commemorate Evan's sacrifice. Sunday May 22, 2005 would have been Evan's 26th birthday.

For the past three years Jane has represented the Foundation in the Canoga Park/West Hills Memorial Day Parade. Parade participants included Congressman Brad Sherman, Mayor-elect Antonio Villaraigosa, Senator Richard Alarcon, Councilman Dennis Zine, and Councilman Zev Yaroslavsky.

The Foundation holds an annual fundraising event. The third annual Evan Ashcraft Memorial Fundraiser was held at the Calabasas Country Club on October 8, 2006. The next fundraiser is scheduled for October 28, 2007. As Jane goes forward with planning for the Foundation she states often "Originally the Foundations was set up to commemorate my dear son Evan. But now the Foundation is about the living." The mission of Jim and Jane Bright, and the Evan Ashcraft Memorial Foundation, is to help the soldiers help themselves. Jane Bright is a human resources Vice President for a Los Angeles area manufacturing firm.

Topics covered

• Gold Star Mom
• The Human Cost of the Iraq War