Vernon D.

Harry Hirschinger is a Jewish immigrant that has dedicated his life to repaying America for his freedom and liberty. Harry was born on the run from Nazi Germany and made it to New York just months before the Hirschingers were to be deported to a concentration camp. While growing up in NYC, Harry lived the same building as Alex Haley author of Roots, across the street from Margaret Meade, became friends with Broadway producer George Keathley and Tennessee Williams, gave a struggling young performing couple (Elliot & Barbra Streisand-Gould) a break on a past due payment on a sewing machine. He was in Havana when Fidel came out of the mountains. When Harry started his family he moved to the midwest, to Columbus, Ohio where after a successful career in the garment industry, Harry brought a bit of New York to the streets of Columbus when he bought the first of more than a dozen hot dog push carts. 'Hot Dog Harry' was born and he was just getting started. On a bet of a cup of coffee, Harry went to Beirut twice in 1983 just to boost the morale of the troops President Reagan sent to keep the airport open when the Lebanese civil war broke out. The first trip happened with the help of his senator, former astronaut John Glenn. The second, Harry was on his own and was nearly taken hostage. He went on to found a 501-c-3, Operation: America Loves You and served over 500,000 hot dogs to troops in Korea and in Moscow. Today, Harry fights to go to Afghanistan with another load of hot dogs just to thank his adopted country for his freedom.