of the United Nations wearing jeans and a varsity jacket into the young man in a Brooks Brothers’ suit addressing Congress. It’s a journey that will resonate with anyone, young or old, who has faced—or may now be facing—the challenges of making his or her most cherished dreams come true.
~Andrew Chaikin, author of A Man on the Moon
PROLOGUE
Warriors are ageless and timeless and they have appeared throughout history. Some are well known and others are not. Here is a story that many of you may not believe. It took place fifty years ago and our warrior is a sixteen-year-old high school student named Bruce A. Tully.
Bruce grew up tough in an urban working class family. He grew up in what some people called the “blue collar ghettos,” one of the ethnic neighborhoods of New Jersey. Oil refineries and chemical plants surrounded the neighborhood. Smoke stacks billowed across the meadowlands.
Where he lived didn’t matter. Who people thought he was didn’t matter. At sixteen years of age he knew these opinions really didn’t matter. He had strong convictions and refused to let anything stop him from trying to accomplish the impossible. He had the heart of a warrior. He began to fulfill his mission against all odds.
Some people called him a hero. His teachers didn’t understand him or his passion to persevere and school administrators threatened him with suspension from school.
His parents had little time to offer their support. His mother had her hands full. She worked and took care of his brother and sister who were both under the age of six. She fondly thought of Bruce as a dreamer and didn’t want him to be hurt. His father traveled for his job and was frequently away from home; however, in the beginning as Bruce’s mission began to unfold he felt that Bruce was wasting his time. In the end his father came around and fully supported him as he became personally involved.
In spite of significant obstacles along the way Bruce chose to keep moving forward and remain focused on his mission. He was courageous and he persevered. Turning points were encountered, like forks in the road, moments that presented choices where he could keep going or stop, where he could remain honest or lie for his supposed advantage.
Bruce chose to keep going and maintain his integrity. What he accomplished was amazing. He is an example of how one person can bring an idea into form without having a clue as to how to make it happen, of how a mission can be made real against all odds!
Throughout his quest Bruce persevered and he gathered strength as he believed in himself and his vision. In spite of the obstacles he encountered he worked hard and found support that came from many powerful people including industry leaders, Fortune 500 CEOs, national news reporters, astronauts and the President of the United States. Imagine what it took for a sixteen-year-old boy to have these powerful allies who offered their encouragement and help.
This young warrior and his experiences are examples of what is possible. One person can make a difference. He shows us that commitment and focus on a mission takes courage, vision and is transforming.
Following Bruce on his journey will show you how he came to understand his purpose and how he learned to trust what he believed to be true. He demonstrated how anyone can be a warrior. You don’t have to be a fantasy character or super hero to accomplish what appears to be impossible. Anyone can fight for what he or she believes regardless of age.
All it takes is an Act of One!
Join us now on Bruce’s amazing and miraculous journey!
HOW IT BEGAN
Nothing was more important to Bruce than his family. His family background and history created the foundation and direction his life would take. His family and, more specifically, his Grandpa Joseph influenced what he believed in, his values, perceptions and his purpose in life.
He was born into a family of warriors that started with his great-great-great-grandfather who led an army of Cossack warriors to defeat Napoleon and his army. They were independent, unconventional and fiercely loyal men. Because of this unprecedented win against Napoleon and his ancestor’s loyalty, the ruling Czar of Russia rewarded his family for their great service. An aristocratic title of Baron was bestowed upon his great-great-great-grandfather along with land that took twenty days and twenty nights to cover riding on horseback in what was known as the Bread Basket of Russia, the Ukraine.
Moving forward several generations, as this aristocratic family prospered and during the time of Bruce’s grandfather, political unrest developed once again. With the help of their serfs and servants, at great risk to themselves and all that they held dear, Bruce’s grandparents were smuggled out of Russia. In grave danger they found their way from Russia to the United States to escape the Russian Revolution and the brutality of the Communist regime. They left with only the clothes on their backs.
It took great courage, faith and trust to escape Russia and move a family to an unknown country with nothing, leaving everything they had behind. This strong family legacy is what helped form Bruce into who he would become.
As his grandparents arrived at Ellis Island, the immigration entry point to the United States on the East Coast, the officers quickly Anglicized their Russian surname. Tugligowitz became Tully. So, they began with nothing. They were no longer known by their own family name. They really started over.
As a young boy Bruce was very close to his grandfather, a Russian Orthodox priest, physician, fervent anti-Communist Czarist aristocrat, Russian Baron and Cossack tribal leader. He grew up listening to his Grandpa Joseph’s stories and teachings until he passed away. Bruce loved his grandfather and thought he was an extraordinary man.
As Bruce grew older he remembered the time he spent with his Grandpa Joseph and he recognized how much he was influenced by his beliefs, values and practices. He believed that his grandfather was a living example of all that was good. He was someone who dedicated his life to help those who were less fortunate than himself.
Bruce remembered seeing him always in his three-piece suit. He remembered how his Grandpa Joseph always carried himself with an air of nobility and dignity. He demonstrated daily through his actions what was possible and always practiced what he preached. Bruce thought of him as a living example of how someone overcomes hardship and rises to the top.
He remembered how his grandparents arrived in the United States with nothing but the clothes on their backs. Eventually his grandfather, Dr. Tully, created five medical clinics that provided medical care to Eastern European immigrants while helping to clothe and feed the poor as well.
His Grandpa Joseph’s deep values of compassion, courage and caring for others were embedded in Bruce and formed a solid foundation for how he would live his life.
Bruce remembered visiting his grandfather’s office over the neighborhood grocer’s store on Saturdays in Newark, New Jersey. Springfield Avenue, where it was located, was like a mini-European melting pot that teemed with life. Everyone was friendly and greeted each other in their own languages. People lined up outside the building where his Grandpa Joseph’s office was located beginning early in the morning. Oftentimes so many people were there and the line was so long that it curled around the building. People knew they would be seen and greeted by Dr. Tully in their own language no matter how long it took.
Dr.
