Navy veteran Kenny Jary, 81, looks at “Kenny’s Bright Red Scooter” for the first time in this screenshot from his TikTok account, @PatrioticKenny (Amanda Kline)
A Navy veteran whose TikTok videos reached millions of followers will be featured in a children’s book scheduled for release on Nov. 11, Veterans Day.
Kenny Jary, 81 — known as “Patriotic Kenny” on TikTok — had his first look at “Kenny’s Bright Red Scooter” on Aug. 16 at his home near St. Paul, Minn. The book is authored by Jary’s friend and neighbor Amanda Kline.
“The book has two messages that go throughout the whole story,” Kline told Stars and Stripes by phone Aug. 27. One is showing kindness to people you would never know, she said. The second is showing honor to our veterans, people who have served and people who are currently serving.
The book follows the true story of Jary finding out that his American flag-adorned mobility scooter was beyond repair, which took away his ability to travel.
He often wears a hat bearing the logo of the USS Okinawa, the amphibious assault ship he served aboard as a helicopter refueler in the early 1960s.
“The book is outstanding, and I love it,” Jary told Stars and Stripes by phone Aug. 27. “It's easy to read, and it gets right to the point.”
Kline, who makes educational videos for deaf children, had begun posting videos of Jary on TikTok a few months before his scooter broke down in September 2021. Those early videos show Jary learning American Sign Language to better communicate with a deaf buddy.
Navy veteran Kenny Jary, 81, looks at “Kenny’s Bright Red Scooter” for the first time in this screenshot from his TikTok account, @PatrioticKenny (Amanda Kline)
After Kline posted a video of Jary talking about the demise of his beloved scooter, he was flooded with support and donations. Not only did Jary obtain a new scooter, but the leftover donations bought mobility scooters for other veterans in need.
“It’s really crazy how life changing a mobility scooter can be,” Kline said. “It's not just the veteran, it's the spouse, it's their kids, it's everybody who's been caretaking for them, who also is so emotional and so thankful.”
Afterward, Jary and Kline established the nonprofit Patriotic Kenny Foundation.
“So far, we've given away 66 scooters,” Kline said. “And we're giving away one more in two weeks.”
Kline said the foundation receives about 50 nominations for scooters each day. “We can't keep up with all that,” she said. “So, it's a big need out there.”
Kline said a portion of the book sales will go directly to the Patriotic Kenny Foundation to help buy more scooters for veterans.
“The hardest part was making the story of the last year and a half into 32 pages of a children's book,” she said. “Kenny is so vibrant and such a big personality. And the illustrator really did amazing.”
“Kenny’s Bright Red Scooter,” published by Morgan James Kids, will be available for $9.95 from most major booksellers.
