In 1996, I accepted my first official job as a television news reporter and anchor. It was in a very small town. Maybe you have heard of it? Yuma, Arizona. I knew Yuma before the movie 3:10 to Yuma, Russell Crowe and Christian Bale made the city a household name. Yuma is on the border of Mexico and California. Two and a half hours from San Diego and the same from Phoenix, it was 112 degrees the day I moved to the city and 116 the day I moved out. I think it rained a total of 8 times in the two years I was there.
Yuma is a community. Yuma is a border town. Yuma is a farming town. Yuma is a military town. The area is home to the Yuma Proving Ground, an Army Base – which is larger than the state of Rhode Island and the Marine Corps Air Station. The largest percentage of the nation’s military flight training happens there (or at least it did when I was there nearly 20 years ago, related: when did I get so old?) since the weather cooperates 360 of 365 days a year.
I lived on $16,ooo a year, I polished my Spanish, I learned to water ski, I made some amazing friends and took a few life lessons to heart that I still carry with me to this very moment.
You’d think in a small town, the ‘local’ news would consist of county fairs and school board meetings, but there was so much more. Don’t get me wrong, I covered both – I rode in monster cars, interviewed the 4H crew and spent hours deciphering agendas, but it was just as common for me to hear immigration, border crossing, smuggling, deployment and oh-my-heart… Prowler Crash or Harrier crash.
In my time covering the news, I also covered some extraordinary stories – including meeting the crew from the Enola Gay and flying with the Marine Corps to the base of the Grand Canyon in a CH-46 Sea Knight (with Santa Claus) to deliver toys to an Indian Tribe who lived there. It was during this time that my respect for the men and women of the military grew. I witnessed strength and tragedy, death and the overcoming of what seemed to me to be insurmountable obstacles. And this was at a time of peace.
You may or may not know that I was born in Canada and it was just this past year that I became a United States citizen, so I’ve never had ‘ownership’ of the military the way many have – I didn’t have a grandfather who fought in World War II, a dad who braved Vietnam or a brother who enlisted when he was just 18. I wasn’t part of a ‘traditional’ military family, but I joined one in my time in Yuma. I joined simply by being present, by absorbing the work these men and women do every single day, by witnessing the pain of deployments, the strength required of time apart and the pure joy of reunions. It takes something special to make those families work… and yet thousands do it every single day.
Thousands are doing it right now and thousands have done it and lost. I had only been on the job for about 45 days – I was only 23 years old, when I learned an EA-6B Prowler had gone down, killing the 4 Marines on board. At that time in 1996, it was the third military plane to go down in only 2 days. I was devastated. And yet, I could only imagine the families. Those on board weren’t living in Yuma at the time, but merely training there.
That is four families left to cope with an unimaginable loss. What about their significant others? Their children? Their parents?
Since that time, I have been drawn to charities that benefit the military – especially those that ALSO benefit children. Which is why I simply MUST tell you about T.A.P.S. – Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors. It is a national non-profit made up of AND providing services to all those who have lost a loved one on Active Duty with the Armed Forces. Here is one mother’s story. One of the most amazing things TAPS does is provide a ‘good grief camp’ for children of fallen soldiers. At the camp, children receive are paired with a mentor who is currently an active service member. This mentor guides them and is willing to be a role model for the child. Additionally, the kids receive grief counseling and peer support.
This week, Sevenly, a social good fashion brand is fully supporting TAPS with this exclusive line of limited edition graphic tees and lifestyle products. Seven dollars from each sale goes towards the charity of the week, helping raise funds and awareness. Sevenly’s foundation is that People Matter. Since their launch in June 2011, they have raised over 2.1 million dollars, each day working towards their goal “leading a generation towards generosity”.
Think about it.
Disclosure: I am supporting Sevenly and TAPS because I WANT to do so. The link to purchase the graphic tees for TAPS IS an affiliate link, HOWEVER, all money will be donated directly to TAPS, because it matters to me.
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