This story starts with a picture I keep in my wallet. It’s not a picture of my mom, my wife or my kids. It’s a picture of someone I’ve never met. And every time I look at it, it gives me great peace. I put the picture in my wallet because I thought by doing […]
This story starts with a picture I keep in my wallet. It’s not a picture of my mom, my wife or my kids. It’s a picture of someone I’ve never met. And every time I look at it, it gives me great peace. I put the picture in my wallet because I thought by doing so, the person in the picture would act as a kind of guardian angel to watch over me. And I believe he has done that on more than one occasion.
The picture is of Specialist Matthew T. Bolar who died in combat in Iraq in 2007. The picture is especially moving for me as it captures a smiling Matthew with protective arms around two little Iraqi girls who look safe in his arms.
Although I didn’t know Matthew, I do know his mom, Anne Adkins. And when she posted this picture on Facebook, I wanted to keep it near me at all times.
She retired recently as the VP of marketing at Raycom Media and now serves on the board of Active Heroes, a charity organization that helps military veterans and their families cope with the stress that often leads to suicide.
A couple of weeks ago she got a call from a young vet who is an Active Heroes volunteer. He knew Anne had a media background and he asked for her help.
Captain Justin Fitch, a combat veteran who served in Iraq, is only 32 but dying from cancer. And he has a final mission.
“To do everything in my power to reduce the number of veteran suicides by any means I see myself capable of doing so. Every day, 22 veterans kill themselves, and we can prevent this. I was nearly a statistic of suicide in 2007 after I lost a buddy. His spirit saved me. I was able to get counseling and treatment and caring and it saved my life and made me stronger than I ever imagined I could be.
“It is my dream to see the Active Heroes’ veteran and family retreat finished and built before I die. That means I need to tell my story and raise awareness of my dying brothers and sisters-in-arms to the highest extent before I go.”
Captain Fitch has told his story to viewers in Boston, his hometown.
But he needs help reaching a national audience. If you can help him tell his story on the national news so he can help prevent any more U.S. soldiers from suicide, or know someone who can, contact Anne Adkins at Active Heroes at 502-277-9280 or email her at [email protected].
I know that would make my guardian angel, his mom, me and lots of combat veterans, very happy.
To read more about Corporal Matthew T. Bolar, click here.
To find out more about Active Heroes, click here.
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