Today was a gray, drizzly day, perfect for not riding a bike along a Kansas highway. We made the two-hour drive from Iola to Fort Leavenworth this morning to visit with Gold Star Mothers from the Leavenworth and greater Kansas City area. Inside the Fort Leavenworth Resiliency Center there is a lovely room called the Army Survivor Outreach Services Center of Valor and Remembrance. We met several Gold Star Mothers here, as well as SOS Coordinators, the Kansas State VFW Commander, and the Fort Leavenworth garrison commander, Colonel Timothy Wulff. I spent time with several Gold Star Mothers at the Fort Leavenworth National Cemetery, including: Diana Unger Pitts, mother of Corporal David Michael Unger, USA; Betty Wright, mother of Private Shawn Wright, USA; and Deb Austin, mother of Private First Class Shane Robert Austin, USA. Two more Gold Star Mothers met us for lunch at the conference center on base. The moms shared about their sons’ personalities and decisions to serve in uniform, and Diana and Betty talked about their work with the Honor and Remember and Wreaths Across America organizations. After lunch my Mom and Jason and I headed to the home of Bob and Shirley Hemenway, Gold Star parents of ET1 Ronald Hemenway, USN, who was killed when the Pentagon was attacked on September 11th, 2001. Debbie Murchison-Perri, mother of Specialist Matthew Michael Murchison, USA, joined our conversation at Bob and Shirley’s home. Debbie shared about her journey through the grief of losing her son, and about her decision to become a Grief Support Provider to help others struggling with similar experiences. Today was a heavy day, and the weather seemed to fit the deep emotion and powerful experiences that were shared by all of these families. I was humbled by their stories, and reminded of the fact that I don’t have anything to offer other than a listening ear. I know that’s something, but sometimes it doesn’t feel like much.
Posted on: Tue, 17 Sep 2013 04:30:59 +0000
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