Mar

Resources and ministries for families of fallen heroes

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by Jocelyn Green, author of Faith Deployed: Daily Encouragement for Military Wives

Two weeks ago my family and I drove from Iowa to Florida to visit family. Somewhere in Georgia, we passed a funeral motorcade and patriot guard for a fallen Marine on the other side of the highway. American flags and Marine Corps flags topped cars and motorcycles, snapping violently in the wind. Traffic backed up for what seemed like miles behind them. Suddenly the rest of us who witnessed the processional were jolted out of our own concerns (how far is the next gas station? how much Benadryl can I give to my child?) with the undeniable truth that while we go about our daily lives, the family of this fallen hero is experiencing unfathomable grief; their worlds have been turned upside down. And it’s because of their sacrifices, and the sacrifices of every military family, that the rest of us have the luxury of living our lives unhindered by the paralyzing fear or pain of losing a loved one in war (or training!). Oh, how my heart aches for them.

I couldn’t help but wonder if I knew from Facebook the wife of that fallen Marine. Heaven forbid any of you should ever lose your spouse to war. But chances are, at the very least, you know a military widow or you will know one in the future. So I am so grateful to military wife Benita Koeman, founder of OperationWeAreHere.com for gathering a list of resources and ministries for families of fallen warriors. To see her complete list, click here.

Benita found a couple resources to be quite compelling as she compiled her list. She says:

American Widow Project, though not faith-based, I think does a phenominal job in reaching out to other widows. Founded by a young military widow, Taryn Davis, she does an amazing job at addressing and meeting the support needs of other military widows. Her site and Facebook Group is a safe place to discuss the hard things and to find understanding that the rest of us can’t offer. Taryn has even compiled a list of Do-It-Yourself Web sites…as a bystander I wouldn’t have even thought of the need for that.

Stephen’s Touch, a caring, listening ministry is an organization that I think is a vital resource.

I would also like to highlight an amazing ministry for sons of fallen heroes. Knights of Heroes is an annual summer camp for boys who have lost their fathers in the war. The camp pays for the sons and their widowed mothers to come to camp- it’s all expenses paid. They do all kinds of outdoor activities from kayaking and rock-climbing to archery and shooting. I had the privilege of interviewing the founder, Steve Harrold, and I highly recommend this ministry.

Finally, Benita is looking for insights from loved ones of fallen heroes. She says:

What I would like to provide here [one her Web site] is an outlet for the loved ones. I hope that answering three important questions would help us gain perspective:

1. What people have said/done that helps.
2. What people have said/done that hurts.
3. What I wish people understood.

Any other writings/ponderings will also be considered.

I realize that each individual, each situation is unique, so I am hoping to include a variety of responses from widow(er)s, parents, siblings, friends, and anyone else affected by the loss.

The responses will be posted anonymously on this page, so this is your opportunity to share from the heart and give the rest of us insight in how we can help. Thank you in advance for opening our eyes and our hearts.

Benita Koemane-mail