His Words

It’s tough to be a Ranger’s Wife,
Her man must give his only life.
She looks to the sky and wonders why,
For Freedoms cause that he must die.

O, Hale O, Hale O, Infantry,
Queen of battle Follow me,
The Ranger life’s the one for me,
For nothing in this world is free.

Even though Joe sent this cadence to me, I never imagined that “[giving] his only life” would be our reality. He was a West Point graduate, a Gulf War veteran, a Captain in the Army, a son, a brother, and my husband. In this memoir, I relate my loss and how I found courage to keep moving on. In between the pages of grief and healing, I tell our story — how we met and fell in love and the challenges that came with Joe’s conversion to Mormonism and being an interracial couple in the late 1980’s. The silver lining for me in this tragedy was found in the precious box of letters and journal entries he left behind. As I raised our young children, I would read his hand-written words each night, and for a moment it felt like he was there, sitting right by my side, encouraging me and giving me advice. His example of integrity, patriotism, unwavering faith in God and love for his family has strengthened me, and left a legacy for his children. Now, as I share "His Words", he can continue to inspire all who struggle through life’s hardships.

A portion of the proceeds will be donated to T.A.P.S. (Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors)