Once Kerri’s neighbor returned from getting the children settled in the house, she inquired again about what was going on.
“Was there a car in front of my house today?” Kerri asked her.
“Yes.”
“There was a helicopter crash and Mike has been killed.”
Five minutes later, the notification team was in Kerri’s home, confirming what she already knew: Mike had been killed in action the day before. She fell to her knees, in shock.
“One thing I had prayed was: ‘Lord, if Mike gets killed, I pray my children won’t be here when I hear it. I don’t want them to see me or to remember the men in the green suits.’ Because God answered that prayer, I was able to walk over to my friend’s house after I gained my composure and tell Haley in a loving way what happened to her dad. Then Tanner came in, Haley held him and I told him, too. Even though it was the worst day of my life, I said ‘God is so good because he answered my prayers.’”
Prayer:
Lord, help me see your goodness even when my vision is clouded with pain.
“But as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Sovereign LORD my refuge; I will tell of all your deeds.” (Psalm 73:28)
August 30
UNTOUCHABLE SOUL
Kerri Hartwick, wife of Chief Warrant Officer Michael Hartwick, Iraq (2005–2006)
The next day, Kerri received a mysterious phone call from the detachment.
“Please do not watch TV or go on the Internet,” the officer told her. “We need to come out and see you.”
Kerri agreed. What could this possibly be about? She thought. I wonder if they screwed everything up and it’s not even Mike who was killed.
When the detachment came, they asked her to sit down.
“I’m sorry to tell you that there’s a terrorist-created video of them pulling someone from a helicopter,” they said. “It’s all over the Internet and television.” The footage was so unclear that viewers could not identify the face or even if the man was wearing an American uniform. Still, there was a chance it could have been Mike.
They searched her face, bracing themselves for any number of emotional reaction, but they weren’t expecting Kerri’s response.
She laughed. “Is that it?” she asked.
“Yes maam, it is.”
“Mike’s soul has already gone to heaven,” said Kerri. “I don’t agree with what they’re doing, but if that was Mike, it was just his body. They’re not bothering him any little bit.”
When they were gone, Kerri mused, Funny I was up all night searching the Internet and never saw that video. Still, she banned her kids from the TV and Internet for two weeks to make sure they wouldn’t see it either.
Kerri and the wife of the other co-pilot who had been killed agreed that they would not say anything about it, not acknowledge it on TV during any interviews. “If you respond to that video, you would give glory to what is evil,” explained Kerri. “Glory is to go to God.” The two wives asked TV stations to pull the footage from their programs, and they agreed.
To this day, Kerri has not seen the video and the kids are not aware of it, either. “God protected me from seeing those images, and I’m not going to go looking for them,” she said.
Prayer:
Lord, help me dwell on your goodness rather than the world’s evil.
“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable if anything is excellent or praiseworthy think about such things.” (Philippians 4:8)
August 31
THE FUNERAL
Kerri Hartwick, wife of Chief Warrant Officer Michael Hartwick, Iraq (2005–2006)
As Mike’s funeral date approached, Kerri had more on her mind than just honoring her husband’s life. She had three specific prayer requests on her heart, which she shared via a mass email: 1) safety for the hundreds of people traveling, some from around the globe; 2) good weather to allow for the Apache helicopter flyover as planned; and 3) that if a group of war-protestors crashed the funeral as they had planned, that they would either go home quietly or that Haley and Tanner would feel more support from the attendees than anti-war sentiment from the protestors.
God answered.
The day of the funeral, April 14, was a beautiful day, and everyone arrived safely, including family, friends, 198 patriot guards, and emergency vehicles from five counties who participated to pay tribute to Mike’s service. The protesters came, saw how many supporters there were, and decided to go home.
“God tested my faith with the threat of the protestors, but ended up providing,” Kerri said. “I could have gotten ugly and argued about it on the Internet, but God took care of it in his own way.”
When Kerri, Tanner, and Haley arrived back home in Texas after the funeral, another blessing was waiting for them. As Kerri pulled the mail from the mailbox, a glimpse of familiar handwriting made her heart stop and the tears begin to fall. Stuck between bills and catalogs were two postcards addressed to Tanner and Haley, written by their dad on April 1, 2006 the day he was killed.
“On Saturday, April 1, we had been hoping for a call from Mike but didn’t get one,” said Kerri. “The kids wondered why he didn’t call. With these postcards I can show them that their Dad was thinking about them the day he died. God is so good. I just bawled when I pulled these postcards from the mail. How could someone question whether God was present?”
Prayer:
Lord, thank you for showering us with blessings that demonstrate your compassion for us.
“Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you, he rises to show you compassion. For the LORD is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him!” (Isaiah 30:18)
September 1
REACHING OUT
Kerri Hartwick, wife of Chief Warrant Officer Michael Hartwick, Iraq (2005–2006)
Five months later, Mike’s good friend prepared to deploy. Kerri promised to take care of his wife if anything happened to him.
On February 2, 2007, he made the ultimate sacrifice with his life while serving in Iraq. Now it was Kerri’s turn to reach out and provide the support that she once needed; she spent two weeks with the new widow.
“I had to watch her struggle with who should be pallbearers, where she should bury him, whether she should have the funeral on post or in a church,” said Kerri. “God showed me how blessed I was to be able to know I honored Mike in the way he wanted me to.”
During the first year after Mike’s death, Kerri spoke on a monthly basis to casualty assistance officers, sharing her story of how her first casualty assistance officer mishandled her case, but her second casualty officer went above and beyond to help her. In the local community, she helps civilians learn how to help military families now that parents were being deployed every other year.
Currently, Kerri volunteers and speaks to soldiers about how to prepare families in the face of tragedy. She is also the military ministry chairperson for her church, First Baptist in Belton, Texas. She keeps track of all military families in church and checks on them to see how they’re doing and where they are in the deployment cycle. She’s coordinates Military Family Nights Out, during which the church provides dinner and child care for children so the parents can get out. She also works with Veterans Fellowships, where soldiers and veterans of all ages get together. Both ministries are open to any active duty families in the community.
“People ask me how I can still be in the military community, serving them,” says Kerri. “After fourteen years in, you can’t just leave. This is my family.”
Prayer:
Lord, show me where you want me to minister using the experiences and insights you’ve given me.
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.” (2 Corinthians 1:3–4)
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sp; September 2
KNIGHTS OF HEROES
Maj. Steve Harrold, U.S. Air Force
In November 2006, U.S. Air Force Major Steve Harrold, then stationed in Colorado Springs, lost a good friend who was killed in an F-16 crash in Iraq. He left behind a wife and five children, two of which were sons the same ages as Harrold’s boys: seven and nine years old. Harrold felt called to do something for these boys and others like them who had lost their fathers to the war.
Partnering with Journey Chapel Pastor Eric Eaton in Monument, Colorado, a one-week camp was born in June 2007 called Modern Day Knights later named Knights of Heroes. Sixteen boys from five states came to spend time together. He paired them with a mentor so they could spend their days kayaking, rock climbing, camping, and doing other outdoor adventures. The camp pays for all expenses, including airfare for those who come and hotel stays for the moms and siblings.
The camp teaches the boys principles from the book Raising a Modern Day Knight by Robert Lewis: 1) reject passivity, 2) accept responsibility, 3) lead courageously and 4) expect the greater reward. In the final camp session, Pastor Eaton rides in on a white horse dressed in knightly armor and challenges the boys to rise up to the challenge of authentic manhood. Each boy is “knighted” by Eaton’s sword and receives a special gift to take home.
First-year campers receive a family crest to emphasize the importance of carrying on their father’s legacy. Second-year campers are given a King Arthur replica dagger to hang on their wall, symbolizing that the camp is arming them for battles they’ll face as they grow. In June 2009, third-year campers were given a shield with their family crest hand-painted on it to signify that they can defend themselves against whatever life throws at them.
“We give the boys tools they can use for the rest of their life,” said Harrold. “I’ve seen their confidence increase. We challenge them in every single way physically and watch them face their fears. I’ve noticed a big change in the manner in which they accept demanding tasks. We challenge them to take responsibility for all of their decisions. And to see their faces after they accomplish something they’ didn’t think they’d be able to it’s amazing.”
Prayer:
Lord, guide these young men without fathers and help them find godly role models.
“Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example…” (1 Timothy 4:12)
September 3
NOT THE ONLY ONE
Maj. Steve Harrold, U.S. Air Force
Major Steve Harrold, founder of Knights of Heroes, says he didn’t expect the impact his camp would have on the boys’ mothers who accompany them to camp.
“It’s the friendships they develop with other widows,” said Harrold. “To come here for a week and share their stories, talk about challenges they’re facing, and get advice, is really big. It means a lot for them to see that other people care about what they’re going through. It’s important to know they’re not alone and not forgotten.”
Nine-year-old Tanner Hartwick has attended Knights of Heroes since it began, and in September 2008, chose to write a school assignment about the experience:
I’m Not the Only One
One evening mom says, “Do you want to go play at the neighbor’s house?” My sister and I said yes! So we played at the house and then my mom asked Haley to come here. When my sister came out, she was crying so hard that she couldn’t talk to me that well. But then I went in and said, “what did you say to her?” My mom said, “Son, your dad died.” At that moment I thought I was in a dream and ran home like a cheetah! When I got home, I ran into my mom’s room and looked at a picture of my dad. I remembered the last words he said to me were I love you and I said I love you too. My mom came in and hugged me.
A couple of months later my mom heard on the radio about a camp in Colorado called Modern Day Knights (now Knights of Heroes). I went to the camp. When I saw all the boys that lost their dad too, in my mind I knew that I wasn’t the only one without a dad. That week I made a lot of friends and it was cool! I was out camping in the woods and doing lots of boy things. It was more fun then going to Disney World and made me feel better to know that I wasn’t the only one. My mom and sister had fun doing girl things too. I wait all year for camp time to come again. This year will be my third year.
Prayer:
Lord, show me how to support those who feel forgotten.
“A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling.” (Psalm 68:5)
September 4
HALEY’S TESTIMONY
Thirteen-year-old Haley Hartwick gave the following testimony at a Fields of Faith Rally for Fellowship of Christian Athletes in October 2008:
In December 2005, my father left for Iraq on his second tour. I didn’t realize it would be my last goodbye. On April 2, 2006, my mom, my seven-year-old brother, and I received tragic news that my dad had been killed in action while on a flight mission the day before. We were all brokenhearted. All I could do that night was cry my heart out. Friends and our church family came for comfort. I stayed locked up in my room. I was asking God why he had done such a dramatic thing to me. Why me Lord? Why such a great man? At the time it was so hard to glorify and understand the Lord, but my mom always said to praise the Lord through the good and bad. My mother was such a great role model through this time. She led us strong with encouragement.
God was testing our faith for him. When God gives you a situation you have to try your hardest to praise him and make it. A few months after his death, this wonderful organization (Snowball Express) gave us a trip to California with other Gold Star Families. I came home from the trip overwhelmed by how much God has really blessed me by having ten years of memories to cherish. I knew my dad loved me and I know my Heavenly Father up above loves me. As long as you have faith you’ll be good, because faith is like a muscle. The more you use it the stronger it gets.
I honestly believe that everything rides on hope and faith. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me if have faith, trust, and love the God almighty. I know for sure I’m going to see my dad and God someday in heaven. Are you?
Prayer:
Lord, grant me child-like trust and faith in you, even when life isn’t what I expected.
“I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will not enter it.” (Mark 10:15)
September 5
PRELUDE TO DEPLOYMENT
Sara Horn, wife of BU1 Cliff Horn, U.S. Navy Reserves, Iraq (2007–20008)
Sara Horn spent her twenty-sixth birthday aboard the Navy aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman off the coast of Iraq, among 5500 sailors and Marines waiting for a declaration of war by the Commander in Chief. On Sara’s birthday, March 19, 2003, they got it.
Though her husband Cliff was in the Navy Reserves, Sara saw herself more as a journalist than a military wife. Sara’s mission during her ten-day stay on board was to find and report stories for Baptist Press. She wasn’t disappointed. She met a fighter pilot who prayed for his leaders and clothed himself with the armor of God (Ephesians 6) along with his flight gear. She even witnessed the first baptism take place on board using a joint direct attack munitions (JDAM) crate filled with water. “This is normally used to end life, but we’re using it today for the beginning of life,” the chaplain had said.
In November 2003, Sara traveled to Baghdad to cover more stories for a book she wrote with Oliver North, A Greater Freedom. There she talked with an American sniper who, six hours after recommitting his life to Christ in Baghdad, encountered fire on a mission. While taking cover behind a metal gate, Sara recalled what the soldier had told her. “He distinctly felt God tell him, You’re not safe, you need to move. So he did. When the firefight was over, he went back to that gate. The sides were riddled with large bullet holes. But where his chest had been, there were thirteen dents. He told me, ‘I put myself in a place to die but God pulled me out.’”
The trips were life-changing
for Sara. “Faith is so important in life and death situations,” she said. “God is all you have sometimes. And when it comes down to it, God is all we need. That trip was a real wake-up call for me.”
It was also the beginning of Sara’s call to minister to military families, especially through the written word. In addition to A Greater Freedom, Sara has written dozens of articles for military wives and authored the book, God Strong: A Military Wife’s Spiritual Survival Guide (Zondervan, 2010).
“War serves as a reminder that we need God,” said Sara. “A lot of people have forgotten that.”
Prayer:
Lord, remind me how much I need you; help me depend on you alone.
“The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save.” (Zephaniah 3:17a)
September 6
WIVES OF FAITH
Sara Horn, wife of BU1 Cliff Horn, U.S. Navy Reserves, Iraq (2007–2008)
When Sara’s husband Cliff was scheduled to deploy to Iraq in 2007, she realized another benefit her trips to Iraq provided.
“My experience in Iraq helped me so much to be able to share and explain things to other military wives,” said Sara. “They ask, ‘Why does he have to leave and help these other people?’ I can tell them I’ve talked to Iraqis and know how thankful they are.’”
Sara understood that she needed more than that insider perspective to get through the upcoming deployment.
“God made it very clear that I must have other women to connect to during my husband’s absence,” said Sara. But she was four hours from Cliff’s drilling base and she knew no other military wives in her town.
Stories of Faith and Courage from the War in Iraq and Afghanistan Page 34
