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From: The Chive
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Justin heard the words in slow motion, “colon cancer… terminal.” A Major in the US Army, he knew well what would happen next. The protocol – talking about options and time. How much time? Six months, maybe, said the Oncologist. Justin’s thoughts drifted – That wouldn’t be enough time to get it done. This thing which must get done. This thing… it was not for him, it was for the others…
It all began in 2011 when Justin heard about a veteran named Troy Yocum who had walked the length of the United States three times over with a heavy rucksack on his back for a charity called Active Heroes. Troy was on a mission to end veteran suicide amongst soldiers with PTSD. For his efforts, Troy won the prestigious Citizens Honor Medal.
The Rucksack: A component of Active Heroes is called Carry the Fallen. Soldiers and Civilians alike will sign up to carry a 20 lb. rucksack on a march for 3, 6, 12 or 22 hours. Carrying the weight symbolizes the burden that many veterans carry post-war or post-trauma.
Justin Fitch knew about that burden all too well. Justin had suffered in silence from PTSD after returning home from Iraq. One night, he toggled off the safety switch on his firearm as hope grew dim. To the lesser observer, this is the easy way out. To a man pinned beneath PTSD, it feels like the only way out. At that moment Justin heard the voice of his fallen comrade, “Keep going, drive on.” Justin put the gun down and asked for help. It wouldn’t be long until Justin became that person people called to save their lives through his work with Active Heroes…
Justin and Troy became fast friends and Justin discovered he wasn’t alone. 22 veterans take their own lives every day in America. Troy and Justin dedicated their lives to figuring out a way to whittle that number down. The mission: End veteran suicide. The two collaborated well together, organizing successful ruck-marches across the country.
Active Heroes grew quickly out of Troy’s small office in Louisville. Since 2011 Active Heroes has helped 155 of some of the highest-risk cases of PTSD in the Louisville area. More soldiers were arriving at his door daily, a barometer that there was a great need in the area. Troy and Justin’s greater vision began to take shape.
They envisioned a retreat that would be free for military veterans and their families. For many soldiers with PTSD, darkness is a constant companion. They dreamed of a sanctuary out in the countryside for veterans and their families to focus on healing through outdoor activities, nature, and family-building challenges. The power of nature provides the ability to get away from stressors quickly, put a mind at ease, and even save lives.
Active Heroes found the perfect plot of land just outside Louisville with rolling hills and a fishing pond. A serene sanctuary from the darkness. After an exhaustive fundraiser they were able to purchase the land, 140 beautiful acres in Shepherdsville, KY.
The centerpiece of their vision, the Military Family Retreat, would be a log cabin: Hickory Hill Cabin. The lodge is a place for military families to stay free of charge to heal from the visible and invisible wounds of war, a place for the healing process to begin and for military families to learn how to reconnect with each other. Activities include an archery range, fishing, climbing walls, hiking trails, and even horse trails. Over 70 military families have signed up to use the cabin. One small issue – it doesn’t exist, and the funds were completely exhausted on the purchase of the land.
The brush where the retreat would be built was dense. Dozens of service men and women heard about the project and descended on the acreage in Shepherdsville, KY to help…Clearing the land took many months…but they got it done.
With the time he had left, Justin prioritized. He visited the memorial at the Natick base near Boston where he served.
The name of the memorial is “Carry The Fallen – The Minutemen”.
Days before checking into the hospital, Justin still put on his rucksack and marched for ‘Carry the Fallen’ in Wisconsin.
In 2012 Justin got the news that stage 4 colon cancer, not terminal. Then in the Fall of 2014…Six months, maybe, said the oncologist…not enough time to get it done. This thing that must get done.
A staff member of The Chive wrote this letter to Justin:
“Justin,
First, you’ll pardon my handwriting. My mother stressed penmanship growing up and I was a constant disappointment.
I have watched the video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AeuFNG6561w) you made for us despite the physical difficulty it took to create. I cannot express how weak I feel my words must be at a moment where so few moments remain. But you must know Justin, through your service and efforts to help soldiers with PTSD, you have saved more lives, and sacrificed more for your country than most will in a lifetime.
You must also know that I sent out two letters today, one to you, and one to Active Heroes which contains a check for $25,000 to Active Heroes to begin construction on the Hickory Hill Cabin you have fought so hard the last two years to have built.
The $25,000 will fund the access road to the cabin. At the end of this road, a plot has been cleared to make way for the cabin you always dreamed of building. Concerning the remaining balance, we have started a GoFundMe campaign to raise the $78,000 needed to construct, what I hope to be, the first of many cabins in Louisville.
You have taken this as far as you can, Justin. The Chive community will take it from here. We will not only to bring your vision to life, but we will continue to ease the burden of our injured soldiers, a burden we must all share as Americans. The cavalry, as they say, is on the way.
One last thing. In that other note I have attached one small request, that the Hickory Hill Cabin be renamed the Justin Fitch Cabin. A plaque on the front door will read:
“We are here to lighten your burden. Herein you shall find a sense of belonging, place, and purpose.”
– Justin Fitch
In your last days, you asked nothing for yourself, instead you gave everything you had left to your wife, friends, and injured brothers. You are the definition of a role model and a hero.”
Respectfully,
John Resig"
If you think it’s unfair that a man who has dedicated his life to serving our country and saving the lives of others should befall an illness that cuts his own life short in his prime, that’s because it is unfair. And while there’s no way to tip the balance of that scale, we must try. In the video below Justin says, “Take the last recorded words of a dying man to heart… please join the fight.”
There’s little time now. Somewhere in Pleasant Prairie, WI, Justin’s life flickers. Justin has returned home to Wisconsin to pass away with his family and friends. Doctors feared Justin wouldn’t make the July 1st launch of this campaign; to see what happens when a small army of laptops open to read his story and respond in kind, a thousand points of light across the United States working in chorus to help one man grasp his dream in the final moments. It’s a simple dream really, one which we Americans so often visualize as –
*Members of The Chive raised over $215k for Justin's mission in 21 hours...see the full story & updates here: http://thechive.com/2015/07/01/dying-veteran-has-one-final-mission-21-photos/#.vefoxx:rgwK
--
Justin heard the words in slow motion, “colon cancer… terminal.” A Major in the US Army, he knew well what would happen next. The protocol – talking about options and time. How much time? Six months, maybe, said the Oncologist. Justin’s thoughts drifted – That wouldn’t be enough time to get it done. This thing which must get done. This thing… it was not for him, it was for the others…
It all began in 2011 when Justin heard about a veteran named Troy Yocum who had walked the length of the United States three times over with a heavy rucksack on his back for a charity called Active Heroes. Troy was on a mission to end veteran suicide amongst soldiers with PTSD. For his efforts, Troy won the prestigious Citizens Honor Medal.
The Rucksack: A component of Active Heroes is called Carry the Fallen. Soldiers and Civilians alike will sign up to carry a 20 lb. rucksack on a march for 3, 6, 12 or 22 hours. Carrying the weight symbolizes the burden that many veterans carry post-war or post-trauma.
Justin Fitch knew about that burden all too well. Justin had suffered in silence from PTSD after returning home from Iraq. One night, he toggled off the safety switch on his firearm as hope grew dim. To the lesser observer, this is the easy way out. To a man pinned beneath PTSD, it feels like the only way out. At that moment Justin heard the voice of his fallen comrade, “Keep going, drive on.” Justin put the gun down and asked for help. It wouldn’t be long until Justin became that person people called to save their lives through his work with Active Heroes…
Justin and Troy became fast friends and Justin discovered he wasn’t alone. 22 veterans take their own lives every day in America. Troy and Justin dedicated their lives to figuring out a way to whittle that number down. The mission: End veteran suicide. The two collaborated well together, organizing successful ruck-marches across the country.
Active Heroes grew quickly out of Troy’s small office in Louisville. Since 2011 Active Heroes has helped 155 of some of the highest-risk cases of PTSD in the Louisville area. More soldiers were arriving at his door daily, a barometer that there was a great need in the area. Troy and Justin’s greater vision began to take shape.
They envisioned a retreat that would be free for military veterans and their families. For many soldiers with PTSD, darkness is a constant companion. They dreamed of a sanctuary out in the countryside for veterans and their families to focus on healing through outdoor activities, nature, and family-building challenges. The power of nature provides the ability to get away from stressors quickly, put a mind at ease, and even save lives.
Active Heroes found the perfect plot of land just outside Louisville with rolling hills and a fishing pond. A serene sanctuary from the darkness. After an exhaustive fundraiser they were able to purchase the land, 140 beautiful acres in Shepherdsville, KY.
The centerpiece of their vision, the Military Family Retreat, would be a log cabin: Hickory Hill Cabin. The lodge is a place for military families to stay free of charge to heal from the visible and invisible wounds of war, a place for the healing process to begin and for military families to learn how to reconnect with each other. Activities include an archery range, fishing, climbing walls, hiking trails, and even horse trails. Over 70 military families have signed up to use the cabin. One small issue – it doesn’t exist, and the funds were completely exhausted on the purchase of the land.
The brush where the retreat would be built was dense. Dozens of service men and women heard about the project and descended on the acreage in Shepherdsville, KY to help…Clearing the land took many months…but they got it done.
With the time he had left, Justin prioritized. He visited the memorial at the Natick base near Boston where he served.
The name of the memorial is “Carry The Fallen – The Minutemen”.
Days before checking into the hospital, Justin still put on his rucksack and marched for ‘Carry the Fallen’ in Wisconsin.
In 2012 Justin got the news that stage 4 colon cancer, not terminal. Then in the Fall of 2014…Six months, maybe, said the oncologist…not enough time to get it done. This thing that must get done.
A staff member of The Chive wrote this letter to Justin:
“Justin,
First, you’ll pardon my handwriting. My mother stressed penmanship growing up and I was a constant disappointment.
I have watched the video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AeuFNG6561w) you made for us despite the physical difficulty it took to create. I cannot express how weak I feel my words must be at a moment where so few moments remain. But you must know Justin, through your service and efforts to help soldiers with PTSD, you have saved more lives, and sacrificed more for your country than most will in a lifetime.
You must also know that I sent out two letters today, one to you, and one to Active Heroes which contains a check for $25,000 to Active Heroes to begin construction on the Hickory Hill Cabin you have fought so hard the last two years to have built.
The $25,000 will fund the access road to the cabin. At the end of this road, a plot has been cleared to make way for the cabin you always dreamed of building. Concerning the remaining balance, we have started a GoFundMe campaign to raise the $78,000 needed to construct, what I hope to be, the first of many cabins in Louisville.
You have taken this as far as you can, Justin. The Chive community will take it from here. We will not only to bring your vision to life, but we will continue to ease the burden of our injured soldiers, a burden we must all share as Americans. The cavalry, as they say, is on the way.
One last thing. In that other note I have attached one small request, that the Hickory Hill Cabin be renamed the Justin Fitch Cabin. A plaque on the front door will read:
“We are here to lighten your burden. Herein you shall find a sense of belonging, place, and purpose.”
– Justin Fitch
In your last days, you asked nothing for yourself, instead you gave everything you had left to your wife, friends, and injured brothers. You are the definition of a role model and a hero.”
Respectfully,
John Resig"
If you think it’s unfair that a man who has dedicated his life to serving our country and saving the lives of others should befall an illness that cuts his own life short in his prime, that’s because it is unfair. And while there’s no way to tip the balance of that scale, we must try. In the video below Justin says, “Take the last recorded words of a dying man to heart… please join the fight.”
There’s little time now. Somewhere in Pleasant Prairie, WI, Justin’s life flickers. Justin has returned home to Wisconsin to pass away with his family and friends. Doctors feared Justin wouldn’t make the July 1st launch of this campaign; to see what happens when a small army of laptops open to read his story and respond in kind, a thousand points of light across the United States working in chorus to help one man grasp his dream in the final moments. It’s a simple dream really, one which we Americans so often visualize as –
*Members of The Chive raised over $215k for Justin's mission in 21 hours...see the full story & updates here: http://thechive.com/2015/07/01/dying-veteran-has-one-final-mission-21-photos/#.vefoxx:rgwK
Heroes
Suicide
Cancer
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 6
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