who is your hometown hero?
Who is your hero? I met mine in May of 1998. He was fresh from Basic Training and I was coming out of my freshman year at LSU. A series of odd events brought him to my dorm room on the very day I was packing up for the summer. It took one afternoon to convince me that I'd found "the one". I have really great instincts. We were married in September of 2003, had our first baby in September of 2004 during flight school in Fort Rucker, AL. In 2008, he was deployed to Iraq, where he remained for a year (missing the delivery of our third baby and his first 6 months of life-- read more on that here). We recently celebrated the birth of our fifth child- and while he is no longer in the army, he'll always be my hero. 
Even being a former military wife, I'll never fully understand what our hardworking soldiers go through in times of war or separation- or that well of strength deep inside that draws them to military service in the first place. I do, however, understand the network of heroes who are left behind: the husbands and wives and children of those servicemen and women... the ones who didn't necessarily choose a military life- but proudly, humbly, bravely follow their soldiers to lands unknown. So in addition to the amazing men and women who are willing to fight and die for this country, we applaud the lesser-known heroes in trenches of their own: the tired mom who fixes toilets, mows the lawn and remembers to take out the trash... the anxious dad who drives carpool, braids hair and bakes cupcakes for class, the child who puts one foot in front of the other every day- a weary smile on his face. Our military families are the backbone of this country- and we all owe them a tremendous debt of gratitude. Having said that, W.D. Wolf wants to honor a hometown hero with "Hometown Firecracker" outfits for his or her family. So, who is your hero? Leave your nominations here. Please tell us a little bit about your favorite soldier, military spouse or family- and what makes them so very special. We will select and announce the winner this week. Love, Sarah & Shannon
My home town hero is Captain Chris Cooper and his wife Jennifer. Chris started his military career in the army reserves. They were married in 2009 and Chris was deployed to Afghanastain in 2010. During his deployment Jennifer took care of their two kids and finished her degree. When Chris returned to the states his time was up but he loved what he was doing so much that he re-enlisted and is now a full time solider. They had another child and Jennifer was inspired by their experience to return to school to get her masters in family counseling for military families. She wanted to do what she could to help reintegrate families after deployments.
My hero is easily, hands down, my mother. Born in July of 1968, as the third child to my grandmother…life was not easy for my mother. She was born into a military family. They never really settled in one place and were always on the move with her family. Her father was a military man always gone and died in the war. Her mother was too busy working three jobs trying just to put food on the table. My mom and her sisters were pretty much left to fend for themselves. My mom had my sister and I at the age of 15 and 16 years old. I can’t even imagine what that was like. She raised us as a single mom and has worked all her life to give us everything you could imagine. Now that I am grown and have a child of my own, it breaks my heart imagining how she ever did everything all by herself. I have heard stories about how poor she was as a child, but I never really understood it until last Sunday. My church was getting together clothes for the homeless. My mom and I went to the mall after church and saw an entire rack of jeans and pants on sale for $3.97. They were William Rast. Seriously, Justin Timberlake for $3.97!!!! I looked over at my mom who already had a stack piling up and at the same time we said…" Let’s buy these for the church!" My heart was so full because I know the size of my moms heart and it was like we read each others minds in that very moment! As we were clearing the shelves, a woman and two kids started going through the clothes. The woman was taking these children shopping with a voucher from the state. They were kids in the system from Georgia. My heart was so broken for them. I could tell my moms was too. The boy came out with a pair of the pants and modeled them in from of us. His face was beaming! He had also picked up some sunglasses that the woman said he couldn’t afford, and his voucher only covered clothes. I told myself, buy them for him. After clearing the shelves and heading to the register with my mom, I see the shades in my moms hands! It didn’t totally surprise me because my mom is the most giving person I’ve ever met. My heart was so full it could burst! The boy came over and my mom gave him the sunglasses. I was so proud of my mom. She paid for her stuff and cried so hard as she left the register. Leaving me crying as the lady rang up my stuff. And there standing was the two kids and the lady. The boy wearing his new shades and smiling. I now know. I fully understand and I finally got it! My moms wardrobe as a child consisted of two outfits. She said she just rotated them every other day. And most of the time, they weren’t even washed. I know on that day, my mom saw herself in those children. Her heart broke because she knew what it was like to not have enough money. So you see, my hero is a strong willed, beautiful, courageous, big hearted, selfless, giving, mother. She didn’t have an easy life but with her faith in God, she got through some extremely difficult moments. I can only pray that one day my daughter admires me as much as I do my mother. She gave me life when she didn’t have to. And she continues to show me just how simply amazing she is! If I am chosen as the winner, I would take a family portrait with my mom, daughter, sister, and I. It would mean the world to me!
My hometown hero by far is my MOM. She raised my sister and I all on her own working 3 jobs, no sleep and never ever took away from time with us or things to do with us. She managed an amazing home, sports, sporting events, coaching Gymnastics, taking us to and from dance, sleepovers .. You name it she did it with us or for us. Was always top sales agent in the Real Estate office in which she worked, was the best gas attendant that people went there to get gas just to see her smile and the happiest waitress you would have ever met in your life. Never complained a day in her life she rolled with the punches <3 In 2005 my Mom started to show signs of an illness in which in months furiosly got worse and worse. I finally managed to get her to let me go with her to the doctor to see what was going on and to explain to the doctor what I saw happening with my Mom. Over the next few years we traveled most of the United States to see several MS doctors to treat her for 2 years then be told it was not MS and turn us away. We then ended up in MD at John Hopkins for several months and that was the hardest thing ever! Having my Mom so far away from myself and my children. When we finally got her back home after so many test and no answers and I continued to care for my Mom and watch her go downhill in April 2012 it was time to put her in a nursing home. She was so bad I just couldn't give her the care and time she deserved ( the time she gave to us & this breaks my heart ) the only thing that gives me a little peace is knowing she would want me to do for my kids what she did for us and not take from them for what she was suffering from. Finally after getting her in and settled and pushing for more testing we finally got her diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease. After she has done so much for my sister and I as children and as grown women up until 2006 when she could not she is a HERO in my eyes and I am sure in many others in our local area. She was LOVED and very RESPECTED by many <3
I know I’m logging in at the last minute but I really have given this some thought. I love my hubby very much. He’s served three overseas tours as well as being away from us for Flight school and a job in Alexandria…we chose not to move the family for just a 10 month job. He’s been away for almost 6 of our eleven years of marriage. My instinct was to just say that he’s my hometown hero..proudly following in the footsteps of his dad and grandfather and of course, making my daddy and grandfather proud since they both served as well. But the truth of the matter is that my children are all my little hometown heroes too! My oldest is ten and he’s survived all of these deployments and is still delightful and caring and open. My kids take care of each other and step in to help out when dad is gone. AND they seldom complain…they are so proud of their dad! So I nominate my six family members :) Thanks for the opportunity to share~
My hometown hero is Stephanie Howell, mother of 4 little girls under the age of 6, blogger and wife of a military man. She documents it all on her blog, http://www.stephaniehowell.com. They are in Italy right now after moving once a year for at least the last 4-5 years (she was in Alabama for a year) and through it all keeps a smile for all of us moms, military wives or not. I don’t personally know her but she has been an inspiration to me for some time through her words and experiences. I am sure she would love for one of her little girls to get an amazing Well Dressed Wolf dress.