Military Archives - Charity Matters

Charity Matters Inspiration November 11, 2016

American Women Veterans

Today is Veterans Day and the day that we celebrate all of those amazing men and women who have served our country. Last week I had the privilege of speaking with one incredible veteran and her name is Genevieve Chase. At only 38, she has served two tours in Afghanistan, is the recipient of the Bronze Star, the Purple Heart and the Combat Action Badge, and is the Founder of AmericanWomensVeterans.org

Genevieve had trained for two years as a counter intelligence agent and was in Afghanistan for only two months, in April 2006, when a car bomb detonated and changed her life forever. She and her team survived but suffered varying degrees of traumatic brain injuries. She told me, “Angels watched over us and I knew I survived that bomb for a reason.”

At the end of 2007, Genevieve came home, depressed, unsure about her purpose and began volunteering for another military non-profit. She began to realize that women veterans where not being heard, served or listened too. More importantly she discovered that there are 2.2 million women veterans in the United States.

In December 2008, Genevieve and her sister (shown above) put a call out on Facebook to any women Veteran’s in New York City to come join them for breakfast and thirteen women did. As she listened to stories about their shame to be a veteran, the way they were treated or ignored she knew something had to be done and that was the beginning of AmericanWomenVeterans.org

Today, almost eight years later the American Womens Veterans has become a change agent for women veterans. Genevieve has testified before U.S. Senate Foreign Relations and Veteran Affairs Committee to bring change and attention to these incredible women who have served. The American Womens Veterans is proud that they have helped to bring women’s health care to every VA facility in the country, helped acknowledge women veterans who were not allowed to be buried at Arlington National Cemetery and continue to shine a light on the remarkable role that women veterans have played and continue too, as they serve our country.

As we honor all of our veterans today, we need to remember that not every GI is a Joe.”

Charity Matters.

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Military July 7, 2014

Homecoming Thank You

I hope everyone had a great 4th of July, truly one of my favorite holidays. Since most of us are still in a patriotic mood I thought I would follow-up on a post I shared a few weeks back.

Last week we had Operation Gratitude come and speak at our leadership camp and tell the students just how important the two words, “thank you” really are. Our students wrote thank you letters to the troops, that brought tears to my eyes.

When I saw the video below, another example of saying thank you in a very big way, I simply had to share.

Just another reminder of the power of gratitude and saying thank you. A great way to start our week and remember that we all hold the power to make the world better…..simply by saying thank you.

Charity Matters.

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Charity Matters Quotes May 30, 2014

Charity Matters Quotes

“Man must search for what is right, and let
happiness come on its own.”

Johann Pestalozzi

As we say goodbye to May and get ready to embrace June. I wanted to close this month with gratitude towards our military, our veterans and all the families that sacrifice so much for each and every one of us. Memorial Day is behind us and summer is just peeking out from around the corner. So before we leave this month, thank you to all who have given and served.

Charity Matters.

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Military March 14, 2012

Honoring Our Fallen Heroes

People say that there are angels among us and when you hear Laura Herzog’s story you will believe she is one of them.

Laura Herzog’s first day of work as a public affairs officer, at the Joint Forces Training Base was on Nov.10, 2009. That was the day her life was changed forever. The reason; a 21-year-old Marine named Lance Cpl. Justin Swanson, from Camp Pendleton, that was killed in Afghanistan when a bomb exploded underneath his Humvee. Laura learned that she would be assisting in a dignified transfer of remains.

This was her first soldier that was coming home and she was determined to ensure that she did everything in her power to help his grieving family. She went to his family’s home to meet his family, to listen to the kind of person he was and then she arranged a heroes return with an honor precession with hundreds of people lining the street to honor him.

Lance Cpl. Justin Swanson was sadly the first of many fallen soldiers that Laura helped to honor, until the military cutbacks resulted in her losing her job. Rather than giving up in what she had started, she founded a non-profit called, Honoring Our Fallen Heroes.

Laura’s non-profit work isn’t just about funerals and processions, it can be anything from connecting a family to grief counseling services, delivering toys during the holidays, driving to deliver a son’s belongings to his parents, cleaning a gravestone or reaching out on a birthday. They pick up where the military ends.

As Laura said, “In my mind, it was more like, ‘How could I not start this?’ Not why. Every situation is different and every Family is different — but they are all Heroes — and deserve proper respect during the most difficult time of their lives.”

Laura Herzog is an angel that makes Charity Matter.

Copyright © 2012 Charity Matters. This article may not be reproduced without explicit written permission; if you are not reading this in your newsreader, the site you are viewing is illegally infringing our copyright. We would be grateful if you contact us.

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