A Brother's Words; A Sister's Thoughts by Cindy Campbell

Do you have moments in life that make you ask yourself, are you kidding me? Shortly after my brother was killed, I had one of those moments. Learning that Chris left a wish that 100,000 people would donate to Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) fit the "are you kidding me?" criteria, in a big way! I had never heard of WWP before August 6th, 2011. My google search made my heart fill with pride as I started going through the website. They serve ALL branches of the military and ALL ranks. Race, religion or gender does not matter! If someone served in the military after 9/11, the programs and services offered by WWP are there for them. The organization exists "to help foster the most successful, well-adjusted generation of wounded service members in our nation’s history".  My brother, a little kid from a town in North Carolina, grew up to be a member of one of the most elite military forces, and in spite of that, retained a sense of compassion for others as he considered his ...

On June 21st, 2000, Chris emailed me from a cyber-cafe in the Phillipines. He and a few others took a tour of Corregidor Island. He wrote "If you are not up on your military history, this little island was the last stronghold that the U.S. and Phillipines were holding against Japan in WW2. This is the place where General MacArthur said those famous words, ' I shall return '. I am getting goosebumps typing!!"  While on this trip, Chris had a particularly interesting encounter. "And, get this, this little guy that lived in the hills and fished for a living sold me this original dog tag that he dug up in the jungle. The moment I saw it I just [knew I] have to return it to the family that it belongs to. The soldier's name was Michael P. from Pittsburgh, PA. His wife's name and their home address is on the tag. This is my mission. I choose to accept. I will be so happy to find them and return it!" Chris ended this email to me by suggesting I call our mom ...