KATIE O: HUG A GI DAY
Katie O.’s father, Raymond O., died while in test pilot school when a T-38 Talon training jet crashed. She was very young the day he passed, but she will never forget the day.
“The morning before he left for work, my sister and I were in my parent’s bed with my mom while he was getting ready to leave. We kept giving him hugs and kisses, not wanting him to leave that day and to stay home with us,” explained Katie. “We told him how much we loved him. This may seem sad, but to me, I got to say goodbye.”
Katie’s last memory of her father is the hug they shared. Though ordinary to most, she no longer has a dad to hug. Children of Fallen Patriots Foundation is asking for followers to send a virtual hug to scholars like Katie, by making a small donation on their website.
Katie’s greatest challenge as a Gold Star military child is feeling emptiness due to her dad being gone. She wishes every day that her dad was still alive, but she knows that God is taking care of him.
Currently, Katie is a sophomore at the College of Charleston with the help of Fallen Patriots. She hopes to work somewhere in the marketing, advertising or broadcast fields.