Fallen never forgotten

By Sgt. Kyle LarsenNovember 30, 2018

Fallen never forgotten
1 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Linda Eldred, mother of Spc. Marcus Eldred, speaks with Maj. Lee Harms, chaplain for ID-Readiness here, about her son at the Survivor Outreach Services Open House on May 1, 2018, in Waller Hall at Joint Base Lewis-McChord. Spc. Eldred, an Army cook f... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Fallen never forgotten
2 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Pat Bochenek, the mobilization and deployment program specialist for Armed Forces Community Service, and Command Sgt. Maj. Walter Taglicud, I Corps Command Sgt. Maj., discuss the Survivor Outreach Services open house on May 1, 2018, in Waller Hall at... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Fallen never forgotten
3 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Norma Melo, Joint Base Lewis-McChord school liason officer and a surviving spouse, meets with members of Survivor Outreach Services during their open house on May 1, 2018, in Waller Hall at JBLM. Melo lost her husband, Staff Sgt. Julian Melo, Dec. 21... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

Waller Hall

Fallen never forgotten

BY SGT. KYLE LARSEN

5th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. (May 3, 2018) -

For some people, the memory of personal tragedy never fades.

"I was with a client when I got the call," said Linda Eldred. Her voice cracked as she spoke. Her eyes filled with tears. "At first I didn't answer my phone and it kept ringing and ringing. Finally, I answered it and it was the Clallam County coroner."

Her son, Marcus Eldred, an Army cook for the U.S. Army Reserve in Marysville, Wash., passed away at the age of 24 while diving near the Neah's Bay Harbor, Wash., Oct. 11, 2015. He got tangled in kelp and was unable to resurface.

"I was in shock," said Eldred during the Survivor Outreach Services Open House May 1, 2018. "When I got off the phone with his girlfriend, I had to call everybody else."

When service members unexpectedly pass away, there is a lot required of the families. This is where SOS steps in. They connect families to resources and benefits, as well as provide long-term support and a safe haven for survivors.

Survivors are defined by the U.S. military as any family members who have lost a loved one who served in the U.S. Military.

Lori Gibson, wife of Vietnam veteran Duane Harris, is another survivor who was present at the open house.

Gibson, who lost her grandfather, father and husband to post-traumatic stress disorder, said that every time she told a therapist her story they would walk away. The SOS did not. It allowed her an avenue to talk about what happened without being judged.

Gibson said that when she met Harris, he had already retired from the Army. She could tell something was not right with how angry Harris would get. He would get fired from jobs frequently for having outbursts at work.

"I urged him to get help when we started dating," Gibson said. "He refused to go to the (Veterans Affairs), no matter how much I pleaded."

As their relationship grew, Gibson and Harris got married and moved in together.

"It's true what they say," said Gibson. "You can't see your trees when they are in front of you because you are too close to see the changes. When we moved in together, I no longer saw the issues Duane was having before we moved in together."

Gibson and one of Harris's fellow veterans found Harris outside of his house in Wash. He shot himself with a .45 caliber pistol.

According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, more than 6,000 veterans under the age of 30 died between 2000 and 2014. When they pass, family members are often left with little more than memories and memorabilia.

"I remember going to a horse show with him," said Gibson. "I would get so upset because my hair was dirty and he knew this. Every morning he would boil water just so I could wash my hair. I think that is what I miss about him the most."

As Gibson reminisced, a smile crept across her face. She said the memories are what keep her connected.

Attending events like the SOS open house with other survivors has offered her more therapy than she ever received from any civilian organization, said Gibson.

Although their situations are different, Eldred and Gibson share the identity of survivors. As survivors, they are entitled to certain benefits, including money in the Thrift Savings Plan, and untaxable service-related income. SOS's mission is to assist all survivors in receiving their entitlements.

"If we need something, we are able to speak with any of the counselors at SOS," said Eldred. "She will send us emails about events they host. For Easter we had a zoo visit and it allowed me to speak with other survivors. They all have a story and not everyone's story is the same. It's almost therapeutic. SOS has made these connections possible."