11 Days of Remembrance: Raymond O.

11 Days of Remembrance: Raymond O.

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 greatest challenge as a surviving 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.

“My dad’s sacrifice, and the other men and women who have sacrificed their lives for our country, make it possible to live in the free country that we do,” stated Katie. “Although I wish every day that my dad was still here, I know that God is taking care of him. ‘Home of the free because of the brave’”

Currently, Katie is studying communications at the College of Charleston with the help of Fallen Patriots. She hopes to work somewhere in the marketing, advertising or broadcast fields.