11 Days of Remembrance: Mark C.

11 Days of Remembrance: Mark C.

Jessica R.’s dad, Mark C., served in the U.S Army and sadly passed from an IED. Jessica believes that Veteran’s day is the one day a year that everyone should reflect on the sacrifice that all service members have given for our country and our safety. She attends Veteran’s Day service at Ft Lewis, at the Special Forces compound, which is named after her father.

“People will talk about their fathers, and I’m constantly reminded of what I lost, and it is so hard to not feel bitter or jealous,” explained Jessica. “Most of all, it’s hard because I think about my father and miss him every day, and it’s difficult to live with the grief that never goes away.”

Despite the daily struggle of missing a parent, Jessica believes it’s important to try every day to be the person her dad would want her to be. She thinks her dad would be proud of the person she’s gown into.

Jessica plans to graduate with her nursing degree in June and continue to pursue her bachelors next year. She will never forget when her dad told her, “Jess, you’re going to do great things with life.”