“Love is something eternal; the aspect may change, but not the essence.” – Vincent Van Gogh
Hannah D. lost her father in a Black Hawk accident when she was only three years old. His distinguished military career and his drive to succeed have influenced her entire life.
With the love of her father and Fallen Patriots help, Hannah has overcome tremendous challenges and achieved a noteworthy milestone in her life.
“Every single night before I’d go to bed my dad would come into my room and say ‘I love you more than the earth, moon, and stars.’ To this day my mom, my brother and I say that to each other almost daily,” explained Hannah.
The memories Hannah has of our father are fuzzy, but the stories that her mom, grandparents and aunts tell her are what keep his memory alive.
“My father went above and beyond in his service. He walked as a guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Solider, flew as a Blackhawk pilot and served in the Special Forces,” explained Hannah. “He pushed every limit in his career to become the best that he could. His sacrifice drives me to do the same in my endeavors.”
Hannah believes she was truly too young to realize what it meant to lose her father. When her mom told her daddy had gone to heaven all she could say was "well who will I play candy land with then?"
“I was blessed however to get to re-experience my father's full military service funeral,” explained Hannah. “When I was in 7th grade my mom decided it was time my father take his rightful place at Arlington National Cemetery.”
Hannah recently graduated with a bachelor’s degree in advertising from Michigan State University. With the love of her father and Fallen Patriots help, Hannah has overcome tremendous challenges and achieved a noteworthy milestone in her life.