Last Friday, Ken, a man who Matt worked with when we were stationed in Fort Campbell, was in a car accident in Alabama. The crash was bad enough that he suffered serious head trauma that sent him to the ICU in a coma.
Within a day or two following the crash word spread around Facebook of Ken's situation and his Army family and friends were begging for a way to help him and his wife. Two days later over $7000 had been raised from people who knew Ken or his wife. I was so proud of our Lancer family. Many of the people who contributed to the fundraiser were former soldiers from the unit Matt and Ken served with in Iraq back in 2003. There were also a handful of donations that came in as "friend of...." and listed the name of a former Lancer. People who didn't know Ken, but knew people who knew him and wanted to help. The prayers, love, and financial support from all over the world was so amazing to see. And I only saw the public notes and donations, I'm sure it was only half of what was actually given. Seeing friends and family rally together was so moving. The positive power of social media was awesome!
Ken was fighting for his life. Throughout the week his wife was posting updates on his status and giving friends and family details on how they could specifically help. There wasn't an update yesterday, so when I woke up this morning I quickly found the site with hopes of reading about more times he turned his head toward his wife, or moved when the doctor told him to. Instead I read the news that his battle came to an end, Ken died this morning. Although I cannot imagine how difficult this past week has been for his parents and wife, I suppose the week proved to be a time that they were able to see him, tell him how much they love him, and say goodbye.
For some reason, in my head, aviators die in helicopter crashes - not car accidents. Statistically, cars are far more dangerous than helicopters but in reality, after being in 3 units that have suffered helicopter crashes and knowing fallen aviators, it just seems far more likely that our friends will die at work training or fighting...flying. This is perhaps what makes Ken's death seem so unbelievable. We are connected in some way to a few dozen soldiers who have died in a helicopter accident, but up until now not a single friend has died from anything else.
As the wife of an aviator, I often find myself on high alert when Matt is flying. I typically know his flight schedule and, whether it is conscious or not, I eagerly await a phone call when he is back on the ground. Under normal road conditions I never call to make sure he drove to work safely or to a friend's house. It is a little humorous to me that I think of the only threat to his life as being a Blackhawk. It is probably more likely that he will trip over his underwear at 98 and break a hip.
Ken died in Dothan, Alabama in a car accident at the age of 31. He was a soldier, a veteran of both the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, he was a beloved husband and a daddy to two young boys, he was a son, brother, and friend. We pray for his sweet wife and their two kids as they try to grasp what has just happened. I pray that one day she will again be full of joy, hope, and always surrounded by love.
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