May 28, 2021 • 29 mins
Ryan Gorman hosts an iHeartRadio nationwide Memorial Day special featuring Dr. Chanel Dooley, the Director of Impact Assessment for the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS). TAPS provides comfort, care, and resources to all those grieving the death of a military loved one. Also, USAA Vice President Eric Engquist joined the show. Eric has served in the Army as an Infantry Officer and is involved with the USAA Poppy Wall of Honor. In 2018 and 2019, 645,000 poppies have graced the National Mall in D.C. to honor those who have served and sacrificed since WWI.
Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to I Heart Radio Communities, a public affair special
focusing on the biggest issues impacting you this week. Here's
Ryan Gorman. Thanks for joining us for this special Memorial
Day weekend edition of I Heart Radio Communities. I'm Ryan Gorman,
and we have some important conversations lined up for you.
In a moment, I'll check in with TAPS, an organization
(00:23):
offering vital assistance to those grieving the death of a
military loved one. As we spend the weekend honoring those
who served in sacrifice their lives for this country. Will
take a moment to shine a light on those they've
left behind. It's a chance for all of us to
make sure they're properly taken care of. Then I'll talk
to Eric Anquist, vice President of U s a A.
(00:44):
He served in the Army as an infantry officer, and
he'll be on to discuss the Poppy Wall of Honor
away for Americans to honor and remember our fallen soldiers. First,
to get things started, I'm joined by Dr Chanelle Dooley,
Director of Impact Assessment for the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors,
also known as TAPS. You can learn more at TAPS
(01:07):
dot Org. Dr Julie, thank you for the time and
for helping bring attention to this cause. And let's start
with an overview of the work TAPS does and how
this organization came about. Absolutely Ryan, So, the Tragedy Assistance
Program for Survivors was founded in out of a military tragedy.
(01:27):
Our president and founder, Bonnie Carroll, lost her husband's brigader,
General Tom Carroll, in a plane crash and went looking
for the type of support to help her through navigate
this grief journey and found it didn't exist, and so
TAPS was founded. We were founded as the national nonprofit
organization to provide peer based emotional support, connections to resources,
(01:51):
and twenty four seven assistants to everyone grieving the death
of a military loved one. We were founded it on
the principle that death does not know legalities, death does
not know geographic locations. Death is really a broken heart.
And for tens of thousands of military survivors living across
(02:15):
the nation, we are that source of comfort and support.
It's a little stunning that with so many wars having
been fought in so many American lives lost, that there
wasn't a support system like TAPS. For the families of
those we lost until the early nineties. Absolutely, Ryan, and
(02:36):
you are correct. We are home and we are a
safe place here with TAPS for a families grieving the
death of their loved one who served at any point
in time, and if they have ever warned that the
uniform of an armed services, we are here to honor
their life and service by caring for everyone they loved
(02:57):
and left behind. For twenty in years, we our doors
have been open, our minds have been live, and we
will continue on to to honor the life and legacy
of our American heroes. And if you don't mind, can
you tell us how you ended up getting connected with
TAPS and your personal story. Yes, Brian, So my journey
(03:19):
into TAPS came out of my own personal tragedy. I
was engaged to be married to Captain Alex Scanton, who
proudly served in the United States Air Force as a
special Agent. We were on our way to meet with
our wedding DJ and finalized the final plans for our
wedding when he was killed in a motorcycle accident and
(03:41):
my world turned upside down. And being that I was
not yet his wife, there were was really no options
for me in order for me to have any support.
I had amazing family and friends and all of the
fellow airmen and his unit were so support port of
But but the world kept moving forward, and for them,
(04:05):
you know, life moves on, but for me it didn't.
And TAPS actually found me while I was visiting Alex
on what was supposed to be our wedding day. Um
as he has laid to rest in Arlington National Cemetery,
and I happened to be in our nation's capital with
him over Memorial Day weekend, and TAPS actually reached out
(04:26):
and found me. And to follow up on one aspect
of your story in particular, I think it's important to
point out TAPS doesn't just offer support for the families
of those lost on the battlefield. TAPS is there for
the loved ones of any lost service member, regardless of
how it happened. Correct, yes, Ryan, So TAPS is here
for everyone, regardless of how, where, or when their service
(04:51):
member died. The beautiful thing about the Tragedy Assistance Program
for Survivors is that we have grams and services to
welcome everyone, no matter how they are grieving or how
their loved one died. Last year. In the leading cause
of death among military survivors connecting with TAPS were death
(05:14):
due to illnesses and death due to suicide. Last year,
we welcomed seven thousand, five hundred and eighty three new survivors,
and so far in one we are on track to
welcome almost nine thousand military survivors, and that is an
(05:35):
average of twenty four new survivors each day. I'm joined
by Dr Chanel Duley, Director of Impact Assessment for the
Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors, also known as TAPS. You
can learn more at TAPS dot org. So let's step
through how this works. If there's someone who loses a
(05:57):
loved one who's serving our country, what would be their
next steps and how would they go about getting help
from TAPS. That is a great question. So immediately upon
connecting with TAPS, there are multiple ways that families can
get connected. The easiest and and fastest way is through
our twenty four seven live answer National Military Survivor Helpline,
(06:20):
which is uh. Anyone can call it one hundred nine
five nine TAPS, and upon calling that number, you are
immediately connected with endless programs and services for free to
everyone grieving The death of a military loved one. We
have an incredible survivor care team that connects with all
(06:42):
military survivors to help validate them in that emotional reaction
they're having, helps them to normalize the experiences that they're feeling,
and connecting them with resources specific to their loved one
and in a way that is appropriate for them. Let's
spend a little more time on some of those programs
that TAPS makes available. Tell us about some of the
(07:04):
ones that are most often utilized. Absolutely, so, we have
now offered all of our programming is in a hybrid format,
so we are able to welcome families safely at in
person gatherings for survivors to connect across all ages, all relationships,
(07:24):
and all manners of loss. And then we also welcome
families virtual for virtual care groups, which are grief support
groups that these grief support groups are very special because
they are only for those grieving a death in the military.
We go through and also offer casework assistance to help
(07:46):
families navigate the complexity surrounding benefits and entitlements that they
have because their loved ones served. We also offer education
resources so we are able to connect military survivors with
education benefits to help them to move forward in a
healthy way so that there's little to know out of
(08:06):
pocket costs. Last year alone, we were able to connect
military survivors with over one hundred and eighty million dollars
worth of education benefits. And the beautiful thing about that program, Bryan,
is that we do not raise donor donor dollars for scholarships.
Our programs connect survivors with education benefits and scholarships that
(08:29):
are already out there. We have an incredible youth program
as UM. We focus first and foremost on helping individual survivors,
but then also how we help families to heal together.
Our youth programs pairs are grieving children under the age
of eighteen with a member of the military, their very
(08:51):
own military mentor, and this military mentor is presently serving
or has recently separated from the military, and they volunteer
their time and most especially this Memorial Day weekend to
be there as a source of comfort and support for
these children who are grieving the loss of their military
(09:12):
left one. We also offer connections to local community resources,
and because we are a national network of support, we
have pens of thousands of military survivors living all across
the United States, and so we are able to get
get survivors connected right in their own hometown. And Ryan,
(09:33):
we have been doing this for twenty seven years and
are still going very strong providing that support. You had
mentioned about all the different wars that we've had, and Um,
while it might not be always on the front page
of of everyone's minds, UM know that we are still
losing our soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines, coast guardsmen, National guardsmen,
(09:57):
and reservists at an alarm rates. And those losses are
not only on the battlefield. Those losses are home to
both invisible and visible loans of war. I'm joined by
Dr Chanel Dooley, Director of Impact Assessment for the Tragedy
Assistance Program for Survivors, also known as TAPS. You can
(10:18):
find out more at TAPS dot org. I want to
follow up on a few programs you mentioned, and I'll
start with casework assistance. I can only imagine how difficult
it is to lose a loved one serving our country
and then have to try to navigate all the requirements
needed for benefits and things like that. That resource in
particular has to be really helpful. Absolutely, Ryan, so our
(10:42):
task casework assistant has three major areas that we focus
on and first and foremost and that is survivor support.
That is providing support to survivors as they navigate all
of the complexities following the loss of their loved one
and can be anything from helping them to secure official
(11:03):
military records so that they can ensure that the ribbons
on their loved ones uniform are appropriate and accurate, um
emergency financial assistance to help survivors in those immediate minutes, days,
and weeks following the loss, and then also connections to
retroactive benefits. Last year, the team were as able to
(11:25):
resolve over six thousand and seven hundred individual cases for
military survivors, and we were also able to connect military
survivors with over three point nine million dollars worth of
retroactive benefits. Another aspect of the work you do that
I wanted to spend more time on is how you
(11:46):
connect survivors of lost military loved ones with other survivors.
You would be able to speak to this certainly better
than I can, but even with a great support system,
connecting with someone who truly under of stands what you're
going through seems like it could make a big impact. Ryan,
that is a great question, and if I can't, I'd
(12:07):
like to share a personal story about that moment um,
being that I was connected with TAPS and and how
TAPS found me. I had a very difficult time actually
talking about Alex because being so new in my grief
and and being incredibly traumatized, I could not say the
words out loud, and so when TAP started calling me,
(12:31):
I did everything I could to get off the phone
as quickly as I could, because Brian, once you put
words to it, then it becomes real. And my very
own survivor care team member who shared a similar experience
to the way that I lost alex Um, I was
doing everything I could to get off the song with her,
and she asked me the one question that nobody else
(12:52):
had ever thought to ask me, And she asked me
what I did with my wedding dress. And I asked
to tell you that even even now, Um, I'm four
years out in my grief, and that that still was
the pivotal turning points that only TAPS can offer. Final item,
I want to go a bit more in depth on,
(13:13):
especially in light of Memorial Day weekend suicide loss Support Sadly,
we see far too many service members and veterans take
their own lives, and while losing a loved one is
never easy, I'm guessing they're probably unique challenges that survivors
have to deal with when suicide is part of the equation.
(13:34):
What can you tell us about that, Ryan, You're bringing
up a very critical issue to so many who are
grieving the death of a military loved one who died
by suicide. And last year TAPS welcomes over two thousands
and three hundred new survivors grieving the death of their
person who died by Among this number is that number
(14:00):
includes children under the age of eight teen and over
the age of eight teens. We have an incredible suicide
pre and post mention program and for everyone. If you
are struggling and grieving the death of a loved one
who died by suicide, please visit us at TAP dot org,
forward splash suicide and you can read our our published
(14:21):
research on how to provide post defension responses following a
death by suicide, but also incredible resources for prevention, and
these are all specific to the military community. Well, I'm
sure so many people listening right now have heard about
all the fantastic work, important work TAPS is doing, and
(14:42):
on this Memorial Day weekend, it's a great opportunity to
do something and help support the work you're doing. So
how exactly can they go about doing that? So we
have multiple different ways that anyone listening can help support
submission to care for all of grieving the death of
a military loved one with the Tragedy Assistance Program for
(15:04):
Survivors by visiting us online at TAP dot org, Forward
Flash donate. We always need support, and the other way
to support the mission is to share our organization. There
are military survivors ryan that that your audience is going
to see. This message is going to reach and we
know they may not yet be connected with our TAP family,
(15:27):
and we want to help and we are here for them.
Call us nine five nine TAPS and one more time
the website where you can find out more and you
can offer your support. TAPS dot org a really great
thing to do this Memorial Day weekend. Dr Chanel Duley,
(15:47):
Director of Impact Assessment for the Tragedy Assistant Program for Survivors,
also known as TAPS. Dr Dooley, thank you so much
for taking the time out to talk about all the
tremendou this work your organization is doing, and also to
share your personal story with us. We really appreciate it.
Thank you, Ryan, It's an honor to show the mission. Finally,
(16:08):
for the special Memorial Day weekend edition of Radio Communities,
I'm joined by Eric Enquist U s A, a vice
president who served in the Army as an infantry officer.
He's here to talk about the U. S A a
Poppy Wall of Honor, which you can find out more
about at Poppy in Memory dot com. Eric, thank you
(16:29):
for coming on the show for a few minutes and
to start what exactly is the Poppy Wall of Honor
and what's the backstory for it? Well, thank you for
having me. Ryan. USA is a financial services company founded
by the military for the military. As we continue to
honor those and serve those who serve us, Memorial Day
presents a great opportunity for us to also honor the
(16:49):
sacrifice of so many men and women who have paid
the ultimate sacrifice and defense of our freedoms. And in
years past, we've constructed a Poppy Wall of Honor at
the now The Mall in Washington, d C. And it's
about a hundred and thirty ft long almost ten feet tall,
and in it are more than six hundred and forty
five thousand poppies, each poppy representing a single life lost
(17:12):
in defense of our freedom since World War One. This year,
we're not able to be in Washington, d C. Because
of the pandemic, and so we've brought a virtual Poppy Wall,
as you mentioned, Poppy and Memory dot Com where Americans
can go and log in to learn about the importance
of Memorial Day, the true meaning behind the holiday, as
well as dedicated poppy and Memory to a service member
(17:35):
who has given their life into Prince of our freedom
and correct me if I'm wrong. Usa A initially joined
up with the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars
to create the physical wall, right, that's correct. The American
Legion and the VFW have members that make poppies each
(17:57):
year UH during Memorial Day to honor the fallen and
they were the ones that were instrumental in donating the
poppies for the construction of the wall itself. Is there
a reason that poppies became the symbol? There is, UH,
and it actually dates back to the American Legion in
nineteen fifteen. A Canadian doctor in World War One lost
(18:20):
a dear friend in the battle in Belgium, and when
he went to visit the battlefield in the spring, the
red poppies on the battlefield were in bloom and he
was so moved he wrote a poem entitled in Flanders Field,
and an American professor, Molina Michael, read the poem and
was encouraged to respond to that poem with the poem
(18:42):
of her own called we Shall Keep the Faith, and
in it she committed to wearing a red poppy in
honor of all of the fallen service members in World
War One, and she commissioned the American Legion in nineteen
twenty to adopt the red poppy as the national symbol
of her an umbrance. And now you really see the
red poppy as a symbol of remembrance the whole world over,
(19:05):
not just here in the United States and among the
DFW and the American family. I'm joined by Eric Anquist
U s A, a Vice President. He served in the
Army as an infantry officer, and he's here to talk
about the U. S A A Poppy Wall of Honor.
You can find out more at Poppy in Memory dot
com and and before the pandemic. This is really becoming
(19:28):
an annual tradition in Washington, d C. Now, unfortunately it's
it's had to go virtual for the moment. I'm sure
it's going to come back in person soon enough. But
this is really something that has captured the attention of
a lot of people who want to honor someone who
was lost serving this country. Correct, that is correct. Yes,
(19:52):
we really have received a lot of great feedback about
the poppy and the educational opportunities to let can know
what the true meaning of the holiday is and the
true meeting behind the red poppy. Uh. It's an opportunity
for us to educate everyone because most of the six
thousand who have sacrificed over one will never be known
(20:15):
to us, so it's important that we honor them, that
we do remember them. Oftentimes, Memorial Day is confused with
Veterans Day. Uh, that's in November when we thank all
service members for their service to our country. But Memorial
Day is special for those you, those six dand that
have given ultimate sacrifice for the freedoms that we usually
(20:38):
enjoy over the weekend, which is the beginning of summer,
and barbecues and uh mattress sales so people can go
along their daily life and enjoy the lives the freedoms
that have been afforded them by those that have sacrificed
so much. But it's important to remember the true meaning
behind the weekend. And as someone who served in the Army,
(20:59):
used served in units both within the US and overseas,
including a rock personally, for you, what does Memorial Day mean?
Memorial there is an important day. I'm just like you
and just like everyone else. My family and I enjoy
getting out and enjoying good weather and spending time with
(21:20):
family and friends. But I also do take time to
reflect on those that have been lost and the ones
that I've personally known. As a West Point graduated, there
are twelve of my classmates that have paid the ltimate
sacrifice that nine eleven, and I've served with nearly forty
service men and women that I'm aware of that they're
(21:41):
served with them, they served under me, or I have
served under them that have paid the altimate sacrifice, and
so my family do take time to remember them. I'm
wearing a poppy on my lapel and have been all
weeks uh in advances this weekend and We'll be thinking
of them often. You also promote the hashtag Honor through
(22:04):
Action on social media. Can you explain what's behind that
particular campaign and how it ties in to all the
work that you're doing at USA with the Poppy Wall
of Honor. Yeah, Autor through Action or not of our
efforts to help educate everyone about the true meaning of
Memorial Day. And we encourage everyone to do something, uh,
(22:28):
some small effort on their part to recognize the sacrifices
of the many women in uniform and so auto diactions
and opportunity for them. Take a picture, comment on social media,
share what you're doing to honor the remembrance of those
who have sacrificed so much hashtag honor through Action. And
there's many things that you can do, educating friends or
(22:52):
loved ones. It really begins at home. Talk to your
children about the meaning of the poppy and the meaning
of the holiday. Visit Poppy in Memory dot com and
learn about the conflicts since World War One where so
many have paid the ultimate sacrifice. And you can also
commit time in volunteering for a myriad of veteran service
(23:13):
organizations that are committed to supporting military families left behind
after their loved ones to have paid the ultimate sacrifice.
Organizations like to try to Transition Tragedy Assistance Programs for
Survivors or TAPS UH really support those family members left behind.
And we actually just had someone on from TAPS to
(23:37):
talk about the tremendous work that they do, because yes,
this is about remembering those who have been lost, but
it's also a chance to help those that they've left
behind and to make sure they have all the support
that they need during what could be a very difficult
and trying time. That's right, but we're not looking for donations.
(24:00):
Poppy and Memory dot com is purely educational UH and
and really intended to honor the sacrifice of those servicemen
and women. But there are also organizations and people can
donate their time to supporting very worthy causes. I'm joined
by Eric and quest U s A, a vice president.
He served in the Army as an infantry officer and
(24:21):
he's here to talk about the Poppy Wall of Honor.
You can find out more at Poppy in Memory dot com.
And you've really taken all the new types of technologies
and offered different ways to highlight the Poppy For this
Memorial Day weekend from Snapchat to zoom backgrounds. That's right,
(24:46):
there are zoomed backgrounds with the poppy wall. There's an
image of the actual wall that has been erected historically
in Washington, d c. Uh. There are filters in Snapchat
you can post to social media. Again, we have that
people tag it with hashtag Honor through Action and then
of course visit the virtual Poppy Wall at Poppy and
memory dot com. And also I want to go back
(25:08):
to something you mentioned a moment ago, because you have
a note here at Poppy in memory dot com about
inspiring children, working with children, creating a poppy with kids
to explain at a very early age the significance of
Memorial Day. That's right. On a personal note, last year,
I was invited to speak at my daughter's school when
(25:31):
I was wearing a poppy, and it was amazing, Uh,
the interest that the kids had in third grade about
the symbol of remembrance, what was behind it. And in
fact I actually brought poppies back to the school and
my daughter said that, Uh, for the entire week, children
were wearing the poppies and we're talking about it. And
(25:53):
I think that's the opportunity here is to really understand
from a Grassroos perspective what the true meaning of Memorial
a is UH, and and not losing sight of the
fact that it is the beginning of summer, and that
we all are going about our daily lives. But remember,
just for a small moment, the sacrifice behind the weekend.
(26:13):
And while this year visitors can dedicate a virtual poppy
to anyone who died in a military conflict, there is
the physical Poppy Wall of Honor. And can you talk
a little bit about how much that has grown and
support for this initiative the USA A Poppy Wall of Honor,
(26:33):
How much support has soared since you first started with us. Yes,
in fact, the popul Wall of Honor really began as
an internal company wide initiative. We built the poppy wall
for our internal Memorial Day remembrance program UH. And the
(26:55):
following year, in two does An eighteen, we erected that
poppy wall the National Mall in Washington, d C, adjacent
to the Reflecting Pool. And it was amazing that weekend,
as you can imagine, many people go to d C.
We had tens of thousands visit the Poppy Wall of Honor,
and it truly is remarkable. When you see the sheer
(27:17):
magnitude of sixty five thousand poppies on a wall that
is more than thirty feet long and ten feet tall,
it's truly overwhelming. Um. It puts into context just how
much Americans have willingly given their lives for many freedoms
that we take for granted every day. Uh. And we
(27:39):
were in fact directed it the following year with the
same if not more level of support from the local
community and everyone who was visiting d C. So we
look forward to the year's coming to return to Washington,
d C. UM, and this year we're helping keep that
message alive through through virtual channels. And I'm wondering final
(28:01):
question for you, do you think this virtual option could
raise even more awareness for this initiative because people will
get to participate in it that maybe wouldn't be able
to make it to Washington, d C. And go to
the National Mall where the actual USA A Poppy Wall
of Honor is located. That's a great question, uh, And
(28:23):
the short answers yes, I think that if anything, this
last year has taught us that reaching out virtually is
something that has been conversely adopted and well received and
should continue just for that very point. We can only
impact so many people at a specific location for a
specific amount of time, but if by amplifying it in
(28:44):
digital channels like Poppy of Memory dot com or via
social media and sharing, we're able to reach so many
more people and include them in remembering. I think that
we will continue to do it both virtually, but resume
the in person opportunity area as well in the future.
Eric and quest U s A a vice president who
(29:04):
served in the Army as an infantry officer and is
here to talk about the U s a a Poppy
Wall of Honor. You can find out more at Poppy
in Memory dot com. Eric, thank you so much for
the time, and thank you so much for your service
to this country as well. Well. Thank you for having
me really appreciate you helping us spread the message around
(29:25):
Memorial Day. All right, and that's gonna do it. For
this special Memorial Day weekend edition of iHeart Radio Communities,
I'm Ryan Gorman on behalf of myself and the entire
team here at I Hear Radio. I just want to
wrap up by thanking and honoring all of those who
have served and made the ultimate sacrifice for our country,
Welcome to I Heart Radio Communities, a public affair special
focusing on the biggest issues impacting you this week. Here's
Ryan Gorman. Thanks for joining us for this special Memorial
Day weekend edition of I Heart Radio Communities. I'm Ryan Gorman,
and we have some important conversations lined up for you.
In a moment, I'll check in with TAPS, an organization
(00:23):
offering vital assistance to those grieving the death of a
military loved one. As we spend the weekend honoring those
who served in sacrifice their lives for this country. Will
take a moment to shine a light on those they've
left behind. It's a chance for all of us to
make sure they're properly taken care of. Then I'll talk
to Eric Anquist, vice President of U s a A.
(00:44):
He served in the Army as an infantry officer, and
he'll be on to discuss the Poppy Wall of Honor
away for Americans to honor and remember our fallen soldiers. First,
to get things started, I'm joined by Dr Chanelle Dooley,
Director of Impact Assessment for the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors,
also known as TAPS. You can learn more at TAPS
(01:07):
dot Org. Dr Julie, thank you for the time and
for helping bring attention to this cause. And let's start
with an overview of the work TAPS does and how
this organization came about. Absolutely Ryan, So, the Tragedy Assistance
Program for Survivors was founded in out of a military tragedy.
(01:27):
Our president and founder, Bonnie Carroll, lost her husband's brigader,
General Tom Carroll, in a plane crash and went looking
for the type of support to help her through navigate
this grief journey and found it didn't exist, and so
TAPS was founded. We were founded as the national nonprofit
organization to provide peer based emotional support, connections to resources,
(01:51):
and twenty four seven assistants to everyone grieving the death
of a military loved one. We were founded it on
the principle that death does not know legalities, death does
not know geographic locations. Death is really a broken heart.
And for tens of thousands of military survivors living across
(02:15):
the nation, we are that source of comfort and support.
It's a little stunning that with so many wars having
been fought in so many American lives lost, that there
wasn't a support system like TAPS. For the families of
those we lost until the early nineties. Absolutely, Ryan, and
(02:36):
you are correct. We are home and we are a
safe place here with TAPS for a families grieving the
death of their loved one who served at any point
in time, and if they have ever warned that the
uniform of an armed services, we are here to honor
their life and service by caring for everyone they loved
(02:57):
and left behind. For twenty in years, we our doors
have been open, our minds have been live, and we
will continue on to to honor the life and legacy
of our American heroes. And if you don't mind, can
you tell us how you ended up getting connected with
TAPS and your personal story. Yes, Brian, So my journey
(03:19):
into TAPS came out of my own personal tragedy. I
was engaged to be married to Captain Alex Scanton, who
proudly served in the United States Air Force as a
special Agent. We were on our way to meet with
our wedding DJ and finalized the final plans for our
wedding when he was killed in a motorcycle accident and
(03:41):
my world turned upside down. And being that I was
not yet his wife, there were was really no options
for me in order for me to have any support.
I had amazing family and friends and all of the
fellow airmen and his unit were so support port of
But but the world kept moving forward, and for them,
(04:05):
you know, life moves on, but for me it didn't.
And TAPS actually found me while I was visiting Alex
on what was supposed to be our wedding day. Um
as he has laid to rest in Arlington National Cemetery,
and I happened to be in our nation's capital with
him over Memorial Day weekend, and TAPS actually reached out
(04:26):
and found me. And to follow up on one aspect
of your story in particular, I think it's important to
point out TAPS doesn't just offer support for the families
of those lost on the battlefield. TAPS is there for
the loved ones of any lost service member, regardless of
how it happened. Correct, yes, Ryan, So TAPS is here
for everyone, regardless of how, where, or when their service
(04:51):
member died. The beautiful thing about the Tragedy Assistance Program
for Survivors is that we have grams and services to
welcome everyone, no matter how they are grieving or how
their loved one died. Last year. In the leading cause
of death among military survivors connecting with TAPS were death
(05:14):
due to illnesses and death due to suicide. Last year,
we welcomed seven thousand, five hundred and eighty three new survivors,
and so far in one we are on track to
welcome almost nine thousand military survivors, and that is an
(05:35):
average of twenty four new survivors each day. I'm joined
by Dr Chanel Duley, Director of Impact Assessment for the
Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors, also known as TAPS. You
can learn more at TAPS dot org. So let's step
through how this works. If there's someone who loses a
(05:57):
loved one who's serving our country, what would be their
next steps and how would they go about getting help
from TAPS. That is a great question. So immediately upon
connecting with TAPS, there are multiple ways that families can
get connected. The easiest and and fastest way is through
our twenty four seven live answer National Military Survivor Helpline,
(06:20):
which is uh. Anyone can call it one hundred nine
five nine TAPS, and upon calling that number, you are
immediately connected with endless programs and services for free to
everyone grieving The death of a military loved one. We
have an incredible survivor care team that connects with all
(06:42):
military survivors to help validate them in that emotional reaction
they're having, helps them to normalize the experiences that they're feeling,
and connecting them with resources specific to their loved one
and in a way that is appropriate for them. Let's
spend a little more time on some of those programs
that TAPS makes available. Tell us about some of the
(07:04):
ones that are most often utilized. Absolutely, so, we have
now offered all of our programming is in a hybrid format,
so we are able to welcome families safely at in
person gatherings for survivors to connect across all ages, all relationships,
(07:24):
and all manners of loss. And then we also welcome
families virtual for virtual care groups, which are grief support
groups that these grief support groups are very special because
they are only for those grieving a death in the military.
We go through and also offer casework assistance to help
(07:46):
families navigate the complexity surrounding benefits and entitlements that they
have because their loved ones served. We also offer education
resources so we are able to connect military survivors with
education benefits to help them to move forward in a
healthy way so that there's little to know out of
(08:06):
pocket costs. Last year alone, we were able to connect
military survivors with over one hundred and eighty million dollars
worth of education benefits. And the beautiful thing about that program, Bryan,
is that we do not raise donor donor dollars for scholarships.
Our programs connect survivors with education benefits and scholarships that
(08:29):
are already out there. We have an incredible youth program
as UM. We focus first and foremost on helping individual survivors,
but then also how we help families to heal together.
Our youth programs pairs are grieving children under the age
of eighteen with a member of the military, their very
(08:51):
own military mentor, and this military mentor is presently serving
or has recently separated from the military, and they volunteer
their time and most especially this Memorial Day weekend to
be there as a source of comfort and support for
these children who are grieving the loss of their military
(09:12):
left one. We also offer connections to local community resources,
and because we are a national network of support, we
have pens of thousands of military survivors living all across
the United States, and so we are able to get
get survivors connected right in their own hometown. And Ryan,
(09:33):
we have been doing this for twenty seven years and
are still going very strong providing that support. You had
mentioned about all the different wars that we've had, and Um,
while it might not be always on the front page
of of everyone's minds, UM know that we are still
losing our soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines, coast guardsmen, National guardsmen,
(09:57):
and reservists at an alarm rates. And those losses are
not only on the battlefield. Those losses are home to
both invisible and visible loans of war. I'm joined by
Dr Chanel Dooley, Director of Impact Assessment for the Tragedy
Assistance Program for Survivors, also known as TAPS. You can
(10:18):
find out more at TAPS dot org. I want to
follow up on a few programs you mentioned, and I'll
start with casework assistance. I can only imagine how difficult
it is to lose a loved one serving our country
and then have to try to navigate all the requirements
needed for benefits and things like that. That resource in
particular has to be really helpful. Absolutely, Ryan, so our
(10:42):
task casework assistant has three major areas that we focus
on and first and foremost and that is survivor support.
That is providing support to survivors as they navigate all
of the complexities following the loss of their loved one
and can be anything from helping them to secure official
(11:03):
military records so that they can ensure that the ribbons
on their loved ones uniform are appropriate and accurate, um
emergency financial assistance to help survivors in those immediate minutes, days,
and weeks following the loss, and then also connections to
retroactive benefits. Last year, the team were as able to
(11:25):
resolve over six thousand and seven hundred individual cases for
military survivors, and we were also able to connect military
survivors with over three point nine million dollars worth of
retroactive benefits. Another aspect of the work you do that
I wanted to spend more time on is how you
(11:46):
connect survivors of lost military loved ones with other survivors.
You would be able to speak to this certainly better
than I can, but even with a great support system,
connecting with someone who truly under of stands what you're
going through seems like it could make a big impact. Ryan,
that is a great question, and if I can't, I'd
(12:07):
like to share a personal story about that moment um,
being that I was connected with TAPS and and how
TAPS found me. I had a very difficult time actually
talking about Alex because being so new in my grief
and and being incredibly traumatized, I could not say the
words out loud, and so when TAP started calling me,
(12:31):
I did everything I could to get off the phone
as quickly as I could, because Brian, once you put
words to it, then it becomes real. And my very
own survivor care team member who shared a similar experience
to the way that I lost alex Um, I was
doing everything I could to get off the song with her,
and she asked me the one question that nobody else
(12:52):
had ever thought to ask me, And she asked me
what I did with my wedding dress. And I asked
to tell you that even even now, Um, I'm four
years out in my grief, and that that still was
the pivotal turning points that only TAPS can offer. Final item,
I want to go a bit more in depth on,
(13:13):
especially in light of Memorial Day weekend suicide loss Support Sadly,
we see far too many service members and veterans take
their own lives, and while losing a loved one is
never easy, I'm guessing they're probably unique challenges that survivors
have to deal with when suicide is part of the equation.
(13:34):
What can you tell us about that, Ryan, You're bringing
up a very critical issue to so many who are
grieving the death of a military loved one who died
by suicide. And last year TAPS welcomes over two thousands
and three hundred new survivors grieving the death of their
person who died by Among this number is that number
(14:00):
includes children under the age of eight teen and over
the age of eight teens. We have an incredible suicide
pre and post mention program and for everyone. If you
are struggling and grieving the death of a loved one
who died by suicide, please visit us at TAP dot org,
forward splash suicide and you can read our our published
(14:21):
research on how to provide post defension responses following a
death by suicide, but also incredible resources for prevention, and
these are all specific to the military community. Well, I'm
sure so many people listening right now have heard about
all the fantastic work, important work TAPS is doing, and
(14:42):
on this Memorial Day weekend, it's a great opportunity to
do something and help support the work you're doing. So
how exactly can they go about doing that? So we
have multiple different ways that anyone listening can help support
submission to care for all of grieving the death of
a military loved one with the Tragedy Assistance Program for
(15:04):
Survivors by visiting us online at TAP dot org, Forward
Flash donate. We always need support, and the other way
to support the mission is to share our organization. There
are military survivors ryan that that your audience is going
to see. This message is going to reach and we
know they may not yet be connected with our TAP family,
(15:27):
and we want to help and we are here for them.
Call us nine five nine TAPS and one more time
the website where you can find out more and you
can offer your support. TAPS dot org a really great
thing to do this Memorial Day weekend. Dr Chanel Duley,
(15:47):
Director of Impact Assessment for the Tragedy Assistant Program for Survivors,
also known as TAPS. Dr Dooley, thank you so much
for taking the time out to talk about all the
tremendou this work your organization is doing, and also to
share your personal story with us. We really appreciate it.
Thank you, Ryan, It's an honor to show the mission. Finally,
(16:08):
for the special Memorial Day weekend edition of Radio Communities,
I'm joined by Eric Enquist U s A, a vice
president who served in the Army as an infantry officer.
He's here to talk about the U. S A a
Poppy Wall of Honor, which you can find out more
about at Poppy in Memory dot com. Eric, thank you
(16:29):
for coming on the show for a few minutes and
to start what exactly is the Poppy Wall of Honor
and what's the backstory for it? Well, thank you for
having me. Ryan. USA is a financial services company founded
by the military for the military. As we continue to
honor those and serve those who serve us, Memorial Day
presents a great opportunity for us to also honor the
(16:49):
sacrifice of so many men and women who have paid
the ultimate sacrifice and defense of our freedoms. And in
years past, we've constructed a Poppy Wall of Honor at
the now The Mall in Washington, d C. And it's
about a hundred and thirty ft long almost ten feet tall,
and in it are more than six hundred and forty
five thousand poppies, each poppy representing a single life lost
(17:12):
in defense of our freedom since World War One. This year,
we're not able to be in Washington, d C. Because
of the pandemic, and so we've brought a virtual Poppy Wall,
as you mentioned, Poppy and Memory dot Com where Americans
can go and log in to learn about the importance
of Memorial Day, the true meaning behind the holiday, as
well as dedicated poppy and Memory to a service member
(17:35):
who has given their life into Prince of our freedom
and correct me if I'm wrong. Usa A initially joined
up with the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars
to create the physical wall, right, that's correct. The American
Legion and the VFW have members that make poppies each
(17:57):
year UH during Memorial Day to honor the fallen and
they were the ones that were instrumental in donating the
poppies for the construction of the wall itself. Is there
a reason that poppies became the symbol? There is, UH,
and it actually dates back to the American Legion in
nineteen fifteen. A Canadian doctor in World War One lost
(18:20):
a dear friend in the battle in Belgium, and when
he went to visit the battlefield in the spring, the
red poppies on the battlefield were in bloom and he
was so moved he wrote a poem entitled in Flanders Field,
and an American professor, Molina Michael, read the poem and
was encouraged to respond to that poem with the poem
(18:42):
of her own called we Shall Keep the Faith, and
in it she committed to wearing a red poppy in
honor of all of the fallen service members in World
War One, and she commissioned the American Legion in nineteen
twenty to adopt the red poppy as the national symbol
of her an umbrance. And now you really see the
red poppy as a symbol of remembrance the whole world over,
(19:05):
not just here in the United States and among the
DFW and the American family. I'm joined by Eric Anquist
U s A, a Vice President. He served in the
Army as an infantry officer, and he's here to talk
about the U. S A A Poppy Wall of Honor.
You can find out more at Poppy in Memory dot
com and and before the pandemic. This is really becoming
(19:28):
an annual tradition in Washington, d C. Now, unfortunately it's
it's had to go virtual for the moment. I'm sure
it's going to come back in person soon enough. But
this is really something that has captured the attention of
a lot of people who want to honor someone who
was lost serving this country. Correct, that is correct. Yes,
(19:52):
we really have received a lot of great feedback about
the poppy and the educational opportunities to let can know
what the true meaning of the holiday is and the
true meeting behind the red poppy. Uh. It's an opportunity
for us to educate everyone because most of the six
thousand who have sacrificed over one will never be known
(20:15):
to us, so it's important that we honor them, that
we do remember them. Oftentimes, Memorial Day is confused with
Veterans Day. Uh, that's in November when we thank all
service members for their service to our country. But Memorial
Day is special for those you, those six dand that
have given ultimate sacrifice for the freedoms that we usually
(20:38):
enjoy over the weekend, which is the beginning of summer,
and barbecues and uh mattress sales so people can go
along their daily life and enjoy the lives the freedoms
that have been afforded them by those that have sacrificed
so much. But it's important to remember the true meaning
behind the weekend. And as someone who served in the Army,
(20:59):
used served in units both within the US and overseas,
including a rock personally, for you, what does Memorial Day mean?
Memorial there is an important day. I'm just like you
and just like everyone else. My family and I enjoy
getting out and enjoying good weather and spending time with
(21:20):
family and friends. But I also do take time to
reflect on those that have been lost and the ones
that I've personally known. As a West Point graduated, there
are twelve of my classmates that have paid the ltimate
sacrifice that nine eleven, and I've served with nearly forty
service men and women that I'm aware of that they're
(21:41):
served with them, they served under me, or I have
served under them that have paid the altimate sacrifice, and
so my family do take time to remember them. I'm
wearing a poppy on my lapel and have been all
weeks uh in advances this weekend and We'll be thinking
of them often. You also promote the hashtag Honor through
(22:04):
Action on social media. Can you explain what's behind that
particular campaign and how it ties in to all the
work that you're doing at USA with the Poppy Wall
of Honor. Yeah, Autor through Action or not of our
efforts to help educate everyone about the true meaning of
Memorial Day. And we encourage everyone to do something, uh,
(22:28):
some small effort on their part to recognize the sacrifices
of the many women in uniform and so auto diactions
and opportunity for them. Take a picture, comment on social media,
share what you're doing to honor the remembrance of those
who have sacrificed so much hashtag honor through Action. And
there's many things that you can do, educating friends or
(22:52):
loved ones. It really begins at home. Talk to your
children about the meaning of the poppy and the meaning
of the holiday. Visit Poppy in Memory dot com and
learn about the conflicts since World War One where so
many have paid the ultimate sacrifice. And you can also
commit time in volunteering for a myriad of veteran service
(23:13):
organizations that are committed to supporting military families left behind
after their loved ones to have paid the ultimate sacrifice.
Organizations like to try to Transition Tragedy Assistance Programs for
Survivors or TAPS UH really support those family members left behind.
And we actually just had someone on from TAPS to
(23:37):
talk about the tremendous work that they do, because yes,
this is about remembering those who have been lost, but
it's also a chance to help those that they've left
behind and to make sure they have all the support
that they need during what could be a very difficult
and trying time. That's right, but we're not looking for donations.
(24:00):
Poppy and Memory dot com is purely educational UH and
and really intended to honor the sacrifice of those servicemen
and women. But there are also organizations and people can
donate their time to supporting very worthy causes. I'm joined
by Eric and quest U s A, a vice president.
He served in the Army as an infantry officer and
(24:21):
he's here to talk about the Poppy Wall of Honor.
You can find out more at Poppy in Memory dot com.
And you've really taken all the new types of technologies
and offered different ways to highlight the Poppy For this
Memorial Day weekend from Snapchat to zoom backgrounds. That's right,
(24:46):
there are zoomed backgrounds with the poppy wall. There's an
image of the actual wall that has been erected historically
in Washington, d c. Uh. There are filters in Snapchat
you can post to social media. Again, we have that
people tag it with hashtag Honor through Action and then
of course visit the virtual Poppy Wall at Poppy and
memory dot com. And also I want to go back
(25:08):
to something you mentioned a moment ago, because you have
a note here at Poppy in memory dot com about
inspiring children, working with children, creating a poppy with kids
to explain at a very early age the significance of
Memorial Day. That's right. On a personal note, last year,
I was invited to speak at my daughter's school when
(25:31):
I was wearing a poppy, and it was amazing, Uh,
the interest that the kids had in third grade about
the symbol of remembrance, what was behind it. And in
fact I actually brought poppies back to the school and
my daughter said that, Uh, for the entire week, children
were wearing the poppies and we're talking about it. And
(25:53):
I think that's the opportunity here is to really understand
from a Grassroos perspective what the true meaning of Memorial
a is UH, and and not losing sight of the
fact that it is the beginning of summer, and that
we all are going about our daily lives. But remember,
just for a small moment, the sacrifice behind the weekend.
(26:13):
And while this year visitors can dedicate a virtual poppy
to anyone who died in a military conflict, there is
the physical Poppy Wall of Honor. And can you talk
a little bit about how much that has grown and
support for this initiative the USA A Poppy Wall of Honor,
(26:33):
How much support has soared since you first started with us. Yes,
in fact, the popul Wall of Honor really began as
an internal company wide initiative. We built the poppy wall
for our internal Memorial Day remembrance program UH. And the
(26:55):
following year, in two does An eighteen, we erected that
poppy wall the National Mall in Washington, d C, adjacent
to the Reflecting Pool. And it was amazing that weekend,
as you can imagine, many people go to d C.
We had tens of thousands visit the Poppy Wall of Honor,
and it truly is remarkable. When you see the sheer
(27:17):
magnitude of sixty five thousand poppies on a wall that
is more than thirty feet long and ten feet tall,
it's truly overwhelming. Um. It puts into context just how
much Americans have willingly given their lives for many freedoms
that we take for granted every day. Uh. And we
(27:39):
were in fact directed it the following year with the
same if not more level of support from the local
community and everyone who was visiting d C. So we
look forward to the year's coming to return to Washington,
d C. UM, and this year we're helping keep that
message alive through through virtual channels. And I'm wondering final
(28:01):
question for you, do you think this virtual option could
raise even more awareness for this initiative because people will
get to participate in it that maybe wouldn't be able
to make it to Washington, d C. And go to
the National Mall where the actual USA A Poppy Wall
of Honor is located. That's a great question, uh, And
(28:23):
the short answers yes, I think that if anything, this
last year has taught us that reaching out virtually is
something that has been conversely adopted and well received and
should continue just for that very point. We can only
impact so many people at a specific location for a
specific amount of time, but if by amplifying it in
(28:44):
digital channels like Poppy of Memory dot com or via
social media and sharing, we're able to reach so many
more people and include them in remembering. I think that
we will continue to do it both virtually, but resume
the in person opportunity area as well in the future.
Eric and quest U s A a vice president who
(29:04):
served in the Army as an infantry officer and is
here to talk about the U s a a Poppy
Wall of Honor. You can find out more at Poppy
in Memory dot com. Eric, thank you so much for
the time, and thank you so much for your service
to this country as well. Well. Thank you for having
me really appreciate you helping us spread the message around
(29:25):
Memorial Day. All right, and that's gonna do it. For
this special Memorial Day weekend edition of iHeart Radio Communities,
I'm Ryan Gorman on behalf of myself and the entire
team here at I Hear Radio. I just want to
wrap up by thanking and honoring all of those who
have served and made the ultimate sacrifice for our country,
Popular Podcasts
24/7 News: The Latest
Today’s Latest News In 4 Minutes. Updated Hourly.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.