Manatee Appreciation

Here at The Coalition to Salute America’s Heroes, we love and appreciate all of our veteran families. We jump at opportunities to show them in every way we can. We have various programs in place to support our heroes like Emergency Financial Aid, Heroes Thanking Heroes Employment, and our Veteran and Caregiver Membership programs. We are here for them after they have survived their injuries of war and are recovering and rebuilding their adjusted life. 

In light of Manatee Appreciation Day, we would like to share a story with you about an event we were able to put together early last month. Captain Wayne White and his amazing wife of Aquavision Manatee Tours in Crystal River, Florida had generously donated a package that would allow for two veteran and caregiver couples to embark on an exclusive Manatee tour. This once in a lifetime experience was greatly appreciated by the two couples. They each had great things to say about the experience and the kindness of Captain White and his lovely wife. 

The Coalition enjoys fostering relationships between veteran families and businesses in our communities- we serve as the bridge in a social bond with those who are willing to give and veterans who deserve to be recognized for their duty and service to our country. 

U.S. Army Veteran Hugo Gonzalez shared that it was a real blessing to be able to meet new friends, a brother in arms and in Christ. 

Army Veteran Walter Brown shared in excitement stating how grateful he and his wife were to spend the day with such wonderful people on this amazing opportunity. They plan to meet up with their families to grow the new bonds. 

If you would like more information about how to book a Future Manatee tour with Captain White please

visit https://www.aquavisionmanateetours.com/ or call 352-613-1982. 

You can also send them a letter of appreciation for their support to our nation's veteran families to 506 NW 1st Ave. Crystal River, FL 34428

Alive Day

March 9th, 2011

I knew it was too early for my phone to be ringing.

Lori, my soon to be mother-in-law, was calling. What could she need? My thoughts immediately went to Afghanistan, where my fiancé, Jack Zimmerman was deployed with the 101st Airborne Division. When did I last hear from him? 

I answered hearing the desperation and sadness in her voice as she said to me, “Megan, I need you to come to our house. We have something to tell you.” 

I could think of nothing other than the one question that replayed in my mind a hundred times in an instant and it took all the strength I had to ask it…

“Is he alive? Just tell me if he is alive…”  Over and over I asked, I begged her to tell me the worst. 

Jack, my fiancé of only a week had just been home for his two-week leave after spending eight months deployed and proposed to me the night before he went back, on the eve of my 20th birthday. (If only I could have known at that moment just how much getting down on one knee would come to mean to us both).

I’ll always remember her next words. I could tell from over the phone how hard it was for her to say it out loud. “He’s alive Megan, but it’s bad. I’m on my way to pick you up now.” 

The car ride to the other side of our small town lasted forever. Lori wanted to wait to tell me until Jack’s dad arrived home; he was already at work for the day, but I couldn’t bear to not know. 

Barely able to choke the words out, she looked at me and said, “Megan….Jack was in an explosion and his legs are gone…”

My knees crumbled, my back slid down the wall and I sat on the floor, sobbing. My world went dark, my thoughts felt numb. I knew the reality. I knew the risk. I knew the sacrifices of so many before him. But this was real. It was happening. And it was happening to me. How did I go from showing off my new engagement ring, searching wedding themes on Pinterest and envisioning the happiness the rest of my life held to this pain and heartbreak? The hours and days to follow were unbearable. Information came in slow and uncertain. We received contradicting reports of the extent of his injuries and everyone was in a state of confusion. The news of Jack’s accident spread quickly and people from everywhere flooded in and out of the house seeking information, showing support, sharing their sympathy, and offering to help in any way they could. 

My family and friends never left my side during the five days between finding out of Jack’s accident and taking my first ever flight to meet him in Texas. They helped me pack up my life and supported me with anything I needed. I had to quit my job working at a daycare center, drop out of my sophomore year of college and leave the only home I’d ever known, and I was only twenty years old. I’d be lying if I said the thoughts of whether or not I could do this didn’t cross my mind. I wondered every second how different my life was going to look and how difficult it was going to be and knew that no one would blame me for walking away. I was so young, we both were, with the rest of our lives in front of us. But, I said it then and I say it today, a life without Jack is not a life I want. 

Today, Jack and I celebrate his 9-year alive day and view it as a day to see all the things we have accomplished together over nearly a decade. We were married just two months after his accident, and will soon celebrate nine wedded years. We have two wonderful young boys, William (6) and Benjamin (5) and three dogs. We have taken the worst day of our lives and used it to inspire and motivate others around us and both work diligently to advocate for veterans and caregivers.

The Schlipp Journey - The move

Moving is something we can all relate to, especially since we are or have been active military families. You know that saying about “the best-laid plans?” Oh my, did we have best-laid plans - LOL!

The move was basically from the top of Arkansas to the bottom. Our house in Bella Vista, AR was one mile from the AR/MO state line. Our home in Junction City, AR is three miles from the AR/LA state line. We found a wonderful house with ten acres out on the edge of town and plenty of room for our first home together.

To be technical, we were about to try to merge three households: Mike's, mine and my grandma's. We spent time purging and donating unneeded items. Boxes were being filled with like items and marked for placing in the correct rooms at the new house. The rental truck was reserved, and friends lined up to assist.

We celebrated the holidays early and didn't put up a Christmas tree. Our goal was to move into the new house on December 23, 2019. To say nothing went as planned would be an understatement - LOL!

We ended up making the move with a total of four trips....over three weeks...One 27 foot U-Haul rental truck, two pickup truck loads, two trailer loads, three Ford Fusion loads, and one Hyundai Santa Fe load. Whew!! My husband Mike drove the U-Haul towing the Santa Fe while I followed in the Fusion. Our two large, outside dogs rode in the cab of the U-Haul with Mike. One of our cats rode in the travel taxi in the Santa Fe while our two smaller inside dogs rode in the Fusion with me.

We planned to unload all the furniture into the correct rooms, polished and placed. Then we would use our huge covered porch to sort the tubs, boxes, and bags into their respective rooms. Needless to say, it didn't quite work that way. The furniture did get into the correct rooms, but not all got polished. The sorting on the porch, well that only works if people put them in the right sections - LOL!

The week after we moved, I started my job at the community college in town. In the first month, Mike had two visits to the ER - a cracked rib and an inability to urinate. We have lost three pets also. Thankfully Mike is a mechanic because on the last trip moving furniture, the brakes went out on the truck. He has also had to replace a fuel pump, a battery, a cv joint, and an engine.

We have been here for about eight weeks now, and we still have not unpacked anything new. Oh well, we love it and have plenty of time to blend and combine our tastes and mementos to reflect our forever home!!