I am back in New Mexico...fixing helicopters, doing inspections, and generally trying to keep us afloat. This has not been a good winter for Arctic Artique. The day that I flew down here we did sell the oak liquor cabinet that we Artiqued last winter. That was a good feeling, but other than that it has been a very long and hard winter.

Kitty is still not well and I hate the fact that I have to be away from her while she is going through all of this. She is a very special lady and I would like to tell you all a little bit about her tonight.

My wife has a very unique outlook on life. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you is how she lives her life. These aren't just words to her. She has put herself and her needs last for a very long time. Kitty is the least selfish person I have ever met in my life. I am a very lucky person to have known and learned from her. Do you know the saying about someone giving the shirt off their back to others in need? Most of us do and we also think it is a good saying. When it comes right down to it, we will not give our shirt away unless there are strings attached. My wife has given her shirt to others in need more times than I can remember just since we have known each other. She has lived this way most of her life.

When we met she was a very active member of 'Soldiers Angels', an organization created to give aid and support to our active duty military men and women serving in areas of harms way. She was always known as the rogue Alaska Angel. She had been with Patty, the lady that started Soldiers Angels almost since it's inception. She sent boxes to soldiers in Afghanistan and Iraq. She was a penpal and mom to many of these young kids that were sent off to war on the other side of the world. She fund raised. She tactfully berated local businesses to help and donate. I even remember a neighbor of ours who happened to be a car dealer in town being politely threatened to have his prized horse get loose and run around town if he didn't help the cause. His horse was not let loose! Thank you for your donation sir!

My wife met the plane and honor detail as the recipient of the first folded flag in Alaska during Iraq II. A native young man whom she unofficially adopted fell over there. She was mom to him and he had previously requested to be returned to her should anything happen to him.

She helped local returning veterans in any way she could. These were the forgotten wounded warriors that she helped. The first one I remember was named Sullivan. He was a head wounded soldier that could no longer make sense of what he was reading. He was in Anchorage and the army convinced him to sign discharge papers that gave up all rights to medical help, compensation, and attention for his combat injuries. It is amazing to me how our government chewed up and spit these kids out. She made many phone calls and found an attorney to help him through the Wasilla VFW post. Yes, Wasilla is the home of Sarah Palin. Mrs. Palin met with my wife in her cabin after she received her folded flag I mentioned earlier. Back to Sullivan, long story short, he got his rightfully earned benefits reinstated. When she asked him why he signed it he just told her he had no idea what it said. His brain connections had been scrambled.

Dustin is another that she helped. Dustin was a gunner in Iraq. He had been blown off his humvee four times by RPG attacks. The last time he was hit, his brain scrambled. His brothers said that he was never the same person again. He should have received a Medal of Valor that last time. His detachment had driven into an ambush but had orders not to engage. He saw the ambush and disobeyed, saving the lives of everyone around him. He started firing and kept on firing until he was blown off his humvee. Anyway, this big goofy kid was medically discharged and was in Fairbanks. Things had gotten pretty bad for him. He went to the local VFW to see if he could get any kind of help but was turned away. Even though I am a member there, I am not a fan of our VFW at all.

The bartender happened to hear him talking and got his phone number before he left. She called my wife who immediately called him. Long story short, even though he wasn't very trusting at the time, Dustin moved in with us for a while. He went through a lot while in our home. My wife was one of the very few people who would listen and talk to him and not at him. She told me later that had we not taken him in he had planned on taking his life later that day. This is real life people. Our veterans have been treated terribly by our government for a very long time now. Anyway, Dustin will always be a big goofy kid due to the head injury. He met someone, is now married and has two boys by his wife's first marriage. If it hadn't been for Kitty's kindness, patience, and loving nature this would never have happened.

She and I were nominated for and proclaimed “Kentucky Colonels” for the work that we did for soldiers. By we I mean the work that she did. I was still learning how to be a decent human being at that point. I'm still learning. Nonetheless, it was an honor to receive some type of recognition.

'Another Brothers Mother' was born out of the Dustin experience. We took in several more wounded warriors and kept finding just how badly our young veterans were being treated by the system. When they would ask for help, the only answer they would get is Go to the mission. A young man or woman who has risked the ultimate sacrifice for our government and country deserves far better than that. Kitty convinced another Gold Star Mom to take in a soldier, and another, and another. Most of these kids had no real families growing up and just wanted to feel wanted. Unfortunately, most people were too frightened to let a battle hardened kid into their homes. Another Brothers Mother was short lived but it helped.

I could keep going on and on about what my wife has done for others. Crutchfield, Tiffany, and many more. The one that will always stick is Rider. Stuck in Texas with a wife, two young girls, and a special needs baby. This story has too many twists and turns to go though it all now (maybe down the road) but because of all the work, effort, and time of my wife, this family made it home to Alaska. Special thanks go to Alaska State Representative Tammy Wilson and Federal Senator Lisa Murkowski for all they did to help Kitty bring this young family home. How many ordinary citizens do you know that have these types of people on speed dial? These three ladies worked and worked and worked through every scenario imaginable and succeeded against every odd there was.

There is so much more to Kitty than what I have written here. One of her wishes is for me to tell her story when she is gone. I will do my best. I don't know how much longer I will have her. As I have said before, she is not well. She is starting to feel better and getting a bit of energy back now. It's unfortunate she has so many health issues to deal with. Kitty is a domestic violence victim from back in the early 90's. She has already died once protecting her son from her husband that was just back from Desert Storm. I will get into that full story some day but not today. She had to be rebuilt and relearn everything while raising two boys. Her time is soon coming to a close and I am fortunate to know her. We don't know when it will happen but I will continue to love, enjoy, and learn from her as long as I can. I hope to get a few more years with her but just don't know. I am a better person now than when we first met and it is because of her.

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